Visiting with a colleague recently, we got to talking about what would be the THREE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS that a mid-career professional in ANY sort of arts or cultural organizations should be asking. We further imagined that the process of ANSWERING such questions might serve as some sort of rite of passage for early/mid-career professionals - with the organizations that employ them expecting, supporting and respecting a staff member's … [Read more...]
Crista Cloutier: On Empowering Creatives
Crista Cloutier travels the globe teaching her original workshops, The Working Artist, The Working Creative & The Writer’s Life. More than a teacher, Crista is a nurturer, emboldener and coach to career-focused individuals engaged in all sorts of artistic and creative pursuits. Her website is: www.theworkingartist.info. In this interview we explore how the “marketing” and “audience development” challenges of individual artists compare to … [Read more...]
Stephen Brand: “Innovation” is not “Risk”
In this interview, I’m delighted to introduce you to Dr. Stephen Brand, President & Chief Imagination Officer of the New Enterprise Factory. His firm designs, launches and scales revenue-generating, mission-driven ventures. In his words, he “finds the profit in non-profits.” How do you define the word “innovation” for a non-profit organization? Is it synonymous with “risk?” It’s entrepreneurship that is synonymous with risk, not … [Read more...]
Flag on the Play: Unnecessary Arrogance
I'm calling a flag on the play. This is the NFL signal for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Normally, I'd be among the first to say, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." I've spent the last 18 years as a champion of Arizona's offerings of theatre, music, dance, art, festivals, culinary, science/technology and cultural attractions. I continue to be a vigorous organizer of collaborative audience development efforts … [Read more...]
“Thank you for your Service!”
One of the great honors of running an organization dedicated to "audience development" has been the privilege to meet and work in partnership with the dedicated leaders of the Veteran Tickets Foundation - which is best known as VETTIX.org. (And imagine my delight to discover that this national 501c3 non-profit organization is based here in my hometown of Phoenix - less than 3 miles from my office!) Their mission: "Give without prejudice … [Read more...]
It’s Time to Dream Again
On the occasion of its arts council's 50th anniversary, I was recently invited to Fort Worth to design and facilitate a "visioning" session by which 75 community leaders - representing an array of civic, municipal, political and arts & cultural interests - asked, "What investments in arts & culture might we make today that will pay our community dividends over the next 50 years?" Such a refreshing conversation! No speeches. No … [Read more...]
Rocco’s Lore of Supply (& Demand)
Remember the heat that NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman took last year for suggesting that the arts & cultural sector is suffering from over-supply? He was quoted by the New York Times saying, "You can either increase demand or decrease supply. Demand is not going to increase, so it is time to think about decreasing supply." As you may recall, he noted that the NEA’s 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) reported a 5 … [Read more...]
Where Do Audiences Come From?
In just 30 seconds - and without words - this AT&T commercial poignantly answers the question of how a son receives the gift of passion for football. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAQddBxWlNA The answer is universal. The commercial could have been set in an art museum, concert hall, theater, science center, art studio or many such places. This is commonly understood. When we were young, we were introduced to experiences that … [Read more...]
The Fundamentals of an Audience Development Plan
The goal of arts & cultural marketing is "butts in seats." So it generally follows that the goal of audience development is to put "more butts in seats" and/or "different butts in seats." Marketers are necessarily focused on "picking the low hanging fruit." The best marketing plans present finely tuned and adaptable strategies for optimizing sales while conserving resources. So, it generally follows that the function of audience … [Read more...]
Prophet & Profit
It is no secret that leaders of non-profit organizations feel an overwhelming pressure to “be more entrepreneurial” in a fast-changing and increasingly competitive world. Yet, the notion of “chasing dollars” stirs up deep anxieties. At best, non-profits search desperately to find the capacity and expertise needed to research, evaluate and pursue a new ventures. At worst, non-profits worry that the pursuit of $ opportunity necessarily … [Read more...]