Edinburgh Fringe marketing & PR campaigns

Edinburgh Fringe PR campaigns

I plan and implement communication campaigns and like to base my decisions on facts, so my clients get their 15 minutes of fame.

I've got a strong track record and cross-artform experience (including theatre, comedy, music) of promoting Edinburgh Festival Fringe events for clients including Magnetic North theatre company, American playwright Brian Parks, and Director Margarett Perry.

Thanks to relationships with Scottish and UK national publications, suppliers, and venues I can help your show reach the press and Edinburgh audiences effectively.

Each festival I work on only a handful of productions, so I can do an excellent job for everyone. Based just outside of Edinburgh, I am in regular contact with the media and can easily meet with producers in town before the festival starts. Case studies of previous projects are available below.

I’m now booked up for providing a full PR service for Fringe shows in 2024. However, this year I’m offering a service where I can make PR and advertising recommendations tailored for your show. I can also provide video production.

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John Jiler, American playwright:

“James was our guide through the labyrinth of the Fringe. His plan for rounding up reviewers, and generally raising the profile of the project was magnificent. Edinburgh in August can be competitive and bewildering and having a partner like James allowed us to cut though it all with power and confidence. I can’t recommend his services highly enough.”

Services offered

Media relations

Using insight to discover new press-worthy pitch angles for your show
Making personalised approaches to the press for features, interviews, and inclusion in round-up pieces
Write and distribute media releases
Securing reviewers
Cultivating influencers to get coverage on relevant YouTube channels, newsletters, blogs and podcasts
Organising listings on what's on sites
Building opening night invite lists, sending invites
Representing your show at Meet the Media (an event which connects journalists and editors with Fringe participants)
Venue monitoring to make sure reviews are added to websites, social media and posters.

Marketing

Planning and implementing communication campaigns
Commissioning design concept creation - working with a designer of your choice
Rolling out the design to print and online
Driving audiences to performances
Influencer marketing campaigns: vet and negotiate fees to increase show profile and social media coverage.

Audience development

Identify target audiences and work hard to reach them on the ground in Edinburgh
Contacting a set of Edinburgh retailers (such as book, music or record shops) and asking them to put up posters/hand out flyers in exchange for free staff tickets to boost word of mouth.

Ad campaigns

Plan and book online and print ad campaigns to advertise your show in relevant online/Scottish publications and outdoors in Edinburgh
I have strong relationships with what’s on guides for the arts & entertainment in Scotland.

Video

This year Paul Phelan is joining me to create video content. He’s produced video for international news organisations such as Yahoo! News, and is also a professional photographer (showreel above)
Creating trailers to showcase the production using your existing footage
Vox pop videos - interviews with the audience after seeing the show
Production filming - archive recording of a whole performance with two cameras, multi-track audio, professionally mixed and produced for prospective producers.

Print distribution

I can arrange Fringe leaflet and poster distribution and flyering at prices not available to individual companies
Arranging and managing street level promotion.