Strategic planning
Judith James talks with three arts organisations about obtaining media coverage that goes beyond selling the show, exhibition or program. All agreed how important it was to find opportunities for media coverage that goes beyond 'the next show' or progr
Dealing with controversy: strategic media relations in a crisis
When the spotlight of media attention turns on you, what you say and how you handle the media are critically important. This article summarises the key steps and principles that can be identified from best practice organisations on how to handle the media in a crisis.
This checklist from Wendy Blacklock at Performing Lines outlines some practical ways for companies to work with venues to get maximum mileage out of media coverage when on tour.
Evaluating your media relations
This backgrounder provides an overview on why and how to evaluate your media relations effort. Tips and suggested links are also included in this practical overview.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Multicultural Audience Development Project
Melbourne Symphony's ambitious Multicultural Audience Development Project relied heavily for direction on a Multicultural Advisory Group, established to help attract audiences from Melbourne’s Chinese, Indian, Russian and Vietnamese communities. The Project is key to its umbrella marketing strategy.
Beat a Different Drum: a Handbook for Marketing Cultural Diversity in the Arts
A key outcome of Arts Queensland's Marketing Cultural Diversity Research Study, "Beat a Different Drum" is a step-by-step guide to marketing to culturally diverse audiences, and gives insight into strategies that have already been implemented by others.
Making the most of your website
In 'Making the most of your website - How to optimise your website to attract and retain visitors' Vicki, who has headed marketing departments in Internet and arts organisations across three continents, talks about the important things you need to do to maximise the effectiveness of your website.
Programming and marketing to youth audiences
This report documents the findings of Bronwen Fallens, a Churchill Fellow, who in 2002 undertook research into programming and marketing to youth audiences (18 – 35 years) within the international arts community (USA, Singapore, UK).
An invitation to test drive the arts
Iona McNaughton investigates Creative New Zealand’s pilot, Test Drive the Arts, a scheme to build and retain new audiences.
Surviving the culture change - new missions for the 21st century
In this thought provoking key note presentation Diane Ragsdale argues that the arts need to adapt to change and find relevance.
Marketing Summit 2008: video Diane Ragsdale - keynote
In this entertaining presentation Diane Ragsdale argues that the arts need to find a way to adapt to change and find relevance.
Market research on a shoestring
This succinct powerpoint presentation from the 2008 Arts Marketing summit consists of 31 slides underlining the importance of market research in order to grow your audience.
Marketing Summit 2008 - workshop summaries
These five snappy summaries round-up the main points from the 2008 Arts Marketing Summit workshops from marketing to women to maximising your online presence.
Arts Marketing keynote address - surviving the culture change - commentary
This commentary by Simon Wellington on Diane Ragsdale's keynote address at the Arts Marketing Summit summarizes the core of Ragsdale message: "that the future of the arts lies not solely with internal preoccupations of self-worth, but within a greater existential examination of “why are we really here”?"
Arts Marketing presentation - pricing strategies - summary
Simon Wellington summarises the main points from Tim Baker, from the UK-based Baker Richards Consulting, 'Pricing strategies for additional income generation'.
Arts Marketing presentation - effective marketing to women - summary
Michaela Coventry's summary of Linda McGregor Principle of All About Eve presentation ‘A Matter of Buy-ology – Achieving Effective Marketing to Women’ at the 2008 Arts Marketing Summit.
Arts Marketing presentation - ADVICE - summary
Michaela Coventry's summary of Kim Hanna and Merryn Carter from the Australia Council's presentation of an update on the ADVICE project, a new rollout of Vital Statistics; a data collection tool.
21st Century Arts Conference - McIntyre's museums and galleries clinics
Andrew McIntyre led clinics for the museums and gallery sectors during the Creative New Zealand 21st Century Arts Conference.
21st Century Arts Conference - top 10 takeaways
At the inaugural 21st Century Arts Conference in New Zealand arts managers came together to learn how to find and attract audiences
21st Century Arts Conference - keynote presentations - summary
Need reminding of the key points on pricing strategies, building and finding audiences and need to know more about data collection? These three summaries from Tim Baker, Roger Tomlinson's and Stuart Nicolle's presentations at the 21st Century Arts Conference in New Zealand are for you.
Making the most of Vital Statistics
Ron Layne and the authors of FULL HOUSE: Turning Data into Audiences, Roger Tomlinson and Tim Roberts, discuss data collection and analysis challenges and issues in Australia and New Zealand.
Data collection – the UK, Australian and New Zealand experience
These case studies of The Barbican, The Hexagon Theatre and Glasgow Grows Audiences looks at the UK experience in using Vital Statistics presenting some insights into the preliminary Australian experience, and explores aspirations and expectations around Vital Statistics’ start-up in New Zealand.
Vital Statistics Agency project - Creative New Zealand
Creative New Zealand rolls out Vital Statistics Agency software in New Zealand.
About the audience data and visitor information collection enterprise (ADVICE)
This short piece explains the aims and motivations of the Australia Council national initiative, ADVICE an online data gathering and analysis project that will help arts companies and venues gain better insights into their audiences.
British company Purple Seven has developed Vital Statistics as a powerful marketing tool which bridges the gap between data and business intelligence
Peer to peer: activating social networks
This case study on New Zealand’s Splore Festival examines the elements and outcomes of a small budget peer to peer marketing strategy.
Australian product design: the parts are stronger than the whole
In this overview it is argued that many Australian product designers work in ways that do not benefit the successful commercialisation of their work.
Music royalties in cyber space
This snappy piece gives a straight forward snapshot of the many facets relating to music royalties.
This starter list of organisations and associations in Australia can help you to know where you stand in relationship to your intellectual property.
Literary royalties and emerging technologies
This article helps to dispel some myths about literary royalties and outlines the pitfalls and opportunities authors pose around e-publishing technologies and their rights.
Droit de Suite Down Under: should Australia introduce a resale royalties scheme for visual artists?
This paper examines the impact that the introduction of droit de suite would have in Australia, and explore other models of such a scheme, given that the authors question whether resale royalties achieve their stated aims.
Ticketing professionals conference - top takeaways
The 2008 Ticketing Professional Conference was a great success. Here Australia Council & Creative New Zealand managers share their top takeaways. Explored at the sessions were the latest developments in ticketing and marketing focusing on Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
An invitation to test drive the arts
Iona McNaughton investigates Creative New Zealand’s pilot, Test Drive the Arts, a scheme to build and retain new audiences.
Case study - Back to Back Theatre
This case study investigates how Back to Back Theatre leveraged their opportunity at The Australian Performing Arts Market in 2006 resulting in a full year of touring nationally and abroad.
Case study - Yirra Yaakin Aboriginal Corporation
This case study of performing arts company Yirra Yaakin outlines approaches to maximising your time at APAM and great partnerships.
Memoirs of a performing arts salesman
Henry Boston stresses that success from APAM is "all about relationships". "Forget Funding Application 101" and "Look for the fit." Understand your offering, your point of difference and do your research. Networks will help you to understand how the international market works and will pay dividends later.
Forget about selling and start making connections
Want to make an impact at APAM without a 'Spotlight' or showcase? In '06 Circa & Ranters Theatre walked away with an impressive list of contacts leading to overseas tours.
I'll take the recycled, light-green one please
This special by Fleur Watson and Martyn Hook explores global retail trends for artists and designers.
Selling yourself: simple marketing techniques for artists
This article summarises how to best sell yourself and your work when working as a freelancer.
Infectious ideas: the when, where, why (and why not) of viral marketing
Can anyone create a clever, humorous, topical, or insightful piece of marketing, and then launch it to rapturous applause and seemingly hysterical viral distribution at any time? The answer is 'perhaps', provided some fundamentals are adhered to.
Beyond the neck: a word-of-mouth success story
Premiering a new Australian play by an unknown writer is a hard sell. When Tasmania Performs chose to present Tom Holloway's play Beyond the Neck, it was a leap of faith in the power of word-of-mouth to generate a buzz. The result? A season sellout before opening night. How did they do it?
Marketing strategist, Seth Godin, explains why the future belongs to marketers who can establish a process which encourages interested people to market to each other.
Arts Marketing Summit 2007: digital marketing - a brave new world
What does the virtual future hold? One of the leading players in the virtual space, Simon explores how the internet has changed forever the way we market.
Arts Marketing Summit 2007: communicating value in today's marketplace
How can we as marketers effectively communicate the value and the transformative nature of the arts to a wider audience? Alan Brown, one of America's leading arts marketing strategists, believes that it is everyone's job to learn a new language of value and benefits.
Arts Marketing Summit 2007: navigating the changing media landscape
Change is the cornerstone of media, with constant development in terms of new opportunities and approaches. It would be dangerous to think all of them are right for your campaigns on all occasions. Anne Parsons explores the changing media landscape and how you can harness it for your campaigns.
Arts Marketing Summit 2007: delegate takeaways from day one
At the end of Day 1 of the 2007 Arts Marketing Summit, all delegates were asked to record their key insight from the day’s proceedings.
Arts Marketing Summit 2007: strategies for creating diverse audiences
A panel of arts marketers present case studies and discuss strategies for reaching diverse audiences, including niche markets. Each identifies strategies that can be transferred to marketplaces of all sizes.
Let them play: practitioners push the boundaries of audience collaboration
Three artists joined mentor Jerry Yoshitomi to brainstorm the idea of interactivity with audiences. What emerged was a feast of ideas about working creatively with audiences. This case study captures the highlights.
Numbers: they only tell part of the story
When a business outcome is about building brand value and community goodwill, numbers help but more sophisticated measures are needed to capture the full picture. In this metrics ‘crash course’ for arts organisations, Judith James points out some common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Web metrics: online measurements and how to use them
Readily accessible technology has made it possible to measure the effectiveness of online content and marketing programs as never before. This raises both challenges and opportunities for arts marketers. This overview of web metrics options was commissioned in response to sector feedback.
Alan S Brown is a champion of non-numeric measures of value in the arts. In this thought-provoking essay, he sets out a rigourous framework for capturing, mapping and evaluating the intrinsic benefits emanating from the arts experience.
Effective e-marketing: a New Zealand perspective on trends, issues and best practice
In February 2007 Vicki Allpress Hill led e-marketing workshops in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. In this case study, she highlights some important aspects of her seminar and talks to New Zealand arts marketing practitioners who have adopted e-marketing as part of their strategy.
How to crash the consumer-controlled party and not get thrown out
As consumers spend more time controlling, uploading, downloading, filming, recording, and sharing their own personal experiences with products, services and brands, marketers must figure out how to insert themselves in this creator's life in a relevant and credible way. Here's where to start.
Marketing and beyond: report from the 2006 AMI National Conference
Do the arts really have much to learn from the marketing tactics of a car dealer, an egg farmer and a hardware retailer? The 2006 Australian Marketing Institute National Conference provided some interesting answers to this and other marketing dilemmas.
Visitor research made easy: part 2
This step-by-step guide to visitor research covers informal observation, focus groups and questionnaires. It will provide you with the tools to do effective research and then apply your findings in day-to-day marketing and promotion.
Visitor research made easy: part 1
Author: Dr Sharron Dickman Date published: 2 October, 2006 Copyright: © State of Victoria From informal observation to focus groups and questionnaires, the guide explores creative ways to manage the essential marketing activity of audience research. The guide will provide you with the tools to do effective research and apply your findings.
Under guidance from executive coach Lisa Rubinstein, Legs on the Wall General Manager, Vicki Middleton threw herself into an intensive month of time management spring cleaning. The results were astonishing.
Time poor and under pressure: the tyranny of the 'to do' list
Chuck out that long ‘to do’ list. The keys to more effective marketing are to understand our audiences better, be clear about what our organisation is trying to achieve and then to do far less much better, focusing on the activities that give best return on our investment of money, time and energy.
How do they do it? Insider views from the coalface
The new generation of professional arts marketers carries a hefty responsibility for audience development. Riding on their decisions are expectations of a viable future for their organisation and the sector as a whole. Three of them share their reflections on time and how they use it.
The Sydney Symphony CRM experience
This presentation given by Victoria Doidge and Aaron Curran from Sydney Symphony at the Arts Marketing Summit 2006 discusses the approach and outcomes of conducting an organisational review of CRM to inform the implementation of Tessitura software.
New Zealand arts marketers were invited to submit their market research challenges, with the best submission set to win a free research consultancy.
Speakers' presentations from The Australia Council's Strategic Arts Marketing Summit, which took place in Brisbane on 13-14 July 2006.
Arts Marketing Summit 2006: power of live performance
Research carried out by Live Performance Australia indicates that 2.75 million infrequent live performance attenders would like to attend more often. This PowerPoint presentation looks at the challenge of converting 1 in 5 of them, which would result in an audience increase of 500,000 per annum.
Brands are about emotions like trust, self-esteem, status, dreams. Some of the most successful brand communications–for Nike, Pepsi,Toyota, Sony and others–hardly ever mention the features of the product.
A good brand is a passion shared
A brand is not just ‘signs and symbols’. The best way to think of a brand is ‘a collection of perceptions’ – because your ‘brand value’ lies in your management of how people think and feel about you.
Enchant the brand: a Jungian approach to arts branding
Arts Marketing expert, Dr Peter Steidl says the key to a more coherent branding strategy could lie in a clear-eyed view of the brand ‘personality’ of an arts company. To illustrate the point, he draws on Carl Jung’s personality archetypes.
Grand brands: Opera Australia and the Victorian Arts Centre
Opera Australia and the Victorian Arts Centre recently went through a re-branding process with Interbrand. This article provides an insider’s view of the process and outcomes.
Branding clinic: a springboard to big picture thinking
Artistic directors and marketing staff of four of the 15 dance companies involved in Dr Peter Steidl’s ‘marketing clinics’ share their experience of the process.
Living the brand: passion and principles
One of the biggest impediments to customer satisfaction can be the level of satisfaction and engagement employees have with your organisation. Margaret Roberts suggests practical indicators you can use to measure the effectiveness of your internal branding process.
This document provides an excellent overview of the various archetypes arts marketers can use to develop their brand identity.
Holistic marketing: are there holes in your marketing?
Are arts marketers sometimes guilty of treating the symptoms rather than looking at the whole? The authors explore the benefits of a more holistic view of marketing; in other words, focussing on what the whole organisation can offer the customer, rather than quick fixes for particular events.
If you're selling something, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. So writes international pricing specialist, Tim Baker. In his overview of the topic, Tim examines our notions of value and begins to pin down the elusive links between price and value in the arts.
Slippery values in a world of smoke and mirrors: the economics of taste in Australian art
Terry Ingram wrote the weekly Saleroom column in the Australian Financial Review from March 1969 to March 2006. In this article he takes a gently satirical look at the diverse and often quirky factors which can have a bearing on the price someone is prepared to pay for a work of art.
Auckland Theatre Company: TXT2U final report
The report outlines the rationale, strategy and outcomes of TXT2U, Auckland Theatre Company's pilot initiative designed to test the effectiveness of SMS or text message marketing in reaching the notoriously difficult market of 18 – 25 year olds.
New frameworks for revealing the public value of the arts - from transactions to transformations
This paper challenges the traditional transactional framework for the arts, proposing that it is not sufficiently dynamic to describe the effects of arts participation, and introduces new frameworks for building participation in the arts and increasing public value and support for the arts.
Understanding the trade-offs consumers make: is research any help?
Explores the issue of how to use market research when most consumers are not actually aware of why they make certain decisions.
Museums and impact: some issues for museums to consider
This paper explores the question "How do we measure the impact of the arts and cultural industries? This question is going to occupy us more and more in the coming decade as governments move to a model of ‘evidence based policy’ tied to funding for our sector."
The education and arts partnership initiative
This paper looks at the results of a study of two NSW primary schools that were involved in the innovative by the Education and the Arts Partnership Initiative (EAPI) that used the creative arts to address issues of adolescent learning, well-being and community involvement.
Auckland Theatre Company ambassadors
This case study outlines how Auckland Theatre Company has successfully worked with student ambassadors for four years and details the experience and some of the rules they have set up around the program.
This paper by Heath McDonald and Julian Vieceli from Deakin Business School explores the value of branding the individual, basic branding principles, reasons to brand yourself and ways of going about it.
Patrick Hall on branding the individual
Patrick Hall, artist/designer/maker in conversation with Michele McGinity about the notion of the individual as brand.
Donna Walker-Kuhne on individual branding
Acknowledged as one of the USA’s foremost experts on audience development, Donna Walker-Kuhne has devoted her career to increasing the accessibility and connection to the arts, particularly in relation to the growing multicultural population. Here she discusses the idea of the individual as brand.
Sioban Tuke: Individual branding in theatre
As casting director for Melbourne Theatre Company, Sioban Tuke talks about the impact of having some of Australia’s biggest names in theatre and film, such as Rachel Griffith and Geoffrey Rush, work with the company.
Melbourne Fringe brand presentation
This is the brand presentation and publicity material developed for the 2003 Melbourne Fringe Festival by Cornwell.
Melbourne Fringe Festival: integrated marketing - a festival approach
This case study highlights the highly successful approach to marketing and particularly PR by Melbourne Fringe Festival for their 2003 program.
Incorporating marketing planning into the management of arts organisations
In this article, Heath McDonald looks at the argument surrounding the application of marketing to arts organisations, and the question “How can arts organisations, particularly small ones, successfully incorporate marketing into their overall business model?”.
Cause related marketing: can the Arts afford not to participate?
This paper discusses changes in the marketing landscape and the place of the arts in that landscape.
Museum of Contemporary Art & Bimbadgen Estate Wines
Museum of Contemporary Art and Bimbadgen Estate Wines have formed an interesting and productive partnership over the past three years. This partnership, its objectives, leverage and returns, are discussed in detail.
A detailed overview of the funding and fundraising environment of Albury's HotHouse Theatre Company.
Case study - Inspire Foundation
This case study gives an overview of successful fundraising in a not-for-profit organisation.
The message precedes the fund raising: thinking again about the meaning of public relations
Discusses issues surrounding contemporary fundraising in not-for-profit organisations. Highlights the importance of effective public relations.
Sports and arts sponsors: investigating the similarities and differences in management practices
This study relies on a survey of arts and sports sponsorship decision-makers in Australia and presents a number of findings relating to management of the two sponsorship types.
Paul Greenaway, Director of Adelaide’s Greenaway Gallery, provides an insider’s view of considerations for visual artists wanting to get exhibited - domestically and internationally.
Leading Australian playwright Timothy Daly shares his views on the market for contemporary scripts, and offers advice on getting your work in front of directors.
By providing high-quality participative outreach and educational activities that incorporate opera’s constituent disciplines - music, drama, literature, and visual arts and dance – Central Ohio’s Opera Columbus is attracting families and gaining life-long audiences.
With or without ‘hard’ infrastructure, regional communities can make an impact on their situation by using cultural tourism, argues Nat Trimarchi.
Two steps back from an Ersatz cultural rendition
In this paper, presented at the 2001 Museums Australia (Qld) National Conference, Nat Trimarchi argues that enterprises operating successfully in the cultural tourism space share a tangible connection with a community, and look to artists rather than to the display makers to interpret product.
Case study - Norwich Theatre Royal: Friends scheme
Key to the success of Norwich Theatre Royal's Friends scheme is a determination to place Friends at the centre of what the theatre does and ensure Friends come first every time. Learn from their experience.
Does the building of relationships lead to successful performing arts organisations?
Subsidised performing arts organisations might become more strategic if they apply a relationship marketing perspective to their audience development and membership initiatives, according to this recent academic paper.
The Great Indoors: developing audiences for contemporary art and craft in Australia
Detailed report that presents a wealth of research on galleries and their audiences.
Case study: Penny Smith, ceramics artist
How to balance 'earners' and 'learners'. Penny Smith has juggled a rich professional life of working in education and now as a full time ceramic artist.
This case study looks at Canberra Theatre Centre's (CTC) Under 27 (U27) new audience and market development scheme aimed at attracting youth audience attendance at the Centre, and other arts venues around the ACT.
Effective models of audience development from an international perspective
This is an edited transcript of a panel discussion on effective youth audience development programs in Japan, UK and US held at the Youth Audience Development Forum, Adelaide, Australia, 2003. Highlights three case studies.
Children (0-12) & families as audiences
This is an edited transcript of a panel discussion on research, programs and positioning of work targeted at children aged 0-12 held at the Youth Audience Development Forum, Adelaide, Australia on 21 March 2003.
Understanding pricing strategy
So how do you decide what’s the right pricing strategy? For small organisations, as long as careful monitoring undertaken, an experimental approach is probably best.
