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Not All Innovation Sparks Growth
Ask any arts leader how to fix audience decline, and you’ll hear a familiar answer: "We need to innovate." They’re not wrong. But they're innovating in the wrong places.
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On March 7th, the BBC announced wide-sweeping changes to its classical music programs. Possibly most shocking was its decision to terminate the nearly 100-year-old BBC Singers. Here’s what the supporters of the BBC Singers need to know about persuasive messaging.
It’s time to reconsider the traditional assumptions on which the majority of arts organizations base their marketing and strategy.
Think about the last orchestra/opera/ballet commercial you watched, whether on TV or social media. Was there anything familiar or relevant for the Outsiders in that video?
In Conductor as CEO, Tiffany Chang shares a fascinating analysis of the mission statements for 71 orchestras across the U.S. In a crowded market where ticket sales have declined by 50% over the past two decades, her insights provide some real motivation to step away from the standard formula and create something unique.
Aubrey brought the California Symphony back from the brink of financial ruin with jaw-dropping speed. The lens of business theory provides an explanation.
The egocentric perspective infiltrates everything from websites and social media to fundraising and marketing materials.
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We’ve all heard that stat: “90% of first-time orchestra attendees don’t return the next season.” But there’s something buried in that study that most people missed.
Only 9% of people are brand loyal. So why are we still building arts models that depend so heavily on loyalty?
Ask any arts leader how to fix audience decline, and you’ll hear a familiar answer: "We need to innovate." They’re not wrong. But they're innovating in the wrong places.
Business models are designed to defend the assumptions they were built on—even when external realities shift.
If you're only segmenting your audience by purchase behaviors or demographics, you're overlooking a massive opportunity for radical growth.
This seeming existential crisis is actually a moment of huge opportunity. You just need to rethink the decades-old audience development playbook—and find your Blue Ocean.
Last January, I set a SMART goal of reaching 5,000 LinkedIn followers (nearly twice what I was starting with) and doubling my LinkedIn reach by the end of the year…
What do an opera company, a ballet organization, a university concert series, and a library have in common? They’ve all harnessed the power of customer-centric strategies to redefine their relevance and thrive.
If you’ve hesitated to post on social media, thinking it’s “not your role” or that your organization’s branded accounts are enough, it’s time to rethink.
New logos, sleek designs, clever taglines—rebrands are exciting to watch. Until I take a closer look and realize it’s all surface and no substance.
For arts organizations faced with audience declines, there's a lot of pressure to recalibrate. But how ready is your organization for change? And how long will that change take?
Opera Philadelphia’s recent decision to introduce a pay-what-you-can model, with tickets starting as low as $11, has generated considerable buzz.
Deeply understanding the customer by regularly gathering customer insights has become a high-stakes game. And it’s a game that the for-profit sector is currently winning. How does the arts and culture sector compare?
Leadership buy-in is crucial before real change can occur at any arts organization. On your quest to shift hearts and minds, here are six tactics to consider.
In the arts and culture sector reclaiming relevance and unlocking audience growth means crafting compelling narratives that truly resonate with your target audience.
It’s no secret—the arts sector struggles to reflect the diversity of the real world. And the NEA’s most recent Survey of Public Participation in the Arts has the hard numbers to prove it.
The NEA just released their initial findings from the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. This new data allows us to view audience decline over the past four decades.
These seven elements, if properly implemented, work together to create a powerful emotional connection between consumer and brand.

The 90% myth: What the Oliver Wyman study hid in the footnotes
We’ve all heard that stat: “90% of first-time orchestra attendees don’t return the next season.” But there’s something buried in that study that most people missed.

Churn Isn’t Failure. It’s Our New Reality.
Only 9% of people are brand loyal. So why are we still building arts models that depend so heavily on loyalty?

Not All Innovation Sparks Growth
Ask any arts leader how to fix audience decline, and you’ll hear a familiar answer: "We need to innovate." They’re not wrong. But they're innovating in the wrong places.

Arts Organizations Aren’t Failing. Their Models Are.
Business models are designed to defend the assumptions they were built on—even when external realities shift.

Stop Segmenting Like It’s 1999
If you're only segmenting your audience by purchase behaviors or demographics, you're overlooking a massive opportunity for radical growth.

Find Your Blue Ocean: Create New Markets Instead of Fighting for Old Ones
This seeming existential crisis is actually a moment of huge opportunity. You just need to rethink the decades-old audience development playbook—and find your Blue Ocean.
The NEA just released their initial findings from the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. This new data allows us to view audience decline over the past four decades.