Case Study: AXIS Dance Company
AXIS Dance Company performs at the Exploratorium in May 2025. Photographer: Steve Disenhof; Dancers: Anna Gichan, Julie Hasushi, Aliya Kerimujiang, Joseph Tebandeke, Janpi Star, Alaja Badalich
AXIS Dance Company
Kinematic/Kinesthetic, A Hewlett 50 Collaboration
Client: AXIS Dance Company
Campaigns: Kinematic/Kinesthetic, A Hewlett 50 Collaboration
Agency: WE INC. Marketing
Date: February-June 2025 (planning and promotions); May 2025 performances
Project Lead: Tiffany Zarem
Marketing Strategist & Email Lead: Jennifer Hubbartt
Social Lead: Nicolette Yarbrough
Public Relations Partner: Kevin Kopjak, Prismatic Communications
As part of Hewlett Foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration, AXIS Dance Company developed and performed Kinematic/Kinesthetic, which redefined ability/embodiment by incorporating technologies (emerging & existing) to assist disabled and non-disabled dancers in exploring new movement potential. The piece was presented to audiences at two partner organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area including the Exploratorium and Stanford Live in May 2025.
WE INC. Marketing led the partnership marketing strategy, coordinating with the Marketing & Communications teams of partner venues, and AXIS’ public relations consultant, to leverage cross-promotional opportunities to increase exposure for AXIS Dance Company.
Strategic Objectives
Increase audience reach and visibility by leveraging compelling visual assets and storytelling to engage new audiences through partner platforms.
Foster collaboration with partners to streamline content production and make it easy for them to share assets on their channels.
Maximize earned and owned channels due to no significant budget for paid media.
Results
Total Impressions across owned, earned and paid channels (all partners): 1.1M
Social Media (Organic + Paid): 406K impressions, 12.4K engagements, +878 new followers for AXIS (which represents a 60-200% increase in growth rate compared to previous 3 months, depending on the platform)
Web Impressions: 5.5K landing page views
Email Impressions: 161K impressions, 52% average open rate, 3.7K clicks, 2.3% average CTR
Earned Media: Circulation/audience of 533,530 including a feature in The New York Times, secured by AXIS’ publicity consultant
Attendance: Over 900 guests attended the performances, filling 99% of available seats across 4 performances at 2 venues; Over 150 guests stayed for panel discussions held at both venues following the performances
Created a comprehensive marketing plan & timeline to share with partners two months prior to first performance by coordinating several phases of cross-promotion: from early teasers to build excitement, to strong “buy tickets” CTA, to post-event wrap-ups.
Packaged compelling storytelling assets for partners to share at each phase, including behind-the-scenes content, rehearsal photos and videos, copy points, and photo descriptions to meet accessibility standards.
Leveraged owned and earned channels together to maximize reach. Without a significant paid media budget it was essential to maximize touchpoints across the email and social media platforms of all partners, and to reshare news stories on owned channels to increase awareness.
"What stood out immediately about WE INC. was their willingness to listen deeply and analyze thoughtfully. They didn’t come in with a one-size-fits-all solution—they took the time to understand the heart of AXIS: our mission, our values, and our vision.
Their analysis uncovered key partnership marketing opportunities we hadn’t fully tapped, and they worked side-by-side with us to shape strategies that were mission-driven.
WE INC. truly supported our ideas and elevated them with intention and care—helping us extend our reach without compromising our artistic integrity and input."
—Nadia Ame, Artistic Director & Choreographer, AXIS Dance Company
Creative Snapshot
Recommendations & Future Opportunities
Capitalize on earned media with boosted posts on social media: to make the most of a feature story in The New York Times, we invested a small amount in a test of boosted posts on Meta that reached 34K accounts.
Leverage relevant communities that are active on social media: Next time, consider social media collaborations or cross-promotions with dancer/performer communities that are active on social media in the geographic area.
Prioritize email acquisition efforts with simple CTA: An on site booth with a slideshow about AXIS Dance had multiple QR codes for different CTAs, but didn’t get much traction. Next time, simplify to focus on email capture with one QR code/CTA.
Capture Audience Insights Within 48 Hours of Events: It’s challenging to capture valuable data and insights from guests across multiple partner venues with different ticketing and sharing policies; Next time start planning earlier with partners to implement post-performance audience surveys and follow-up emails while the experience is still top-of-mind for attendees.
This case study provides a snapshot of how WE INC. Marketing can help maximize partnership marketing opportunities to increase reach and engagement on owned and earned channels, even without a budget for paid media. Reach out today to see how WE can support your partnership marketing efforts!