Engaging offline communities online Amid COVID-19: A case study of independent theaters

COVID-19 has been detrimental to small businesses like independent theaters that exist to engage with the public offline Independent theaters across the US have temporarily closed their doors and turned to various technologies to increase their virtual presence and (re)connect with their communities online We present an investigation into theaters' strategies of 1) attracting existing patrons, 2) encouraging commitment, and 3) fostering contribution in an unforeseen public health crisis where face-to-face interactions are no longer possible Our results suggest that emphasizing shared identity and relying on technologies to facilitate new forms of interactions that were not available offline are critical to the migration of offline community to online settings © 2020 Owner/Author