Imagine two communities: One is widely regarded for its high-quality theaters and museums - but very few of its residents participate, The other is undistinguished nationally for its theaters and museums - except for the fact that very many of its residents participate frequently. I'm not asking in which community you'd rather live or visit. One suspects that the readers of Arts Journal blogs are routinely drawn to communities whose … [Read more...]
Newt & Mitt Get On the Bus for Audience Development
It is the obvious nature of politics that each candidate tries to throw their opponent under the bus. But that's not the part of the bus to which arts & cultural marketers should most be paying attention. We should be asking: Why does every Presidential candidate have a campaign bus in the first place? Consider the modern Presidential campaign: Each candidate possesses substantial financial resources and directs them to massive … [Read more...]
Not Nearly Enough!
“…The bottom is falling out of the way performing arts organizations do business.… People's short-term buying habits have made revenue unpredictable and precarious. This has forced performing arts companies to rethink how they allocate marketing dollars, plan their seasons and approach customer service...” New York Times, October 16, 2002 “You see,” I excitedly exclaimed to my CEO at our regular weekly meeting on the morning of … [Read more...]
When You’ve Got “The Big Mo”
Arizona Republic, October 9, 2011Last weekend, the Arizona Diamondbacks completed an unexpected (but highly entertaining) worst-to-first season transformation. Though they exited in the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs, they left the field with undeniable momentum that will carry their ticket sales strongly into next year. Let's face it, there's real audience development power in being able to combine a full page and … [Read more...]