Ideas

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.

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.

We are angry and saddened after the senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, David McAtee, James Scurlock—the list is heartbreaking and long. We stand together with Black Lives Matter. These killings are but one symptom of systemic racism, a system of laws and norms enacted to push BIPOC down to help white people rise up. It permeates American culture and our institutions, and every white person in America benefits from it. If any good is to come from this tragic time, it is first, a widespread acknowledgement and understanding of systemic racism, and second, institutions not just taking an active and public stand against it both internally and externally, but ensuring meaningful change starts with them. 

Gibney is a dance organization based in New York City. We asked their team to write about the evolution of their fundraising efforts in light of COVID-19.

On March 19, Gibney’s spring Gala—The Wonderful World of Gibney—publicly shifted to the “Keep the Wonderful World of Gibney Turning” campaign. In lieu of celebrating Gibney’s "world” of artists with a fundraising event, we would instead find ways to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the next 6.5 weeks, this campaign went through more iterations than any we’ve ever worked on. It became a testament to the moment: so much is unknown and changing by the minute, there is a relentless cascade of information, opinions and emotions are right at the surface, and there is no precedent to fall back on. 

As we all continue to cope with the reality that it may take a while for audiences to safely return to our venues, the question arises of how to meet the cultural needs of our patrons in a digital space. Enter livestreaming. Arts organizations are urgently and suddenly becoming media companies, but while we’re experts at producing live content in person, the prospect of live digital content is unfamiliar territory. 

This is your Boot Camp Livestream roundup. If you tuned in and you’re looking for a recap for yourself or to share with others, this is it. Maybe you missed the livestream and you’re eager to read the headlines about what you missed. Got you covered. And, if you missed the livestream and you're trying to figure out what to go back and watch, let this serve as a guide to help you choose what to dig into first!

I had the privilege of interviewing one of my heros, Seth Godin, for the CI to Eye podcast. I waited for years to gather the courage to ask him to be a guest on the podcast. We spoke in early April 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 crisis.

Seth shared so many thoughtful and sound ideas for arts leaders. Read these ideas carefully, think about them, and share them widely as they unlock the future for the arts. If we can metabolize these ideas and find ways to put them into action, I think we will be okay.

In a matter of days, the arts industry has pivoted from in-person programming to livestreaming and other digital content. Our venues are empty, and our doors are shut temporarily, but we have an incredible opportunity to reach more people than ever and begin new relationships.

Stellar customer service is key to patron loyalty. In fact, 90% of Americans use customer service as a factor in deciding whether or not to do business with a company.

This statistic was gathered in a pre-pandemic world - now, our box office and visitor services staff are in the thick of the COVID-19 crisis. From ticket exchanges, to refunds, and questions about reopening, they’re dealing with a barrage of questions in a rapidly evolving situation.

Robert Phillips is a customer experience expert specializing in arts, culture, and events. He virtually sat down with us to answer some customer service questions to help arts organizations learn from and empower their customer service staff. 

Perhaps you were among the many thousands gathered around a YouTube livestream on March 22 for a one-night-only return of The Rosie O’Donnell Show. It was a live benefit for The Actors Fund and was billed as “Broadway’s Biggest Stars...At Home!” You’re reading this on our website so you’re likely an industry insider and familiar with the wonderful work of The Actors Fund. If not, go here – maybe make a donation – and then come back and read on.