Marketing the Arts in Uncertain Times

Theory of Creativity

Marketing the Arts during a pandemic has led marketers to throw out their reliance on traditional methods of marketing and embrace a new approach. The way audiences buy tickets has completely changed and has led to the need for a higher level of planning pre-production.

The uncertainty surrounding whether people will feel comfortable leaving their homes to see a production, visit an art gallery or museum, or attend a concert has been at an all-time high leading to many empty seats and creating a logistical headache.

My guest today is Amy Maiden, managing partner of Anthem. Amy was previously the Chief Strategy Officer of the Australian Arts Marketing Agency and the prior General Manager of Australian Theatre for Young People. She is an absolute wealth of information and experience and is here to share it with you today.

In this episode, we are discussing marketing the Arts in uncertain times. Amy talks about the significant shifts that have occurred in sales patterns, how this has affected the planning and preparation of events, and how she teaches her own team to remain responsive and not to panic.

We explore the current trends in marketing, the rise in digital marketing and the importance of focusing on the whole experience and feel for the audience. People will remember how they were made to feel and it’s vital for the brand that they’re driven to return in the future or purchase subscriptions.

Amy talks in detail about utilising social media to effectively market productions and events by telling a story. Content is king and the audience will shy away if they’re hit with a direct sell.

In order to emerge out of these unpredictable and difficult pandemic times with a strong Arts sector, Amy shares how everyone must embrace each opportunity to test, learn and try new things.
Resources mentioned:

• Anthem: https://www.anthemco.com.au/
• Seth Godin’s Blog: https://seths.blog/
• Creative Partnerships Australia: https://creativepartnerships.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20129-CPA-Beyond-Sponsorship-Report__FA.pdf
• Creative Partnerships Australia: https://creativepartnerships.gov.au/news-blog/giving-attitude-private-sector-support-survey-2020/
• Substrakt - A guide to social media for the arts: https://substrakt.com/journal/a-quick-guide-to-social-media-for-the-arts/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/

Supported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focused on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience.

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