Mary Jardin
"Making A Difference" Motivates Follies Co-Founder Mary Jardin
When the Follies first opened, Co-Founder and Director of Marketing Mary Jardin measured success in weeks rather than decades. But she and partner Riff Markowitz defied the predictions of critics and the "Little Show That Could" became an audience favorite. She now measures Follies fans in the millions.
Mary Jardin "IIn 1990, Mary Jardin began the bewildering task of building a marketing department for The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies. There were no roadmaps, no guidelines. She had no promotional experience and knew nothing about the theatre. She was 36 years old. Now, two decades later, she’s assembled one of the most effective sales, marketing and customer service organizations in the industry.
People Feel Welcome
So how did Ms. Jardin—who is stylish and attractive enough to be mistaken for a performer herself—manage this remarkable accomplishment?
First, she drew from her experience working in the airline industry, where her focus was customer service. "I recently flew to Canada and was delighted to observe that, at least with this airline, the standards of service are returning to when I used to fly." The emphasis hasn’t changed in her role as director of marketing for the show. "It’s intuitive for me," she says. "It’s just common sense. My gratification is making people happy, taking the extra step. And that’s what the Follies is all about—making people happy. It’s the show’s only purpose."
She has also put her retail experience to use, applying lessons learned while working in the Bay Area, from whence she hails. The result is a hands-on, person-to-person approach that she’s maintained for more than 20 years.
She’ll see out-of-town strangers standing outside the theater, with no clue as to what’s inside. "I can see they’re curious," she relates, "so I’ll walk up and ask, ‘Can I answer any questions for you?’ Right away, they want to take a peek inside, so I might sneak them in to watch a minute of the show. They have no idea who I am."
Mary also makes certain Follies patrons are comfortable while at the show. The Follies provides seat cushions for patrons who may not be as tall as they once were, or are sitting behind a view-blocking person. It also provides shawls for the ladies when it gets chilly.
Civic Commitment
In December 2006, Mary received the Palm Springs Athena Award, given annually to notable women in the community for professional excellence, public service and active assistance to other women. She's currently serving as the 2011 Athena Awards chairwoman.
In May of 2007, she flew to Sacramento to accept a recognition from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, honoring the Follies as the 37th Senate District Small Business of the Year, selected by State Senator Jim
Battin, who stated, "The Follies exudes entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, hard work and dedication, the very elements that make small businesses the backbone of our state."
Currently Mary sits on the Executive Committee for the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism and is on its Marketing Committee; is a member of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, also serving as a vice president; and, additionally, is a member of the Leisure Sales Committee of the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority.
Family Plays Key Role
Mary is abetted by her husband, John Greenberger, who creates the Follies set designs and graphics. A retired creative director for BBDO, a premier New York advertising agency, John also designs collateral
material, from rack cards to posters, anything that bears the Follies imprint.
Her sister, Dolores Dey, is the Follies’ senior sales manager, overseeing both the Sales and Ambassador staffs, whose job it is to "spread the word" about the Follies throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Her mother-in-law, Shirley Greenberger, sews many of the Follies usher uniforms, and even Mary's niece, Natalie Dey, has worked in marketing during her college summer breaks.
Also, until their recent return to the Bay Area, Mary’s brother, Dan Jardin, served as Follies operations director and her sister-in-law, Terry Jardin, served as Follies director of sales from nearly the show’s start.
Key Role Is Varied
Making a difference —Mary herself personally directs the Follies’ advertising, merchandising, group sales, reservations, media relations, Internet and tourism outreach departments.
that motivates me.
She also plots improvements, including key input with creative aspects of the show. The Follies is now incorporating music for the next generation, the Baby Boomers of the ’50s, ‘60s and ’70s, without disappointing previous generations. "We’re trying to please a new audience without alienating the old," she says. "The Follies is a work-in-progress, changing and growing and moving to the music of your generation."
Making A Difference
She recently received a letter from a Vietnam veteran who had struggled with his war experiences for many years. One of his friends had brought him to the Follies, against his will.
"During the patriotic segment," she recounts, "when everybody who once wore a uniform stood up, he said it was the first time since he came back from Vietnam that anybody had recognized what he had done. His trip to the Follies began a process of reconciliation of his wartime experiences, several decades earlier.
"Making a difference . . . that’s what motivates me . . . and always will."
