BWW Exclusive: Marketing and Strategic Consulting Firm Groner Group Becomes MICHELE GRONER x BRAND NEXUS

The Groner Group, a marketing and strategic consulting firm announced today that it is changing its name to "MICHELE GRONER x BRAND NEXUS". The name change reflects the company's evolution over the last several years, both in terms of the clients they serve and the changing needs of their existing client base. Along with this name change, a new website and logo have been revealed at brand-nexus.com.

The site includes endorsements from several past clients including industry heavyweights like Thomas Schumacher, President & Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions who says, "Michele Groner is the smartest most engaged 'secret weapon' anyone trying to market or position a product, event, space or show could find. Having known her for some 20 years I can't imagine doing anything where I don't get her POV. Growing up INSIDE the Theatre, Michele has worked closely with some of the greatest creative minds on and off the stage. She's at the top of my list whenever friends or colleagues call for advice. Michele makes every meeting come to life with boundless creativity and fearless passion. In a world where opinions are easy and wisdom is rare, Michele is a sensational collaborator and a much-needed partner."

With over 25 years of experience working with the biggest names in Broadway, publishing and media, Michele now partners with a wider variety of industries and brands to bring their message to the market. Most recently, Michele's helped to solidify and launch bestselling books from Hachette, created marketing plans for historic museums, and was part of the relaunch committee bringing Broadway back from its unprecedented closure.

As the Director of Strategy and Media at Disney Theatrical Productions for over a decade, launching classics like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Mary Poppins, Michele brings vast experience in strategic positioning, creative development, media insights, data & research analytics and the social landscape, competitive marketplace analysis, award season planning, ticketing/sales, press strategy, and more.

Ahead of the big announcement, Michele checked in with BroadwayWorld to chat about the rebrand, her thoughts on the future of the industry, and more!

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Congrats on this big news! Other than the name, what is the biggest change that the Groner Group has seen in this evolution into Michele Groner x Brand Nexus?

Thank you so much! When I started the business I was focused almost exclusively on live entertainment marketing and advertising. Over time, I've not only expanded my client base beyond theater to publishing, museums and other small businesses, I've also really expanded my footprint to be all inclusive when examining a brand's needs.

Is the brand staffed properly? Do they have a true understanding of their audience? Are they connecting the dots between marketing, sales, press, social, and more? Are their sales plans & executions functioning well?

I have a deep background in research/data and big-picture global thinking, so I've been really focusing on making sure that the client is functioning holistically from a 30,000 foot perspective. Of course, I'll never tire of being in the weeds on the day-to-day stuff if that's what necessary in the moment - especially for theater clients!

What are you hoping to deliver to your clients that they can't get anywhere else?

Great question. There are lots of talented folks in the marketing space - especially in the theater world, so let me address this in two parts.

I have lots of clients who at first are skeptical about hiring another person to sit at the table - especially if they already have an ad agency (sometimes two!), a press office, a GM office, a social media mastermind, agents, etc., and more. To those people I say, "ALL the more reason you need me!" During development and launch of your product there are hundreds of moving pieces that must be aligned to get your message to market correctly. If one piece is off, your launch won't move in the right direction. I help clients find a clear vision, the right audience & positioning, and a cohesive strategy & execution plan. I help make all those voices sitting at the table sing in harmony.

Second, having worked on productions in New York, on the road across North America, in London, and in every major European market thanks to my many years with Disney and Stage Entertainment, I bring a truly global perspective to my clients. I also have worked on some of the longest running shows of all time and shows that have closed prematurely. It takes a very different skill set to understand strategy for the long haul - what it looks like from day one in order to get to year ten - than it does to work on a limited engagement or a show with a shorter shelf life. Either way, hiring me means you have someone who has the skills to manage whatever curveballs get thrown your way with one eye on what's happening in the moment and the other eye down the road a bit.

Broadway is going through an unprecedented period. How do you think that media and marketing strategy is going to change over the course of the next year?

It's true. It was unimaginable 18 months ago to think that we'd be closed for this long and the ramifications of that closure on marketing are ENORMOUS. Never in the history of Broadway has EVERY SINGLE SHOW started with what is essentially a ZERO dollar advance in the bank and then gone on sale simultaneously to what is a potentially much more limited pool of people than existed prior to the shutdown. To put that in some perspective, let's do a little "back of the envelope" math:

·The total population of the tri-state area is 23,700,000 (Google)

·The number of tri-state admissions in 2019 was 5,200,000 (League)

·Let's say that 35 theaters come back online simultaneously-ish at an average of 1200 seats (remember - I said "back of the envelope!) that's 9,600 tickets per theater per week or 336,000 tickets total per week.

·BUT Let's assume that on average theaters operate at 85% capacity (which I think is generous to start) so it's 285,600 tickets per week.

·Divide that 5.2 million admissions by that 285k number and you have approximately EIGHTEEN WEEKS worth of audience in the tri-state area.

So what about the domestic tourists? The foreign tourists? People who see more than one show? The over 55 crowd who makes up a HUGE portion of theatergoers?

Not to mention the major social and political changes we are seeing in the arts throughout this country! What about the new and really exciting programming that's hopefully coming down the pike as a result of some much-needed change? How will the audience change?

And how has media consumption changed as a result of being glued to our devices for a year and a half? [Personally, I believe this sped up the curve of older audiences moving away from traditional media and adapting to a more digital realm by HUGE leaps and bounds!]

There are SO MANY moving pieces right now. It all sounds really daunting, I know. BUT the most exciting part of all of this is that I believe we have the tools to find people where they are, and those people have an enormous pent-up appetite for the experience that ONLY live theater can give them. It's really a matter of making sure we, as marketers and strategists, stay on top of these vast pools of data and don't lose sight of the big picture while drilling down into the minutiae. It's a huge challenge and I'm excited to be a part of it!

What are you most looking forward to for the future for Michele Groner x Brand Nexus?

I honestly love what I do, and I am excited to bring that passion to new shows, new products in new categories and new clients! I am so incredibly grateful to have had the career I've had thus far with wonderful mentors, clients, and partners. Expanding my work into new horizons is the most exciting chapter yet.

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For all inquiries, email michele@brand-nexus.com.

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