Over the last few weeks among the slew of advertising that landed in my inbox and social media feed, I saw at least a half dozen events I was interested in attending. But I didn’t buy any of those tickets. It made me reflect on the people who I’m marketing to. The ones who I really thought would buy but didn’t. If these factors impacted my decisions, I’m sure I’m not alone.

To say that digital advertising has grown by leaps and bounds since first emerging is an understatement. While some organizations have switched to making 100% of their advertising digital. Most of us, while increasing the role that digital plays, still incorporate traditional ads in their plans. So what is the right mix?

In this special blog post – a collaboration with Samantha Bryant from ASYMM Digital –we highlight the questions you should be asking to find the right answer for your organization.

Here’s the thing, most holiday audiences aren’t going to start coming to everything you produce. So, if you start sending them weekly emails and non-stop brochures and postcards, they are going to get annoyed and block you out completely. You will have lost the chance to talk to them about the thing they are most likely to do – come back next holiday season.

This may seem a counterintuitive smack dab in the middle of the season of giving, but it’s not always a great idea to give things away – specifically comp tickets…thought should be put into a strategy that meets your goals in both the short and long term.

But here’s where the articles fail us. Interviews with a handful of leaders cannot properly paint a picture of what is happening with everyone in the industry. While there are things we can learn from hearing individual stories, we need to be really careful to not conflate their situation with anyone else’s.

It can be easy to think that holiday shows “sell themselves” and while that can be true to some extent, truly maximizing their potential is achieved through the design and execution of a thoughtful and deliberate marketing strategy. Christmas in July promotions may be just one part of that strategy.

With all due deference to Rogers and Hammerstein and Julie Andrews, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens have nothing on a good report for me. Knowing that this can’t be a one-size-fits-all list, these are a few of my favorite reports.

We’re entering the long-awaited, much-beloved down time between seasons. Ideally, you will get some time away for an actual vacation, but even when you’re in the office, hopefully your day-to-day work this summer can feel like a bit of a vacation from the rigor of your in-season routine.

In reality, my superpower is far less glamorous. I can always pick out the right Tupperware container for the amount of leftovers we have. Arts marketing – is also about finding the best container for what we have.

In the past year, I have worked on a range of projects for different types of arts organizations. Their sizes, circumstances, and business models varied, as did my approach to each project. But one thing was common across the board. Communication is key.

Sure, we can point to data to prove that segmentation works, but we can also check out gut. After all, it just makes sense. People are more likely to respond to a message that speaks to their actual circumstances. So why aren’t we doing more of it in the arts? Let me guess: not enough time and not enough money.

What I heard time and time again in my conversations with fellow arts marketers, administrators, and producers was how much they were doing, how behind they felt, and how many unexpected obstacles they were facing. You may feel like you’re drowning or barely treading water, but I promise you that you are more successful than you know.

No arts organization can rival the NFL in resources or ESPN in media expertise. We won’t be selling our branded merchandise by the millions to fans around the world. But we can still take inspiration from them.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Oh sure, the holidays are magical, but it’s also that wonderous time when many theaters are planning their subscription renewal campaigns. If a leap of faith renewal is not part of your subscription plans for the coming year, here are some reasons why you should consider it.

As a marketer who wants people to take the surveys that I design, I always try to take those sent to me by others. It’s just good karma. Sometimes I find inspiration, and from time to time, I get a lesson in what not to do.

Things are starting to feel normal again in many respects. But that doesn’t mean that we can, or should, slide back into our auto-pilot routines from pre-2020. The world was disrupted too much to assume that everything that was true before is still true now. We must recognize this unique moment as an opportunity to evolve and refine our practices.

According to the calendar, New Year’s Day is the time of new beginnings. Botanically spring is the time of rebirth. But for many of us, an equally strong argument could be made for fall being the best time for fresh starts. What is the best way for arts administrators and marketers to manage this time of transition?

When you’re writing marketing copy or articles, do you think about how to write out the time? If the information is accurate, does it matter whether you write 8:00 p.m., 8pm, or 8:00 PM? Yes, it does.

Imagine you are standing outside holding a $20 bill. Suddenly a bird swoops down, snatches that bill from your hand and flies away – bird and money never to be seen again. Not cool, bird. Not cool.