AKA NYC’s CEO Elizabeth Furze describes The Arts Insider program and its corresponding platform, which kicks off with a reach of 6.2 million followers.
by Ruthie Fierberg
AKA NYC has announced a new service called The Arts Insider. Both a program and a platform, its members are a group of 20 influencers who create content across social media related to arts and entertainment. Through AKA, these content creators are given inside access to Broadway shows, arts and culture institutions, destination-based entertainment and more. In turn, the influencers agree to create content for their individual platforms that will also be posted to the Arts Insider accounts on an ongoing basis — rather than in one-off transactions as has typically been the case with influencer marketing on Broadway.
AKA, an advertising agency that handles Broadway shows such as & Juliet and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, announced the launch of Arts Insider at the Algonquin Hotel on Jan. 29.
The Arts Insider roster includes influencers from Instagram and TikTok, including Abby DePhillips (@abbydephillips), Alyssa Jaffe (@alyssavjaffe), Ashley Hufford (@ashleyhufford), Brenda Perez (@itsbrennyc), Charlene Wang (@nycharlene), David Ross Lawn (@davidrosslawn), Deanna Giulietti (@deannagiulietti), Gen Nakamura (@genwithahardg), James Rose (@jamesissmiling), Joey Dardano (@joeydardano), Kaisha Huguley (@Kaishacreates), Katie Oxman (@katieoxmanoffical), Kellyn McMullan (@kellymcmullan), Sharm Sil (@sharmedlife/@averagesocialite), Sydney Benjamin (@sydney_benjamin), the Theater Lovers (@the_theater_lovers), Tommy Bracco (@tommybracco), Tyler Conroy (@tyvid5) and Wildlin Pierrevil (@notwildlin).
Collectively, these influencers reach 6.2 million followers across social media. The list was curated by AKA’s Associate Director of Influence Marketing, Grace Aki. The program marks an expansion of the social and earned media divisions, led by Allison Peters and SJ Arnegger, respectively.
“We wanted to make sure that we were being mindful of different audiences and follower groups that this [cohort] collectively had,” AKA NYC CEO Elizabeth Furze told Broadway News at the Algonquin event. “Part of this is about having Broadway be more consistently delivered to different audience groups that might not be seeing things in the more traditional places where theater is advertised.”
Arts Insider marks a shift in strategy when it comes to influencer marketing for Broadway.
For example, previously, the team of a Main Stem show (or brand) might suggest hosting an influencer event. “They’d say, ‘We’ll invite people in at this particular moment in time and get them to engage in our show or in our attraction or in our exhibition.’ And people would share that experience, and then everybody would move on,” Furze said. “Particularly with theater, the idea of fandom doesn’t really work like that. When people become genuine fans of a show, they want to keep engaging with it, and then if they have an influential follower base, they want to keep sharing that with their followers.”
“We felt like there was an opportunity to work with people on a more ongoing basis where we say to them, ‘We are an agency that has access to a huge number of shows and a huge number of opportunities to give access to people that would really benefit from seeing behind the curtain of these productions,’” Furze continued. “If we can tap into that and give people access on a more ongoing basis, the content they’ll be able to create will be that much richer and authentic and what they’re sharing with their communities is, ultimately, going to give a more detailed, nuanced and enthusiastic representation of the shows that they’re sharing.”
Members of The Arts Insider club (the 20 content creators) are now on retainer with AKA, which also marks a change in protocol. Across the industry, some content creators are paid, others operate by an in-kind agreement — like complimentary tickets. All of AKA’s Arts Insiders are paid. While they are able to take on other paid work outside AKA, they have been asked not to create free content for other shows.
The Arts Insider program is available to AKA’s full-service clients at no extra cost. Other clients will be able take advantage of the service and pay à la carte.
All of the Arts Insiders are invited to events and experiences across the clientele that opt in (i.e., not only the theater influencers will be welcomed to Broadway). What’s more, individual productions will not need to hire influencers one by one; instead, clients have access to a static cohort. When it comes to Broadway, these content creators will be expected to post about the shows that actually resonate with them.
“It’s an authentic conversation that [these influencers] are having with the people that follow them,” Furze said. “So their followers trust the recommendations they’re making.”
What’s more, Furze sees an opportunity to use Arts Insider to boost new shows. “When you launch a play for a 12-week limited run and it doesn’t have a star, you immediately launch accounts across social channels,” Furze said. “But you might not have much content until the show actually opens.” Arts Insider will help in two ways. First, AKA can give their roster inside access to events that take place before the show opens — a mini performance, a conversation with a producer, etc. Second, the content will be posted on the Instagram account @theartsinsider.
While an individual show will have to build a following from scratch, Arts Insider accounts will be ongoing. So, for instance, a user who follows because of content about Back to the Future will also see content about Harmony.
Arts Insider will continue to morph as AKA’s team tracks its efficacy. “One of the sayings that we have in the agency is ‘always moving,’” said Furze. “This is not something which is static.”
“We’ve seen influencer marketing play a really important role in theater marketing. And I think that that role is only going to grow,” Furze continued. “I’m really excited about watching what happens and learning from everybody here and sharing the content that they create for our clients.”