Performing and visual arts organizations have many audiences – visitors, patrons, funders, board members – to share the totality of their programs with. This article suggests a couple of techniques that may simplify this important communications process. My article was originally posted in Philanthropy Journal, and I was lucky enough to have it picked up by another statewide source.
Many people like opera, and others would like to – if they could only understand it. My creative partner Don Pausback and I created this TV and web commercial to promote a performance of a Mozart opera in North Carolina. As you watch the spot (click on the link below to YouTube), please note the concepts – typical opera themes. And that’s the point.
Have you ever been in a meeting where someone mentioned “strategy” or “the strategic plan”? It’s maddening: most people don’t understand it, and those who do keep it shrouded in some kind of mysticism. If you could break it down into its basic elements, and employ simple language to describe it, more nonprofits would actually use it. Michael Porter of Harvard is the leading theorist on this subject, and I have attempted to distill his work into something useful.
http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/resources/marketingcommunications/marketing-strategy-made-simple
They call their program “willfully eclectic”. They’ve been growing consistently over the past five years. And they represent a kind of arts renaissance here in North Carolina. I’m working with Scott Lindroth and Aaron Greenwald to build a deeper understanding of their current and future patrons, and to lend support to marketing and creative efforts.
Go see them – the program is a blast.
Giovanni Giacometti, Vue de Capolago, Musee D’Orsay.
What motivates people to visit a musuem? And then once you determine their motivations, how do you create programs to keep them coming and convince them to become members? I’m working with Sarah Schroth and Kristen Greenaway to answer these questions – all in service of the support of this exceptional museum on the Duke campus and in the Durham community.
I have a bias, but I think “look and feel” – from promotional efforts to the design of the building you or your customers come to – plays a significant role in a company’s success. Apple is the obvious example, but here is another:
http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/news/top-stories/design-your-brand
I have the great fortune to be working with Dr. Mary Tschirhart, director of the Institute to help build and promote the Community of Nonprofit Scholars (CONS). We are developing this unique program to establish common ground between scholars and practitioners in the nonprofit sector. More to come as we develop it. In the meantime, see below:
Absolutely. The Goodmon Awards celebrate excellence in leadership in central North Carolina, and is a key program for Leadership Triangle. This TV spot – which I produced with Capital Broadcasting in Raleigh, NC – is part of an integrated campaign to promote the awards event and support the LT brand. See the spot here:
The media world is a moving target. One could spend their entire day trying to stay current, and even then it’s a challenge. The Pew Research Center provides a comprehensive review of the current state of the media, and the article linked (mine) attempts to provide some useful applications to marketing and communication campaigns.
http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/resources/marketingcommunications/state-media-2012