Sing-alongs and Cream Puffs: The Power of Community in Building a Brand
On the 25th of July, a crowd of 2,000 people met in Hyde Park to sing.
The sing-in protest was organised after the cancellation of Divine Playhouse. The sudden closure was a result of pressure on the property owners, and criticism of the use of the abandoned Kent Street church as an inclusive music venue.
The Divine Playhouse was just a few weeks post-opening, when they were unexpectedly forced to vacate the premises under the claim of ‘’offensive trade.’’ What has followed has seen The Divine Playhouse become the centre of a state-wide debate, and has given them, incidentally, a huge boost in publicity. The venue’s cancellation and the following protests were covered across the majority of major media outlets, including but not limited to: Rolling Stones Australia, The Guardian, ABC News, Nine News, and Sydney Morning Herald.
Ironically, what could’ve been just another venue that went mostly under the radar, save for a loyal cult following, now has growing momentum. There is potential if the managers can manage to lock down a new venue soon, or re-schedule their cancelled events across multiple locations. The organic coverage the events company has generated illustrates they have enough eyes to pull in the crowds, if the sing-along protest that occurred a few Saturdays ago is any indication.
The Divine Playhouse isn’t the only business to be in this situation. Sydney’s famous Chinatown location Emperor’s Garden, has also been shut down amid ATO scrutiny. Disappointed patrons have come to the popular hotspot to find the door shut and a sign declaring that the premises “have been lawfully re-entered and possession taken.’’ News of the closed business has spread, with popular page Monkeyboy Sydney covering the local outrage of the businesses disappearance. Details of the closure have been covered by ABC news, Sydney Morning Herald, News.com.au, Delicious.com.au and SBS Australia, bringing the business into the national spotlight.
The ability to spin this crisis into an opportunity will come down to the quick actions and handling of their communication teams. How effectively can they handle the sudden publicity, and direct their messaging to turn awareness into opportunity?
Already, Divine Playhouse has acted quickly to mitigate risk to their reputation. All ticket buyers for a cancelled show at Divine Playhouse were contacted, and informed they were eligible for a refund. Whilst taking on financial liability for the cancelled shows, the company has shifted the outrage and backlash away from themselves.
Divine Playhouse founder, Kat Dopper, has keyed her messaging towards the needs of her audience and been transparent with their outrage, “We believe this termination was unlawful and unjust. I am devastated. I am angry – for us, for our artists, for this city and its people.’’ To find solidarity in her community was a strong choice, rallying her audience to join her as a movement, and grounding the problem as something bigger than a club that didn’t come to fruition. On her social media, she documents them taking apart the venue piece by piece by hand, and humanising the brand behind the cancelled project.
“This isn’t about Divine versus Revelop. It’s so much bigger. If a landlord’s personal beliefs can shut down an arts venue, no stage in this country is safe. Who decides what art is acceptable? Right now, the answer is whoever owns the building.”
The events company will have to successfully leverage this growing attention to position themselves as a key player in Sydney’s event industry. Dopper and her team would be smart to continue on their community-focused approach, focusing on rallying support, rather than entering into controversial legal action which could damage their reputation and wallets.
Emperor’s Garden has taken a similar approach, leveraging their new social media following as the restaurant owner confirmed they wouldn’t be permanently closing their doors and has promised a return. They have confirmed that while they are closed, their social media pages would continue to share stories and memories of the business that have been around since the 70s. Their following has been similarly active, with positive and supportive comments flooding their comment section and reposting their activity.
Emperor’s Garden and the Divine Playhouse have been poignant examples in keeping a brand alive beyond the boundaries of physical location, with social media being an important tool in turning a brand into not just a service or product, but a central tent-pole of a community. The brands transcend physicality in their loyal following and use of community as a driving force in resisting threats and weaknesses which would otherwise unravel a business for good.
Ruby Harris, PR Coordinator @ InsideOut PR
