Case Study: Slightly Stoopid's Summer Tradition
Every summer, Slightly Stoopid hits the road for what's become one of the most anticipated tours in American roots reggae. After years of working together, we've turned their summer tour into a marketing machine that gets more efficient every year—while the venues keep getting bigger.
The Challenge
Build a repeatable summer tour marketing system that improves year-over-year while scaling to larger venues across 35+ markets.
The Annual Cycle
What makes Slightly Stoopid's summer tour unique is its consistency. Same time of year, many of the same markets, the same team every time. This created an opportunity most tours don't have: compounding data over multiple years.
By year three of our partnership, we weren't starting from scratch. We were activating an audience database of hundreds of thousands of past ticket buyers, engaged fans, and lookalike prospects—all segmented by market, purchase history, and engagement level.
The Yearly Playbook
Phase 1: Reactivation (January-February)
Before anything goes on sale, we wake up the audience:
- Throwback content: Last summer's photos and videos re-engage hibernating fans
- Save-the-date teasers: Build anticipation for tour announcement
- Email/SMS list warming: Re-engage subscribers before hitting them with ticket links
Phase 2: Announcement & Presale (March)
The announcement period is orchestrated for maximum impact:
- Presale code capture: Fans sign up for exclusive early access, building our first-party data
- Coordinated blast: Email, SMS, paid social, and organic all hit simultaneously
- VIP/package priority: Premium offerings sold first to highest-intent buyers
The presale typically generates 40-50% of total ticket sales within 72 hours.
Phase 3: Sustain (April-May)
After the presale rush, we shift to sustained marketing:
- Market-specific campaigns: Underperforming markets get increased support
- Lineup announcements: Support acts announced in waves to create new news cycles
- Retargeting: Website visitors and cart abandoners see ticket reminders
Phase 4: Urgency (June-July)
As show dates approach, messaging shifts to urgency:
- Final ticket warnings: "Limited tickets remain" for strong sellers
- Dynamic pricing messaging: "Lock in your price before day-of increases"
- Local targeting: Geo-targeted ads to day-of purchasers within driving distance
The Data Flywheel
What makes this partnership special is the compounding effect. Each year, we capture:
- Ticket buyer data for remarketing next summer
- Engagement signals that identify high-intent prospects
- Market performance data that informs routing decisions
- Creative performance data that makes next year's assets better
Year-Over-Year Improvements
- Year 1: Built foundation, established benchmarks
- Year 2: Improved cost-efficiency, higher sell-through
- Year 3: Scaled to larger venues with compounding data
- Year 4+: Refinement mode—optimizing an already-efficient machine
The Results
Key Takeaways
- Consistency enables compounding. Recurring tours are a data goldmine—but only if you're systematically capturing and leveraging that data.
- Start early, but don't peak too soon. The reactivation phase is invisible to fans but critical to presale success.
- Every year should be cheaper than the last. If your marketing isn't getting more efficient, you're not learning from your data.
"What Soundwave brings isn't just execution—it's institutional memory. They know our audience better than we do at this point."
— Slightly Stoopid Management
Ready to build a tour marketing system that compounds? Let's talk →