Raynel Frazier

Marketing…Not All About the Ticket (an EALS Post)

Posted by Raynel Frazier, Apr 05, 2013 3 comments


Raynel Frazier

Raynel Frazier Raynel Frazier

It used to be that the success of arts marketers was dependent on how well they could predict the future and then pray for success. But those days are over.

Today, arts marketers can rely on data analysis and market research to make well-thought-out strategic decisions.

I, for one, am glad that marketers no longer have to rely on future telling because marketing is an essential part of the arts experience. As a jazz trombonist, I had to learn how to market myself to land gigs and then market my gigs so that people would come to them. Arts organizations have to do the same. But they must market their organization as well as individual performances.

Several years ago Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) ran an institutional marketing campaign with the theme “BAM and then it hits you.” The message they conveyed was that the experience at BAM lingered long after you left. This campaign excited people about BAM as an entire organization, as opposed to a singular performance.

There are countless other examples of successful marketing campaigns in the arts. As emerging arts leaders I think it is essential we pay attention to trends in marketing. What are the latest trends in arts marketing? How do arts marketers use data analysis and market research to make strategic decisions? What type of programming is becoming most difficult to market? There is an endless amount of questions we can ask. 

This Sunday (April 7) the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium at American University will feature a panel discussion to answer these marketing questions and more.

What questions do you have about arts marketing today? Ask away in the comments below and we'll see if we can get answers from the panel!

The panelists for the Marketing Trends panel include:

Jennifer Buzzell is the Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Strathmore, a multi-disciplinary arts center in North Bethesda, MD. Accomplishments at Strathmore include leading the efforts to be the first arts organization in the D.C. area to allow patrons to select their exact seats online; starting an innovative grass-roots and guerilla marketing program that reaches out to sell tickets and raise awareness through non-traditional means; spearheading the efforts with the Strathmore staff to have Strathmore branded as a leader in customer service for the arts in the D.C. area by not charging customers separately for parking and ticketing fees and allowing all patrons to exchange concert tickets; and moving from a subscription-based sales model to a single ticket/membership based sales model (Strathmore Stars).

JoAnn LaBrecque-French is currently Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for The Washington Ballet. Her extensive background in performing arts includes working as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Washington National Opera; Director of Marketing and Communications for Houston Grand Opera; and Public Relations Manager of Los Angeles Opera. Her expertise encompasses traditional and nontraditional marketing, communications, and advertising with an emphasis in branding, positioning, media and community partnerships, website development, and incorporating electronic and social media and community outreach into comprehensive and multidimensional external institutional campaigns.

Khady Kamara joined the Arena Stage in 2001 and has been an integral member of the communications team through her work as the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications. Under her leadership, Arena’s sales team repeatedly broke box office sales records for a number of shows, including South Pacific, Sophisticated Ladies, Oklahoma!, and Red. During Ms. Kamara’s tenure, group sales revenue has more than doubled in scope and range of audiences reached. She also pioneered unprecedented efforts to maximize donations with single ticket purchases.

Jack Rasmussen (Moderator) is the Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. He previously held Executive Director positions at di Rosa Preserve: Art & Nature, Maryland Art Place, and Rockville Arts Place. He was the owner and director of Jack Rasmussen Gallery in Washington, DC. More information can be found on his blog.

Please join us at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, coming up on April 7 in Washington, DC (just before Arts Advocacy Day)! Spend a whole day with other amazing arts managers—hear from great speakers, share your knowledge, and learn something new. Also, be sure to like and follow EALS on Facebook and Twitter for new announcements and symposium news.

3 responses for Marketing…Not All About the Ticket (an EALS Post)

Comments

April 05, 2013 at 1:35 pm

I agree that institutional marketing - in additional to programmatic marketing - is necessary to tell an arts organization's entire story. I'm curious to here more examples of successful institutional marketing campaigns, and the metrics used to evaluate the campaigns success.

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July 24, 2013 at 9:16 am

Great and very interesting blog. I think it’s also an informative. Thanks for sharing.

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September 23, 2014 at 2:10 am

Saved as a favorite, I ove your website!

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