Encouraging Loyalty, innovation for Theatre Tokens.
“From concept to conversion,building digital products that delight users and deliver commercial impact.“
The Problem
Theatre Tokens, the UK’s national theatre gift voucher scheme, supports more than 270 member venues across the country. While the scheme already had unrivalled reach within the performing arts sector, the challenge was clear:
Diversify the product range to appeal to new audiences
Encourage gifting as a mechanism for audience development
Create fresh marketing opportunities for member venues and productions
Increase organic social reach through shareable digital products
Promote theatre nationwide, from the West End to regional stages
The organisation wanted to strengthen audience loyalty while driving new sales and engagement through creative use of its digital products.
*All images copyright their respective productions.The Solution
As Digital Product Lead, I developed a co-branded e-gift strategy that combined the power of iconic theatre branding with the accessibility of Theatre Tokens.
Co-Branded West End E-Gifts
West End productions, with their long runs and strong brand identities, provided an excellent opportunity for co-branding. Each show’s artwork carried significant audience recognition, while Theatre Tokens offered a seamless path to purchase.
We designed a templated digital framework that allowed us to:
Rapidly produce new e-gifts using approved brand assets
Turn around new designs within a single day
Support each show’s marketing with minimal overhead
The result was a scalable and cost-effective way to bring co-branded digital gift products to market, aligning the Theatre Tokens brand with beloved productions such as The Lion King, Hamilton, and Les Misérables.
*All images copyright their respective venues.Theatre-Specific E-Gifts for Regional Venues
For theatres outside London, where shows often have shorter runs, we evolved the model to focus on venue-specific e-gifts. These digital cards celebrated local theatres, helping audiences show loyalty to their favourite regional venues.
Using the same flexible template, we invited participating theatres to share imagery of their venues—without show-specific branding—to ensure designs remained evergreen. This approach complemented national campaigns such as Love Your Local Theatre, reinforcing our message of community support and accessibility.
The Outcome
The co-branded and venue-specific e-gift strategy became an integral part of Theatre Tokens’ ongoing marketing and business development. The initiative delivered measurable benefits:
Increased audience loyalty across both West End and regional theatres
Enhanced marketing opportunities for member venues and productions
Stronger sales performance through a diversified digital product range
Mutual brand growth, with co-branded assets enhancing visibility for both Theatre Tokens and its partners
Today, Theatre Tokens continues to embed these digital gifting strategies in its campaigns, including limited-edition physical gift card runs for added exclusivity.
This project demonstrated how thoughtful digital product design, strategic co-branding, and collaborative marketing can strengthen customer loyalty while supporting the wider arts community.
