Adjusting your initiatives today to turn tomorrow’s marketing challenges into opportunities

Chad Bauman over at the Arts Marketing blog published this post today as part of a series to have industry leaders express their thoughts on the biggest marketing challenges coming our way in the next decade.  While I find it intellectually interesting to hear what these folks have to say (he has an impressive list set to weigh in), I believe the exercise will only be useful if we take the challenges named and examine what we are doing now to prepare for / overcome them.  I think we, as an industry, have become skilled at naming problems from the past, present, and future, real and imagined.  However, we often stop there and wallow in what we couldn’t control (sound like the newspaper and music industry??)  Let’s try to avoid that this time, shall we?

So, I’m going to start by giving my thoughts on what we can do now regarding the challenges mentioned by Thomas Cott and Rick Lester in the current blog post.  Please, add your own thoughts.  And, please, let’s stay focused on concrete actions we can take and not get back into the “no, THIS is the REAL problem” conversation.

Thomas Cott: Thomas lists a number of challenges, among them the demographic shift in our country and the growing “minority majority.”  What are we doing right now with not only our marketing but our programming to embrace this change?  Refer back to Trish Mead’s 2 AM Theatre post on diversity and think about how you are approaching this issue.  I watched Babes on Broadway last night for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed its light, frothy feel right up until the last 20 minutes when Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney and the entire cast put on blackface for the minstrel number.  I was flabbergasted.  I thought, wow! I’m glad we are past the period in our history when folks thought that was OK!  Then, this morning, I thought, but what are we really doing today that is including all the voices out there in our conversation?  If they aren’t part of the conversation, you can bet they won’t be sitting in your seats.  What actions are you taking now?

Thomas also sites the change in spending habits for many Americans.  The only way we will get people to spend their hard earned dollars on our production is now and will continue to be that they see more value in the experience than they see in the money they spend.  What are you doing to demonstrate the value of your work in the lives of your patrons?  If we focus on the dollars we will lose, every time.  We must focus on what live performance provides that you can’t get anywhere else.  The visceral connection with the artists and the rest of the audience.  The emotional impact of communal experience and, yes, even ritual.  The lovely folks over at the Pew Internet and American Life Project published this report siting that people who are active on social networking sites are more likely to be out and about in their communities, too.  We are looking for more personal interaction, more real experience.  It is this experience that money does not dictate and it is this experience we need to sell.

Rick Lester: Rick highlights that we were actually once good at marketing to participatory audiences.  They may have performed chamber music in their living rooms whereas now we create music on our computers, but it is a participatory society nonetheless.  How do we harness this surge in the desire for arts participation?  (and, among those who we so bemoan didn’t have arts education in school … curiosity, if cultivated and encouraged, trumps formal training every time.)  How are you inviting your audience into the process?  Open rehearsals?  Reader’s circles for short-listed scripts for future seasons?  Classes?  Open mic nights?  Perhaps a series that brings talented amateurs in to showcase work they do that ties to your mission?  As I said before, you have to invite them into the conversation if you want them to come.

That is all I have time for right now, but I hope it gets the conversation for tactics started.  There are challenges in every era and rarely do people believe they are in a “golden age” while it is actually happening.  Let’s create our own golden age by adjusting now and prevent the need for reacting later.

 

The arts leadership dichotomy and why it works

I read this blog post by James Undercofler on the ArtsJournal site (thanks to Thomas Cott for highlighting it!) on Monday and it got me thinking about this strange dual leadership model we have in the performing arts.  Undercofler talks about a model where an Artistic Director, in theory, leads the artistic vision of a company while only actually in residence for as little as 15 weeks a year.  Meanwhile, a Managing Director does the work of running the company on a daily basis and, in many cases, making decisions that intimately affect the artistic output, all the while trying to appear to only do administrative work. 

While I hear this is often true at symphonies, opera companies, and the like across the nation, I find a very different reality in the theatre world.  Most of us don’t have the funds to have a support staff that allows an artistic director to go off to do other projects for 3/4 of the year and, more recently, we seem to be cutting costs by having our artistic directors direct all or almost all the productions in our season. (this is a topic for a completely different post!)  So, instead of the conundrum listed above, we find ourselves with the potential to have the best of both worlds.  I know many companies are choosing to save money by combining the roles of artistic and managing director right now (we just made this decision at Synchronicity) and, especially for smaller companies, this may be the way to go for the short-term.  However, I believe for companies with budgets of $500k or more, this dual leadership model is necessary for the long-term health of the organization.

Not only is it extremely difficult to find leaders who have to aptitude, desire, and concrete skills to perform all artistic and managerial roles, our leadership dichotomy can actually allow for greater artistic freedom and stronger support of the artistic product.  It allows the artistic director to dream big and concentrate on what would be best for the artistic health and growth of the mission, while the managing director sets about to facilitate that vision.  When I say “facilitate” I don’t mean “make it all happen this year.”  It is the job of the managing director to figure out an appropriate timeline that allows for the raising of the needed funds for the A.D.’s big projects and helping the A.D. to find fulfilment along the way.

I do think that there are some fundamental structural needs to allow this partnership to work in the best way possible.  First of all, the A.D. and M.D. need to both feel secure in their positions and understand the nature of their roles, there are few things more destructive to this model than an A.D. who fears a strong M.D. (I’m sure the other way around is equally destructive, but I haven’t actually seen that scenario play out).    Next, they need to be true partners.  That means appearing side-by-side on the org chart as well as both reporting directly to and voting members of the Board of Directors.  It can be difficult for the managing partner to do their job (especially during difficult times) if they are in a subjugated position to the artistic head.  Finally, communication is the key.  Actually, this one probably should have gone first.  If the A.D. and M.D. cannot learn to speak the same language, and be completely transparent with each other, you will see nothing but crashing into brick walls.  However, I do think that the feeling of security and true understanding of the roles helps tremendously with communication.

When it works, our strange and unique leadership model brings out the best in the organization and allows it to thrive artistically, financially, and administratively.

 

A new era for the press release

I’ve been reading Engage! by Brian Solis and it has me all fired up.  I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more references to this book in the near future.

In chapter 6, Solis presents the type of idea that makes you want to slap your forehead and say, “Of course!  Why haven’t we been doing that all along??”  It is a revolution in the way we we communicate with the press.  He calls it the Social Media Newsroom. 

What does the Press page on you website look like now?  Probably a list of press release titles with links to pdf versions of the release, right?  When journalists want to do a story on your company or review of your production they have to email and ask for photos, video clips, etc., etc.  This takes up your time and delays their work.  What if they (and your brand evangelists) had access to everything they could possibly need all on one page of your website? 

Imagine your Press page transformed into an interactive, content-rich source for all possible media about your company: high resolution photos through your Flickr albums (which are available for download because you use the Creative Commons license), all your videos embedded from YouTube, RSS feeds from your blogs and Twitter streams, links to bios of key staff plus cast and crew, a link to your Facebook fan page (perhaps you’ve even used Facebook’s nifty ability to embed a widget version of your fan page into your website?), upcoming events, links to other folks talking about you (journalists and general public) and, of course, your press releases.  (check out Chevy’s use of this idea with the Volt’s social media dashboard, also mentioned in Engage!)

I know some arts leaders are making lists in their heads of why this wouldn’t work for them while reading this: rights issues with playwrights/photographers/Actor’s Equity, desire to control the access to and use of images/video/information, lack of time to set it up,  etc.  But consider this all would actually make your life much easier and, besides, you don’t really have control of the information anyway, might as well make acurate info readily available.  Of course, you need to consider all ramifications and discuss them with the affected parties before posting anything, but I’m seeing a wonderful trend of everyone agreeing that the way to raise the tide is to get the information out to the people who can and want to spread it.

We are already doing most of this in separate spheres, it is time to aggregate it in one place and make it as simple as possible for journalists and our fans to spread the word about the work we are doing.   By adding a login feature for posting comments or contributing to your forums with Facebook Connect or Sign in with Twitter, you make it even easier for your fans to tell the world.  Perhaps this could even be a way of legitimately (within Equity rules) getting video of your productions up on your site … it suddenly becomes B-roll.  Even if Equity’s antiquated rules continue to deny use of production video, you can still get excellent behind the scenes and interview footage that can help everyone know more about you and tell others.

I’m imagining a main page with the most recent information in all the areas mentioned above, plus links to similar pages for each production/event/exhibit.  Once you get the main page set up, the syndication to the individual pages is a snap.  And, since all of the social media websites mentioned above have the ability to embed information by copying and pasting code, even the main page won’t take an inordinant amount of time to create.

It is up to us to make it as easy as possible for everyone to access our information and spread it to others.  This is a great way to start.

 

Board governance is not for the faint of heart

I just have to say, first of all, that I LOVE the Blue Avocado and You’ve Cott Mail emails.  They are always insightful, useful, and get my brain jumpstarted in the morning.  If you don’t already receive them, click the links and get started.

It was an article asking “Who is Responsible for the Board Doing a Good Job?” in Blue Avocado this morning that inspired this post.  I have to admit, I have been guilty of thinking, “what is this board doing, why can’t they do their job?!?”  But, I have come to agree with author Jan Masaoka that if the board isn’t working, you need look no further than the executive leadership of the company (I’m going to use “executive leadership” as my term of choice because I think it is the responsibility of all executive-level leaders to do this work, whether they bear the title of Executive Director, Artistic Director, Managing Director, or any other).  Yes, it is our fault and we can (and need to) do something about it.  If we are going to reap the benefits of the virtuous circle that strong boards and strong exective leadership creates, we have to get serious about what we are doing to make it a reality.  One executive director is quoted in the article as asking herself every day at noon, “What have I done today to strengthen the board’s ability to lead?”  This is a great place to start.

So, what can we do to help our boards lead?  Here are just a handful of ideas.  Please add your own in the comments!

1. Make sure everyone on the board has a project.  Not everyone is cut out for the in-person asks for large checks and this isn’t the only reason you have a board. As an executive leader it is our responsibility to know what the strengths of our board members are and how those strengths would be best utilized in support of our mission.  You should know this before you bring someone on the board, but you also need to do regular check-ins to make sure that you are still on target with their interests and strengths.  I believe that someone should check in with each member of the board every six months.  Once a year by the executive staff leadership and once by the board chair.  The baseline for performing arts boards is to attend performances and bring friends, but it is our job to help them think beyond the basics.  If, after a thorough check in you still don’t know how to utilize a board member, it is time for them to roll off the board an make room for someone who can and will contribute.
2. Give the board the tools they need.  Perhaps a board member is interested in doing person-to-person fundraising but doesn’t feel they have the skills to do it well.  Set up a Fundraising 101 session at the annual retreat (preferrably lead by a board member who is good at it, but a great development director can do it, too) so that everyone can practice and realize that each ask is the end of a careful cultivation process, not a cold request for a check.  Also, connect your board members with classes, articles and information from the Foundation Center, local nonprofit support organizations (like Georgia Center for Nonprofits), BoardSource, and, of course, Blue Avocado.  The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta works with GCN to provide classes specifically to increase nonprofit effectiveness.
3. Create a mentor system for new board members.  When you bring in a new class of board members (you are bringing them in in groups of two or more, right??), set the newbies up with a buddy who is confident about his/her contribution to the board and can help keep them focused on productive activities.  It is so easy to get someone excited to be with you and support your mission and then have that excitement slowly peeter out through lack of focus and the pull of their daily lives.  The more motivated folks you get working to help the new members, the stronger the connection will be (and the less amount of time any one person will have to spend in the support role).
4. Make committee meetings active.  Nothing kills the desire to participate like going to meetings and listening to the staff drone on about reports.  Each member of the committee should have something that they are working on and will need to give a short status update about at the meeting.  The committee chair should be checking in with the members between meetings to make sure they have the tools that they need and are on track to give their reports.  It doesn’t help the member feel successful to just wait until the meeting and say, “What have you been doing all this time??”  And, yes, it is the responsibility of the executive leadership to make sure the committee chairs are on track!  When was the last time you spoke to your nominating chair about their governance of the committee and any needs they might have?

It isn’t hard work to keep your board active, but it does take a committment to make it part of your daily job description.  We are in a symbiotic relationship with the board and it is our responsibility to make sure we all get fed.

 

My date with Shakespeare, or, pushing through the fear without getting blotchy

Reading Linchpin has got me thinking a lot about art, how and where I create art as well as opportunities that I may be missing.  I do believe that I create art through managing and marketing theatre, but the universe has deemed it appropriate to give me a break from that right now as a full-time occupation.  So, rather than jumping right into searching for a new job to keep me busy, I’ve decided to work on (as Seth Godin puts it) building my platform.  Part of that process, I’m finding, is deciding what mediums to work with for creating my art.

Over the weekend I decided to dip back into a medium I haven’t worked with in over seven years: acting.  I know that acting feeds my soul in a way that few other things can, and that is what I want right now.  I had seen on Facebook that Richmond Shakespeare was having auditions for Elizabeth Rex last night and decided to give it a shot.

There were various obstacles that could have stopped me: my acting resume is on a disk somewhere in my house in Atlanta from when the nice computer folks saved the files off my hard drive when my motherboard went kaput a few years back, the last headshot I had taken was 10 years ago (and my one remaining copy is also in Atlanta), and (the argument that would’ve won the battle for the resistance years ago) I haven’t worked on a monologue in over a decade.  I’ve never liked auditioning with monologues.  I would get so nervous when I had to do them that I would blush to the roots of my hair and my chest would get all red and blotchy.  I started wearing turtlenecks to auditions and toward the end of my first stint as a professional actress, I started only going to auditions where I could do cold readings.  So, it has been a LONG time.  But, I had Seth’s voice in my ear, “you don’t need a resume if you have a reputation” and “don’t let the resistance win.”

So, I spent most of yesterday in the head of Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing.  This meant that I didn’t check my Synchronicity email (sorry, Rachel) and I only did half the laundry (sorry, Ashby).   It meant, instead, that I spent hours with some of the richest text I’ve ever read.  There were moments yesterday afternoon when every nerve ending in my body was vibrating from the power of the words and the emotion behind them.  There is nothing in the world like working on Shakespeare.

I went in feeling strong and worthy.  I can probably count on my fingers the number of times I felt that way going into an audition in my previous incarnation as an actress.  The director was visibly put out that I didn’t have a headshot and resume (can’t blame him, they are an actor’s most basic tools!) but I had the good fortune to be able to drop the name of my dear friend Kate Powers (fantastic director and Shakespeare scholar) and that eased the tension a bit.  Nope, I didn’t knock it out of the park.  In fact, I went up on my lines twice at the beginning and had to start over, but I pushed through and didn’t let it rattle me.  On my third attempt I got through it and it felt good.  I wasn’t vibrating as high as in the apartment, but it felt good.

I doubt that I will get a callback, but (again, for one of the first times) that actually doesn’t even come close to bothering me.  The purpose of taking this risk was not at all about the outcome of the audition, it was about pushing myself to do something I knew I was capable of but could have easily talked myself away from.  The most concrete symbol of my new found victory over the lizard brain was that I walked out of the room and there was not a single red blotch on me!

So, what new risks are ahead?  Don’t know, but I’m keeping my eyes open and my blinders off.  What risks are you taking today?

 

Why I need to blog, part 2

Back in November Megan Gogerty (the insightful and hillarious playwright and educator) brought her one-woman show, Hillary Clinton Got Me Pregnant, to Synchronicity.  We got into all sorts of discussions while she was here, including the relative merits (or not) of the movie Twilight: New Moon and the ability (or not) to reframe the discussion of the movie into something positive for girls and/or borderline empowering.  After one such discussion I said, “You see, this is why I miss grad school!  I love these types of discussions.”

Turns out, I realized this morning, you don’t need to go back to school to have this.  You can blog!  The question remains whether anyone will decide to join the conversation, but at least I’ll get to release all these thoughts from the confines of my brain.  If my random musings stimulate opinions and thoughts within you, I hope you will comment.   It is so much more fun to have a dialogue than a monologue.