Arts marketing is an interesting niche within the marketing world. Despite being a passionate theatregoer, I hadn’t thought much about how it differs from marketing products and services until Chicago’s Northlight Theatre Company became one of Argentum’s early clients.
To prepare for the project, I read Arts Marketing Insights, by former Northwestern/Kellogg professor Joanne Scheff Bernstein. It was eye-opening to learn about the unique challenges cultural organizations face, such as aging populations and the declining willingness to commit to subscriptions.
Since then, I’ve paid more attention to things like empty seats at local performances and the creative ways theatre companies are trying to attract a younger, more commitment-adverse demographic. That’s why I was especially excited by Joshua Barone’s recent New York Times article, What if Orchestras Were More Like Netflix?
Barone highlights how orchestras in St. Paul, Arkansas, and Cleveland are successfully using a membership model to drive growth through new supporters while maintaining traditional subscription programs, the longstanding backbone of U.S. arts support.