Most marketing today can be . . . quiet.

It’s optimized.

It’s efficient.

It blends in.

And over time, I’ve found that’s usually why it doesn’t work.

Years ago, while producing the Off-Broadway musical Altar Boyz, I learned a lesson that changed how I think about marketing forever. It wasn’t about ad spend, targeting, or copy tweaks.

It was about drama.

The Problem With “Safe” Marketing

Most marketers are trained to minimize risk:

1. Don’t offend anyone
2. Don’t stand out too much
3. Don’t confuse the audience

The result? Marketing that’s polite, predictable, and invisible.

What I noticed (and it took me longer than I’d like to admit) is that people rarely notice what feels safe. The things that cut through are usually the ones that feel a little risky.

They notice what makes them feel something.

On Broadway, we don’t have the luxury of blending in. If a show doesn’t stop people in their tracks, it doesn’t sell tickets.

Marketing works the same way.

What Is Dramatic Marketing?

I didn’t have a name for it at the time, but looking back, this is what I now call dramatic marketing — creating contrast people can’t ignore.

Drama comes from:

• Clear stakes
• Bold choices
• Emotional tension
• A strong point of view

Onstage, drama keeps an audience leaning forward.

In marketing, it keeps people paying attention.

If your marketing doesn’t create a reaction, it won’t create results.

The Altar Boyz Lesson

At the time, we weren’t trying to prove a theory. We were just trying to get noticed.

What surprised me was how much attention one bold choice generated — not just from audiences, but from press, fans, and people who had never heard of the show before.

If you watch my latest video on YouTube, you’ll learn about the time we challenged the Backstreet Boys (yes, THE Backstreet Boys) to a Boyband Battle against the cast of Altar Boyz.

Broadway vs. Business Marketing

On Broadway, every show is competing with:

1. Other shows
2. Restaurants
3. Netflix
4. People Watching
5. Stand Up Comedy
6. And everything else that New York City has to offer

If we don’t create urgency and emotion, we lose.

Your business is competing with the same forces — distraction, fatigue, and indifference.

That means your marketing has to:

1. Take a stand
2. Be unmistakable
3. Make a promise worth paying attention to

I started asking myself: What would someone immediately recognize as ours . . . even without the logo?

How to Apply Dramatic Marketing to Your Show

You don’t need costumes or a stage to use dramatic marketing. You need conviction.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a pattern that shows up again and again . . . and I’ve started thinking about it like this:

USP + WHBDB

USP stands for Unique Selling Proposition. What makes your show unique? Is it immersive, does it feature Alan Cumming in a one-man show? Does it have a mop as a main character? Add that to . . .

WHBDB or what hasn’t been done before. 

And when you add those two things together . . . you get massive amounts of free marketing.

Remember:

People don’t share what’s reasonable.

They share what’s bold.

Final Thought

If your marketing feels a little uncomfortable, you’re probably doing it right.

Because the moment you stop trying to please everyone . . . is the moment people start paying attention.