SINE Digital, The Theater & Live Entertainment Performance Marketing Agency Transforming Audience Reach, Raises $2.5 Million in Seed Funding from No Guarantees Productions; Expands United States Presence

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May 16, 2024, 07:00 ET

SINE Digital uses data science to eliminate marketing 'wastage' and deliver exceptional returns for live entertainment and sports clients that include ATG Productions, Aston Martin F1, Percival Menswear, Sonia Friedman Productions, The Royal Opera House and Broadway productions including Merrily We Roll Along, Back to the Future: The Musical and Enemy of the People

Senior industry leaders appointed to SINE Digital's NYC office to accelerate U.S. growth

NEW YORK, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SINE Digital, the UK-based independent performance marketing agency, announced it has raised $2.5 million in Seed funding. The investment comes from No Guarantees Productions, the Tony Award-winning, theatrical production company. The funding will accelerate SINE Digital's U.S. growth and the development of new tools and technologies that deliver exceptional returns and keep clients ahead of changing regulatory and audience trends.

Since its founding in 2017, SINE Digital has become known for its transformative approach to performance marketing for live entertainment and sports clients. The agency combines the experience of former musicians and performers with the expertise of data scientists and creates in-house technologies that unlock new audiences and convert customers into repeat buyers.

The success has contributed to double-digit, year-on-year growth and clients including ATG Productions, Aston Martin F1, Percival Menswear, Bridge Theatre, Center Theater Group, Michael Harrison Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Tottenham Hotspur, The Royal Opera House, Yamaha Motors and Broadway and West End productions including Wicked, Back to the Future, Starlight Express, Guys & Dolls, Mamma Mia! The Party, Punchdrunk, 2:22 A Ghost Story, Operation Mincemeat, An Enemy of the People and Merrily We Roll Along.

With this funding, SINE Digital is investing in two key areas of growth:

U.S. Expansion: Development of SINE Digital's U.S. presence and expansion of its client roster to capitalize on growing interest from Broadway and the U.S. live entertainment and sports industries.
Tech Development: Including the evolution of creative insights, and new products such as media mix modeling, and marketing strategy toolkits.

Alongside the Seed funding, SINE Digital has also announced the appointment of two senior executives to SINE Digital's New York office to lead the agency's U.S. growth. Scott Lupi joins as Executive Director and Beth Watson as Executive Vice-President.

Scott Lupi is a digital marketing leader with award-winning experience in customer acquisition for theater and live entertainment clients. Prior to SINE Digital, he was Chief Operating Officer at digital marketing agency, Super Awesome Friends; Head of Marketing for Daryl Roth Theatrical; and Line Producer for Music Theater International, Simon & Schuster, and Disney Theatrical Group.

Beth Watson joins SINE Digital with almost twenty years of experience in marketing, advertising, and talent management. This includes TourDForce Productions, the management team for the Tony and Emmy-nominated multi-platinum recording star Josh Groban, and producers on the current Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd. Prior to this, Beth was Vice President / Account Director at the full-service creative agency SpotCo.

James Dale, CEO of SINE Digital commented:
"This is a fantastic milestone for SINE Digital that will accelerate our expansion in the US and globally. Since we launched, we've shown those in live entertainment and sport how data science can unlock new audiences, eliminate marketing spend 'wastage' and deliver exceptional returns. No Guarantees Productions is at the forefront of innovation in the theater industry and saw our potential, providing support and direct investment to expand our team and in-house tech capability. We're delighted to welcome Scott Lupi and Beth Watson who bring a wealth of experience and share our passion for using performance marketing to transform the audience reach of live entertainment brands. We can't wait for the next stage of our growth."

Megan O'Keefe, Executive Vice President at No Guarantees Productions commented:
"SINE Digital has developed a stellar reputation for its innovative and data-first marketing approach across theater and live entertainment, and we are thrilled to partner with them to help Broadway expand its digital presence, which our recent research shows is deeply needed. Broadway continues to be over-reliant on traditional marketing channels, but new audiences are increasingly focused on digital, particularly post-shutdown, and our marketing must be as well. No Guarantees Productions is proud to invest in SINE Digital to help them bring their pioneering approach to the U.S., to help Broadway cultivate new audiences, and ensure the industry has a strong future."

Scott Lupi, Executive Director, SINE Digital said:
"I am thrilled to be joining the SINE Digital team at this milestone moment. The agency is redefining audience engagement for live entertainment and sport. Sitting at the crossroads of art and technology, SINE Digital creates transformative digital strategies where marketing is elevated by data-driven insights. I look forward to helping brands reach new demographics, make marketing spend more efficient and translate ticket buyers into loyal fans."

Beth Watson, Executive Vice-President, SINE Digital said:
"This is an incredible opportunity to be part of leading SINE Digital's Broadway and US expansion, building on the unmatched results already being achieved by the agency for its clients. I am really looking forward to being part of a team applying a new blueprint for how data science can transform audience reach for clients."

About SINE Digital

SINE Digital is a leading, independently owned, performance marketing agency that was launched in the UK in 2017 by a team of artists who identified how data science could inform and elevate digital marketing by connecting people to the experiences they love. The SINE Digital team combines specialists in live entertainment and sports marketing with data scientists, working with clients to eliminate 'wastage' within media spend and maximize investment returns, fast. This market-leading approach has led SINE Digital to grow exponentially while delivering outsized returns for global leading live entertainment, sports, theater and lifestyle brands.

The SINE Digital in-house tech stack includes a Marketing Cloud, Media Mix Modelling, Audience, and AI Creative Insights informed by a proprietary data warehouse that is the largest data set for the live entertainment sectors. Since launch, the agency has rapidly expanded with offices in New York and London, expert in delivering international campaigns for global brands, venues and arts institutions. SINE Digital clients include leading live entertainment, sports and lifestyle brands AEG Presents, ATG Productions, Avalon, Aston Martin F1, Bridge Theatre, Center Theater Group, Yamaha Motors, Michael Harrison Productions, Percival Menswear, Secret Cinema, Sonia Friedman Productions, Tottenham Hotspur and theater productions Wicked, Back to the Future the Musical, Starlight Express, Guys & Dolls, Mamma Mia! The Party, Punchdrunk, 2:22 A Ghost Story, Operation Mincemeat, Merrily We Roll Along, Enemy of the People, and Elf.

The SINE Digital data science model, and commitment to innovation and learning, have led to partnerships with King's College London, Google, Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft. This year, SINE Digital launched its Future Talent Scheme to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into digital marketing careers.

SINE Digital is part of the independently owned SINE Group that includes Farlo, an award-winning web and development design agency specializing in the live entertainment sector.

About No Guarantees Productions

No Guarantees Productions is the Tony Award-winning, theatrical production company bringing artist-driven, universally appealing stories to life. Founded in 2017, No Guarantees Productions is working to reinvigorate and reimagine Broadway through outstanding productions, strategic investments, community engagement, innovative tech initiatives, and bold creative decisions. No Guarantees Productions' dynamic and creative team, considerable resources, and dedication to artists allow it to take the risks needed to make amazing stories accessible to the masses and gather the unique insights, learnings, and data needed to have a meaningful impact on the industry. No Guarantees Productions has produced James Ijames' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fat Ham, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Bad Cinderella, and co-produced Merrily We Roll Along starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff & Lindsay Mendez, and Hadestown, among many other shows. Current and upcoming productions include Player Kings starring Ian McKellen and Saheem Ali, Jocelyn Bioh, and Michael Thurber's new musical Goddess. No Guarantees Productions recently released research examining Millennials' and Gen Z's relationship with Broadway, which can be downloaded here.