Upstage Theatre Arts Schools has strengthened its position since 2011 due to improved customer communication, better retention, and increased referrals as a result of our brand communications programme.

Upstage, a provider of performance skills training to young people, was our first client, in fact founder Nick had been working with the company since his days living Los Angeles. Owner Adrian Cohen started the business in 2004 with a single summer program in South Pasadena. By the time Nick became involved in 2007 the company had grown to two programs a year — an after-school program through the school year, and a summer day camp.

When Tribus (then called Joy & Revolution) was formed in 2011 we were asked to create a new website. The existing site was only capable of promoting one program at a time, and didn’t allow for easy online registration. It also no longer gave a fair representation of the scale of the company’s activities. The site we created allowed for multiple programs and a more straightforward enrolment process. It also introduced online payments through PayPal.

Since we started providing brand communications for Upstage, the company’s turnover has grown by over five times

Within two years the company had grown to include a second location in Westwood, Los Angeles and double in revenue. The ability to present multiple programs had given Adrian the opportunity to scale his offering to demand. The company continued to grow quickly, and the number of rose to such a degree that a new dedicated e-commerce site that required customers to pay online was necessary.

The current site was the result. We did not have a huge budget to work with, so focused on functionality before visual design. The site uses WordPress with WooCommerce and all payments are now made online. As the company’s growth has continued we have introduced deposit and subscription payments, and moved from PayPal to a bank provided credit card payments system.

The YouTube channel has generated almost 23,000 views since launch

Alongside the development of the website, we created a YouTube channel with videos of past performances and rehearsals (many shot and edited by Tribus) that has generated almost 23,000 views so far. We also introduced email marketing using MailChimp (which is integrated into the shopping cart of the website), created show artwork, produced newspaper ads, and managed PPC campaigns to help advance the business.

Since we started providing brand communications for Upstage, the company’s turnover has grown by over five times and is now operating in three locations and employs. Whilst we cannot claim credit for all of that expansion — much of it is due to the business acumen and drive of Adrian and his team — we know that the tools and services we have put in place have provided a strong platform to support that growth.