The end of a year is a good time to remind ourselves to PURGE ourselves of counter-productive habits and beliefs - an opportune time to revisit the classical Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy and Gluttony. It's time to expunge the Seven Deadly Sins of Arts & Cultural Marketing: Wrath. Anger at the world for being the way it is makes no sense. Yet arts & cultural marketers who blame the media, the audience, … [Read more...]
Albert Einstein’s Secret of Audience Participation
Imagine if Albert Einstein, the greatest scientific mind of the 20th century had pursued a career in arts & cultural marketing instead of the arguably less complex field of physics. What would he have concluded? Imagine the young Einstein arriving for his first day of work as the marketing director for a theatre company, museum or symphony: "You need to shave 7 percent from this season’s marketing budget,” says the Finance … [Read more...]
Thank you Danny Newman…
A well-worn copy of Danny Newman’s Subscribe Now! has been a treasured resource throughout my career in arts & cultural marketing. His influence is evident in the practices of the vast number of performing arts organizations that still orient their marketing strategies to the concepts first published in 1977: “The subscriber is our ideal. In an act of faith, at the magic moment of writing the check, he commits himself in advance of the … [Read more...]
Going Forward, There Is No “Collective”
In a "collective" - the component parts exist only to serve the good of the whole. There is no appreciation of individuality, independence, choice, creativity, dialogue, agility or soul. Collectives are imposed. As the Borg in Star Trek say, "You will be assimilated." "Collective" is NOT a synonym for "collaboration." Try gathering a group of people together to discuss HOW to address some shared need or pursue some mutual objective and … [Read more...]
There’s More to Education Than STEM
Just posted to Slate.com, Arizona State University President Michael M. Crow offers a thoughtful, articulate and incredibly compelling argument for why the nation’s education system must pursue goals broader than STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math). Dr. Crow writes, “…resolving the complex challenges that confront our nation and the world requires more than expertise in science and technology. We must also educate individuals … [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...]
Learning to Live in a Post-Strategic World
This was supposed to be a book. I should have known better. Every time I think I’ve mastered something, events conspire to remind me that there is (so much) more that I still don’t understand. An experienced hiker (which I’m not) would have understood this immediately. Having approached a mountain first seen from a distance and then having climbed to its summit, the experienced hiker would have expected the view to reveal so many MORE … [Read more...]