What Happens When a Patron Stops Buying Tickets?
How WestCoast Entertainment uses an always-on re-engagement journey to reconnect with inactive patrons.
A patron bought tickets a while back. Since then, nothing. What do you do with them? WestCoast Entertainment (WCE) starts with a question: What do you want to hear from us?
Two campaigns, one goal
WCE’s strategy has two parts: an initial broad campaign to inactive contacts already in the database, and an ongoing automated campaign that keeps the work going.
The pairing matters. A one-time send can reach the inactive contacts you have today, but it can’t do anything about the patrons who go quiet next month. An ongoing campaign means re-engagement is part of how you operate, not a project you run once a year.
Inactive contacts receive up to three emails, two weeks apart. Before each follow-up goes out, the journey checks whether the patron has already submitted the preferences form.
An easy way back
The email, headlined “Dive Back In!”, invites patrons to choose what they hear about, from touring Broadway news to exclusive ticket deals. One button takes them to a Subscription Management page.
Nobody has to buy anything to respond. Patrons get a say in what lands in their inbox, and WCE learns what each one cares about.
The right people get the message
The journey also leaves people out. Recent purchasers, engaged contacts, unsubscribes, and bounced addresses are all excluded. That keeps the message relevant to the people who receive it and supports the database's health.
Three ideas to take back
Offer a way back that doesn’t require a purchase. A preferences update is an easy first step for a patron who’s gone quiet.
Set a rhythm and a limit. Up to three emails, two weeks apart, gives people time to respond without crowding their inbox.
Leave out the people who don’t need the message. Recent buyers and engaged contacts shouldn’t get a note meant for someone who’s gone quiet.
Once it’s built, a journey like this keeps running while your team works on the next on-sale.
What happens to patrons on your list once they stop buying? We’d like to hear how your team handles it.
