When Vermont media fell in love

They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So, prior to my When Love Was Nifty concert on Sunday, 22 May 2016, at Chandler Center in Randolph VT, I made a big effort to publicize the event.

When Love Was Nifty Concert at the Chandler Center
in Randolph VT was displayed on cover of the May 18
2016 publication of  The World  —  Central Vermont's
Favorite Weekly Newspaper.

Driving me was the realization that not many people in Vermont know about me. I've performed only few Vintage Music Concerts in the Green Mountain State and previous media pick-up was scant.

So, about a month before the event I conducted a publicity campaign with these elements:

•   45  press releases mailed to Vermont print media contacts;

•   120  publicity emails posted to Vermont online media contacts;

•   162  invitations and flyers mailed to libraries, municipal senior centers and retirement communities;

•   205  publicity emails posted to libraries, municipal senior centers and retirement communities;

•   311  announcement postcards were mailed to print and broadcast media, municipal senior centers, retirement communities, libraries, musicians and performance venues across VT and western NH.

Emphasized program, vintage guitars and audience

All of these promotions emphasized the program of the upcoming concert, the role of vintage guitars in the concert, and character of the expected audience. In short, the promotions covered the following aspects:

•   concert theme — favorite love songs that were favorites between 1945 and
     1960 — the 15-year era before rock 'n' roll smothered American pop music;

•   vintage acoustic guitars — from the 1920s and 1930s through 1940s for an
     authentic, back-in-the-day sound;

•   intended audience — adults, 45 to 90 years of age, who enjoy mid-20th
     Century American music.

In these promotions I emphasized the concert location, Chandler Center, an established venue, rather than my background. Though I've sung vintage songs and played vintage guitars in concerts for nearly two decades, I suspected few people in Vermont's general public would recognize my name.

In addition to my publicity efforts, staff at Chandler emailed 115 press releases to its in-house publicity list two weeks before the concert. They also contacted senior centers in and near Randolph in order to raise interest in the concert and generate group attendance at the event.

Publicity effort's one-two punch
The publicity work delivered a one-two punch. First, it generated several media placements — photo-captions offering concert info, calendar listings and short articles about the concert — in advance of the event.

Second, to my delight media attention helped us fill slightly more than half of the Upper Gallery at Chandler Center on a sunny spring Sunday. Indeed, we hosted an audience that was eager to hear vintage love songs and vintage American guitars.

Media placements touting the When Love Was Nifty event at Chandler included:

The World — Based in Barre, this free weekly offers a huge Calendar of Events section in each 48-page publication. It bills itself as “Central Vermont’s Favorite Weekly Newspaper.”

This paper touted the Chandler concert across its cover with a two-tone photograph and concert info. It also ran an item in its Calendar of Events section: "Accompanied by his collection of vintage acoustic guitars, Ken Lelen takes the stage to bring you some of the great songs from American ragtime, swing, and jazz traditions."

Seven Days — Based in Burlington, this feisty, free and large (96 pages) weekly newspaper serves the entire state with many well-written articles. It offers its readers two slogans: “Vermont’s Independent Voice” and “Running With Bunnies.” [sic]

This paper ran a circular photo (at right) in its Calendar section as well as a brief news item about the May 22 concert: "Ken Lelen strums vintage guitars in a program that recalls moonlit nights and romantic trysts."

The Herald — Based in Randolph, this 142-year-old weekly newspaper serves the White River Valley of the Green Mountain State. Its slogan: “One Dollar And Worth Every Penny.”

This paper ran a brief news item on the concert in its Calendar section: "1940s and 1950s love songs performed by singer and acoustic guitarist Ken Lelen."

                                        References

                    Chandler Center for the Arts                       chandler-arts.org

                    Randolph Herald                                         ourherald.com

                    Seven Days                                                sevendaysvt.com

                    The World                                                   vt-world.com

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                                   © 2016 — Kenneth Lelen — All Rights Reserved