B'way band together to reward auds

Audience Rewards program offers online profiles, tix

By GORDON COX

Every Broadway show on the boards has lined up to be a part of Audience Rewards, a legit customer loyalty initiative spearheaded by producing and theater-owning company the Nederlander Organization.

New program, tied to the Nederlanders' major chain of legit road houses and its sizable concert division, reps a significant effort to raise the national profile of the Broadway brand, not specific to any one production or producer.

The program's Web site allows theatergoers to buy tickets to legit offerings both in Gotham and on tour and to create an online profile to further focus the marketing they receive regarding future shows.

Eventually the program will work on a system whereby points earned by purchasing tickets will be redeemable for rewards such as a comp ticket, dinner at a restaurant or a pre-show event with a celeb legiter.

According to the Nederlanders, it was easy talking the Rialto's mostly independent producers, many of whom are competitors, into getting their shows involved in the program.

The reason no one had previously attempted such an initiative, said Nederlander prexy James L. Nederlander, was the cost (which he wouldn't reveal) of starting and maintaining such a program.

"This site has the potential to communicate with something like 12 million people a year," said Nederlander exec VP Nick Scandalios. "If the whole industry and all the producers can engage with them like this, then we can really expand our resources."

Turning Broadway into an easy-access, nationwide brand falls in line with the goals of Charlotte St. Martin, new exec director of the League of American Theaters & Producers. "One of the ways that organizations can create loyalty is through frequency programs such as these," she said. "Consumers who are loyal are the best cheerleaders."

Live now, Audiencerewards.com will soon be linked to the Nederlanders' concert division, further bolstering the cross-promotional potential.