Ideas

One Year Later: Digital Marketing Recommendations for Arts and Culture Reopenings

March 17, 2021

March 2020 feels like decades ago, but it was just one year ago the U.S. went into lockdown. We released a blog post to help arts marketers navigate these uncharted waters, but it was uncertain where this pandemic would lead us.

Throughout the course of a year, we saw the sheer resilience of arts administrators in the face of crisis. We pivoted to digital programming to bring art into our audiences' homes. We officially want to discard the word ‘pivot’ from our vocabulary. We explored new ways to keep our audiences engaged. But most of all, we were consistently reminded just how passionate and inventive the arts and cultural community can be.

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Key Takeaways from Arts Industry Data Analysis: Pandemic Response

March 11, 2021

What is the impact of the pandemic on arts marketing? Capacity Interactive conducted a survey of 53 diverse arts and cultural organizations, collecting data from FY2019 and calendar year 2020, with WolfBrown as research consultants advising on the methodology, survey design, data visualization, and analysis.

We’ve outlined key takeaways to help you understand the data, and posed key questions to help you build stronger foundations for your organization. If you like this blog post, be sure to check out this livestream recording with more insights and in-depth strategic recommendations for the months ahead.

Before you start reading, though, treat yourself to a deep breath: we are a year into this pandemic and it has had a profound impact on all of our lives. All of the data we are about to explore is inextricably tied to the loss and trauma we’ve endured to varying degrees. Give yourself some grace, snuggle a nearby furry friend if you have one, and get ready to dive into the data.

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Pricing Digital Programming Now and In the Future

March 9, 2021

Vatic is a company that provides dynamic pricing software for performing arts organizations and ticketed venues. Sean Kelly, Vatic’s Founder, shares case study findings and advice on digital programming pricing. 

Digital programming for arts and culture isn’t going away. As the pandemic has telescoped out in length, more and more organizations have come to the necessary realization that if they are going to remain relevant during this time, they will need to connect with patrons digitally.

Additionally, these organizations find that a significant portion of these patrons is new-to-file and often not within their geographic area. Lastly, a growing number of patrons have clearly stated that they expect digital interaction with arts and culture to continue. Digital isn’t just critical for us now while we wait for things to go back to “normal,” it will remain vital even once the pandemic is behind us.

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Capacity Interactive’s Anti-Racism Commitments: Q4 2020 Update

December 9, 2020

Capacity Interactive (CI) created and published a list of  Anti-Racism Commitments in June 2020. This public statement outlined our action plan for becoming an anti-racist organization and served as an accountability mechanism. As a part of this statement, we committed to reporting on our progress (which is the basis of this blog post!)

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Political Ads on Facebook in 2020

October 14, 2020

While it may feel like we have been in election season for years (because what is time?), we really are in the final weeks before the election. Following the actions of foreign and bad actors in the last presidential election, Facebook is implementing some new rules aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation about candidates and voter suppression in this election. Facebook announced a ban on new ads during the week leading up to the election October 27 - November 3.

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Digital Connection Is a Survival Superpower for Arts Entities

October 9, 2020

It’s no secret: 2020 has been a challenging year thus far for arts organizations. But we’re collecting market research surrounding arts entities at IMPACTS Experience, and some trends are actually working in organizations’ favor when it comes to establishing new strategies not only to survive this year but also to thrive long into the future.

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Digital Strategies for Reopening in a Pandemic

August 21, 2020

In many ways, The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, and The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston could not be more different. One is a historic building with a private permanent collection of European, Asian, and American art with an idyllic courtyard. One is an art museum and research institution featuring Degas, Homer, and other greats, sitting on top of 140 acres in the Berkshires. One is Boston’s waterfront museum, which hosts leading contemporary visual artists and performances, recently featuring the works of William Forsythe and Yayoi Kusama.

Despite significant differences, these museums have one thing in common: they were all allowed to open as of July 6th per Massachusetts’ Phase III Step 1 of post-COVID reopening.

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Improve Organic Social Content Performance with Data Insights

July 22, 2020

In the midst of a pandemic, arts organizations are leaning into Facebook’s organic features to reach their audiences as they spend more time at home and online. Livestreams, watch parties, video premieres, curated playlists, archival clips—you name it, someone’s probably tried it.

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Ask the Industry: Going the Extra Mile for Subscribers and Members During The Pandemic

July 16, 2020

Ask the Industry features advice from arts marketers in their own words. We hope it will spark new ideas for your organization.

In our latest installment, we’re asking two arts administrators, “What are you doing to go the extra mile for subscribers and members during COVID-19?” Sara Billmann, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at University Musical Society, and Mike Servedio, Web and Social Media Manager at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University give insights on how to shine a spotlight on your nearest and dearest.

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Capacity Interactive Anti-Racism Commitments

June 29, 2020

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, we shared a statement denouncing this act of racist violence and sharing our support of Black Lives Matter. A statement is important, but not enough. Real change can only come with clear policy, plans and written commitments.

We are in the midst of a pandemic, economic crisis, and social movement to acknowledge and dismantle our society’s racist present and past. All of these forces deeply impact our industry and our company. The path forward is fluid and evolving almost daily. We choose to see this uncertain moment as an opportunity for reflection and a time to evolve and strengthen our commitment to equity and social justice.

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Boot Camp 2023 On Demand

In a time of perpetual change, Boot Camp 2023 will help you build a holistic foundation to become a stronger arts marketer, leader, and champion for our industry—all from the comfort of your desk.

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CI to Eye Podcast

From arts leadership to organizational culture, digital marketing deep dives and cutting edge innovation, CI to Eye is your one-stop shop to help you market smarter.

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Social Content Calendar for Arts Marketers

Create content that’s thumb-stopping, relevant, and thoughtful to connect with audiences—all winter long!

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The Performing Arts Ticket Buyer Media Usage Study

Based on a survey of over 17,000 ticket buyers, this report sheds light on the shifting media consumption and buyer behavior of your core audience, with marketing insights to help you turn data into strategy.

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