Our Senior Marketing and Press Officer Kelly was recently interviewed by Design Rush about Komedia’s marketing strategy. Check out the interview below by Andrea Surnit.
Komedia Marketing Takeaways:
- Komedia proves that community trust and local partnerships outperform trend-chasing and short-term tactics, turning awards into long-term collaboration.
- Selective AI use and a human-led creative team help Komedia keep its marketing authentic, personal, and aligned with its values as a green-certified business.
- Internal culture is Komedia’s secret weapon. Staff ownership and flexibility fuel the warm, inclusive atmosphere Komedia is known for.
For many independent venues, survival often depends on staying “seen.” In the past, that meant tapping into aggressive promo tactics or jumping on the latest digital trend.
Unfortunately, even this isn’t enough at times as nearly a quarter of UK grassroots music venues required “emergency support” to survive in the past year.
But in Brighton, one grassroots entertainment hub has taken a different route, and it’s working.
Komedia Brighton has won multiple Chortle Comedy Awards, built a loyal audience across 700+ events a year, and become a key player in the city’s cultural economy.
It’s a reminder that visibility alone isn’t enough. You need loyal audiences and strong local networks to last.
Yet none of its success was built on gaming the system. Instead, it grew by building something more powerful: community trust.
I spoke with Kelly Edwards-Good, senior marketing and press officer at Komedia, about what it means to market a venue in 2025 without losing your voice, your values, or your audience.
Awards Matter, But Relationships Matter More
Winning awards like Best Venue in the South at the Chortle Comedy Awards multiple times is a strategic asset.
In a saturated live events market, recognition offers third-party validation that’s hard to ignore.
“These awards are a great way to spread the word about Komedia and the amazing range of events we put on.,” Kelly says.
But the real value isn’t just in the plaque on the wall; it’s in the doors those accolades help open.
Awards act as credibility signals that can attract new audiences, earn media attention, and spark renewed interest from people who already love the brand but haven’t visited in a while.
More importantly, Komedia uses those moments of visibility to reignite partnerships with local businesses, turning attention into action.
“We also use award wins as opportunities to get in touch with our local business partners, which generally leads joint marketing outcomes such as newsletter giveaways or social media competitions.”
That follow-through is where the impact happens. Because while awards may create a buzz, it’s relationship-building that sustains momentum.
And for Komedia, every win becomes an excuse to reconnect, collaborate, and strengthen community ties.
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The Power of Values-Aligned Partnerships
As brand partnerships become more transactional or trend-driven, Komedia takes a more grounded approach, building long-term, reciprocal relationships with fellow independents who share its ethos.
“We tend to choose (or get approached by) fellow independent businesses who align with our values,” Kelly says.
This isn’t about reach for reach’s sake.
It’s about mutual support: extending visibility to each other’s audiences, weathering challenges together, and celebrating what makes Brighton’s creative scene uniquely collaborative.
These relationships stretch across industries, and they’re deeply integrated into Komedia’s community presence.
One standout example is their ongoing partnership with the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, tied to Down the Hatch, Komedia’s monthly queer and alternative comedy night.
“We collect donations for them at checkout and promote their events in our newsletter… We’re overjoyed to have 30 Chorus members joining us each month!”
It’s community co-creation — a shared event that supports a local cause — brings in a consistent crowd and helps foster a space where inclusivity isn’t just promised, it’s practiced.
By working with partners who reflect their values, Komedia is reinforcing its role as a cultural hub rooted in authenticity, trust, and local pride.
When It Comes to Tech, Use It — Don’t Be Used By It
AI is everywhere in 2025, from writing ad copy to analyzing audience behavior, and many venues have embraced it wholesale.
But Komedia’s approach is deliberate and values-driven: use tech where it helps, not where it replaces.
“As a green business, we see the large environmental impact of AI and so have actively decided to use it as little as possible,” Kelly says.
For Komedia, sustainability is a filter for every operational decision, including how much tech to adopt.
That mindset also reinforces the venue’s commitment to authenticity.
Rather than let algorithms dictate tone or output, Komedia relies on its creative team to shape all visual and written content.
“We value the human voice in our marketing, as do our audiences, and are lucky enough to have an excellent creative team that includes photographers, videographers, and graphic designers,” Kelly explains.
Still, the venue isn’t anti-AI. Some tools with built-in AI functionality are used in practical, behind-the-scenes ways to support productivity and insight.
“We do use some tools that have AI features built in, such as Photoshop’s Generative Fill and our ticketing system’s report builder.”
The key is intention. AI isn’t the engine of Komedia’s brand. Instead, it’s a tool, quietly working in the background.
“No doubt AI will be useful as a tool in our audience analysis processes in the future, but we’ll be specific and limited with its usage.”
While many brands are rushing to automate their voice, Komedia stands out by preserving theirs. For them, technology should elevate human creativity, not overwrite it.
Events May Bring People In, But Experiences Make Them Stay
Komedia’s event calendar is packed with over 700 shows a year, but ticket sales alone don’t keep the lights on.
Because many events are co-productions, where revenue is split with performers or promoters, the venue relies heavily on secondary income streams.
“Many of our events are co-productions, meaning that we split any profit from ticket sales, therefore food and beverage sales are an incredibly important revenue stream for the business,” Kelly shares.
Just as vital are private bookings, which take advantage of the venue’s central location and built-in tech capabilities.
“Special experiences, such as awards ceremonies, birthday parties, and even wedding receptions are also key to our financial health,” Kelly adds.
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These aren’t just filler events between shows, but an extension of Komedia’s community-first identity: a chance to turn celebration into connection, and first-time guests into familiar faces.
Customer Experience Starts With Internal Culture
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Audience satisfaction is a direct reflection of internal culture.
Rather than treat staff as frontline workers executing orders, Komedia builds its operations around collaboration and ownership.
Employees across all departments are invited into decision-making, which creates a workplace where people feel genuinely heard and invested in the venue’s success.
This sense of purpose and flexibility fuels a passion that shows up in every customer interaction.
Many team members wear multiple hats, moving between departments based on their interests, and that versatility feeds into a more dynamic, attentive, and engaged front-of-house experience.
The result is something guests notice immediately: a warm, personal atmosphere driven by a team that cares about both the product and the people.
Komedia’s commitment to inclusion also extends to its facilities.
The venue holds a Silver Award from Attitude is Everything, a UK organization dedicated to improving access to live events for disabled people.
In short, the Komedia experience starts from the inside out, powered by a team that’s supported, involved, and proud to be part of something bigger.
Content as a Community Touchpoint
In late 2024, the team launched a blog to open new channels of engagement, not to chase SEO rankings, but to share stories that matter.
“We introduced our blog at the end of last year and it’s been amazing. It’s a great tool to establish our own expertise but also to collaborate with other businesses and individuals on topics we feel passionate about,” Kelly shares.
The blog features behind-the-scenes insights, interviews, and community-focused stories that deepen the audience’s relationship with the brand.
It’s designed to invite people in, not just advertise to them.
“By providing interesting content for our audience, we do indeed aim to invite them into our community and give them a glimpse of the people behind the brand.”
Many brands push content for reach alone, but Komedia uses content to build trust, reflect their values, and strengthen real human connection.
The Komedia Takeaway: Feed People, Not Platforms
Komedia’s approach in 2025 proves that long-term loyalty isn’t built through trends, automation, or aggressive growth hacks.
It’s built through consistency, collaboration, and a deep respect for the people on both sides of the stage.
From carefully chosen partnerships and values-driven marketing to a deliberate approach to AI, Komedia shows that sustainable growth comes from investing in people, not platforms.
It’s a mindset that informs every part of their strategy, and one that more brands would benefit from adopting.
