Durham Arts Council

Come face-to-face with the arts in Durham.

A Practical Guide to Audience Development

CASE STUDIES

You can download each of these case studies in their entirety in pdf format by clicking on the individual headlines. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free download) to view the document. Click here to download the Reader.

PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY COMPANY: Targeting the Niches

Branding campaign and logo redesign to appeal to a broader audience
Target marketing of single plays to niche groups
Separate test mailing to young professionals with special ticket offer
Creating a "fully accessible series" for persons with disabilities
Hosting a "Meet Your Seat" pre-season event for ticket holders
Training student volunteers in customer service

Playmakers Repertory Company is a 27-year-old professional theater organization headquartered on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill...

DUKE ARTS CONSORTIUM: Building on Existing Loyalties

Consolidating strengths and cross-selling to loyal audiences
Targeting younger audiences
Unified cooperative advertising
Creating a single source for information, data collection, and ticket sales
Creating a distinctive presenting profile that goes beyond the mainstream
Enhancing contact with the academic community
Partnering with organizations that represent a particular demographic niche

Since the 1970s Duke University's resident arts programs have explored ways to collaborate in promotions and scheduling to achieve efficiencies and economies of scale in their marketing...

CAROLINA BALLET: Removing Barriers First

Determining barriers and opportunities
Cross mapping most likely ticket buyers and donors
Deepening organizational understanding of audiences
Recognizing that donor cultivation takes time
Incorporating a pitch with every performance
Testing, testing, testing
Adopting a "Robin Hood strategy" to create financial security and room for experimentation
Building audience trust
Developing quality product and service in tandem

Unlike the other arts groups profiled here, the Carolina Ballet did not exist when the Durham Arts Council first tackled the idea of a nine-county audience study in 1995...

CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM: Marketing Without Walls

Driving audiences to the website with cinema advertising
Establishing more electronic communication with members
Offering virtual studio tours
Using billboards for an exhibition
Addressing the negatives
Deepening neighborhood relations

For the Contemporary Art Museum, headquartered in Raleigh, the challenge during much of the ADI study period has been to maintain the museum's presence and profile as a presenting organization in the Triangle while conducting a $2.5 million capital campaign...

CAROLINA THEATER: Doing More with Less

Programming by risk analysis
Strategic prospecting
Knowing where to draw the line
Starting slowly with subscription sales
Targeting Enterprising Young Singles with a new slogan and Prosperous Baby Boomers and Semi-Rural Lifestyle with coupons
Group sales by a dedicated staff member working on commission
Deploying a secret shopper

Established in 1926 by the City of Durham as the Durham Auditorium, the Carolina Theater was city-run until 1930. Built in the Beaux Arts style, it was initially a venue for extravagant stage productions...

ST. JOSEPH'S HISTORIC FOUNDATION, INC./ HAYTI HERITAGE CENTER: Strategic Retrenchment in a Challenging Economy

Located in the historic African-American community of Hayti in Durham, the St. Joseph's Historic Foundation, Inc./Hayti Heritage Center is registered as a national historic landmark. It was established as a church site in 1868, and the original St. Joseph's sanctuary dates from 1891...