NAMP BALANCE
NAMP Balance allows you to design a comprehensive “mini-conference” of 1 - 2 full days of training for your attendees. Pick two to three workshops from the menu below to create an immersive learning experience. The NAMP team will work with you to build a cohesive syllabus that meets your needs.
Marketing Strategy
This seminar will provide you with the tools to craft an effective and efficient marketing plan. From the step-by-step planning process, to the use of market research techniques, to crafting a powerful brand identity, participants will leave this seminar with a greater understanding of how to connect the artists they present with larger audiences that appreciate the art. The seminar presenters will utilize interactive exercises, case studies from the arts world, and NAMP’s latest consumer research to illustrate the impact better marketing can have on artists and arts organizations. Participants can expect to learn:
- The seven key questions, that when answered, create the framework for an effective marketing plan;
- Tips to crafting a better audience survey;
- How to use information gleaned from marketing research in marketing, fundraising and sponsorship decisions;
- The latest consumer information on cultural audiences and how this impacts marketing efforts. Which societal and market forces are shaping how consumers interact with the arts;
- How to make a powerful brand identity;
- How to best use limited marketing resources.
This session explains the role that product, price, and place strategies play in audience development, and how rushing to promotion without attending to these issues can produce offtarget communications programs. It also explains how increasing the perceived value of the arts experience with product enhancements, attention to service and customer convenience can help arts organizations attract new audiences and improve their retention programs.
“How much is enough?” This question often stymies arts marketers when preparing a marketing plan. Properly planning for resource allocation (money, time, and people) may not be the most fun part of creating a marketing plan, but it is absolutely necessary. This session will cover the hows and whys of effective budgeting. It will move on to discuss impact measurement. Participants will learn how to develop a plan for measuring the impact of your marketing programs, while determining the best method of tracking, when to track, and how to present the results to management and other decision makers.
This session gives organizations three crucial components to improve their marketing processes. The workshop begins by looking at consumer trends affecting arts audiences, moves on to conducting a competitive analysis, and finishes with conducting a S.W.O.T. analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.)
Participants will gain the benefit of recent arts audience participation research, be able to assess their competition for consumers’ hearts, and understand how to conduct an organization-wide, objective analysis of their organization’s ongoing potential by the end of this workshop.
Branding
Branding has become a buzzword in non-profits as we face stiffer competition with for-profit entities and each other. The key to successful branding is developing a brand identity that telegraphs the uniqueness of your organization. A company does not build its image overnight, nor is branding the sole responsibility of the marketing department. After identifying the factors that set your company apart, everyone in the organization must take responsibility to help build the value of the brand.
This workshop covers the following to assure successful brand development: What is branding? What are its key components? How do arts organizations begin developing a strong brand identity for themselves? Is it too late to start? How do audiences fit into the equation? Participants learn simple and inexpensive ways to focus on their organization’s uniqueness in a manner that is relevant and motivating to new audiences.
Participants will learn to distinguish between mission and position (or brand), and come to understand the role of positioning in audience development. They will also gain tools to help their own organizations refine their mission statements, as well as learn practical exercises for developing effective positioning statements. This session will incorporate components such as defining an audience target, conducting a competitive analysis and auditing the organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses.
Audience Development
With almost two generations of Americans lacking in arts education, the large segment of light arts users are the key to growth. Based on recent research that explores what the motivations and barriers to increased arts participation are among light users, this workshop provides participants with the tools to reach a broader portion of their community.
This workshop covers the concept of targeting consumers through shared generational experiences and traits. The current population can be segmented into four cohorts: Matures (born from 1909-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1978), Generation Y (1979-1997) and Millenials (after 1997.) Participants will learn the traits that define these groups from one another and how this affects their buying habits and arts participation. They will learn how to integrate generational marketing into the overall audience development efforts of the organization, and how to leverage the right media for the right audience.
In recent years much has been written on the potential positive impact of the arts on children and young people. The arts engage, entertain, and challenge young people. While the majority of arts organizations have traditionally been more successful at attracting audiences in the 45+ age group, many are now looking to develop family audiences. This special topic workshop is designed for arts groups with programs and performances for children and families.
There is no one way to diversify an arts audience, but there are some common issues and challenges that any arts organization, regardless of size or art form, can be sure to face on this journey. Based on recent research, this workshop leads participants through the elements necessary for success in diversifying an audience, including key strategies and tactics that have proven successful for other arts organizations.
* Note: Other ethnicity specific workshops are available upon request.
No Money? No Matter! Low Cost Marketing Methods for Attracting Cultural Audiences They say that the best form of advertisement is word-of-mouth – how effectively do arts organizations use it? Overlooking this valuable, affordable resource is a huge weakness of many organizational marketing plans. By “getting the word to the street,” arts organization can create a network of people that will be their strongest marketers. Participants will also learn:
- Beg & borrow: The art powerhouses have the staff, mailing lists, and dollars to do it all – and they even share;
- Find the hidden staff within an organization;
- Make everyone an advocate: Quick simple steps that allow staff, board members and volunteers to speak the truth with conviction;
- Cheap marketing tools: Where to find them, how to use them, and what they can do for institutions.
This seminar will provide you with the tools to craft an effective and efficient marketing plan. From the step-by-step planning process, to the use of market research techniques, to crafting a powerful brand identity, participants will leave this seminar with a greater understanding of how to connect the artists they present with larger audiences that appreciate the art. The seminar presenter will utilize interactive exercises, case studies from the arts world, and NAMP’s latest consumer research to illustrate the impact better marketing can have on artists and arts organizations.
This workshop, designed for individual or independent artists, will address crucial questions about the art marketplace: Do you have trouble pricing or positioning your art? Finding new buyers? Have you clearly identified your target market? What emerging or new markets might you explore?
Understanding marketing strategies and trends will be beneficial to artists as they focus on positioning their art within the defined marketplace for increased sales opportunities. Participants should be prepared to address marketing initiatives that will encourage new strategies and tactics for increased market presence, and the resulting increase in their sales and revenue.
Marketing Tactics
The top reason audiences cite when asked how they heard about an arts offering is “from a friend.” But can organizations make word of mouth happen? Are there strategies for controlling and disseminating messages about arts organizations? Participants will find out how to make viral marketing and good old-fashioned networking work.
Many arts managers think there is a set of marketing tactics that work in all situations, as long as they’re used for arts marketing. But marketing tactics are chosen because they’re appropriate for a specific target. Learn how to choose tactics based on the target’s lifestyle, and then understand what results can be expected from the various tactics. Finally, once a tactic is chosen, what tips can be learned to maximize their use?
It’s important to know who is coming to your venue. It’s even more critical to identify who isn’t and why they’re not. This workshop will teach arts organizations how to welcome individual and group tourists. Participants will learn how to target the residents of nearby communities and states to grow their audience and increase their revenue. This workshop will also familiarize them with the structure of the tourism industry, and show them how to appeal to tour professionals. By the end of this session, participants will understand how to make sites “tourism-friendly” for those who create and sell itineraries.
Participants will gain new insight on the fine points of persuasive message development, visual presentation, and guiding the creative process. This includes identifying factors involved in finding the right message for the target audience, “hot buttons” for arts patrons and new arts users as well as for various racial, ethnic and age-related demographic groups, developing a Communications Strategy, and bringing the strategy to life with powerful language and rich visual imagery.
An arts organization sells a cultural product. How do they make sure that the experience of their gift shop, box office, or tour satisfies their customers and stimulates more business? This workshop will guide attendees through crafting a customer service policy and the common pitfalls that can accompany such a task. Using real world examples, the presenter will illustrate how excellent customer service and experience marketing can set an arts organization apart from the rest.
Shrinking media coverage is hurting arts organizations everywhere. But with new internet outlets, we no longer have to rely on the major newspapers for coverage. And when reaching out to new audiences based on race, ethnicity or an age demographic, new opportunities arise as well. Learn how to craft a winning release, then work with various new and old media outlets to reach new audiences. Learn how to understand communications issues that can arise where language can either create a barrier between you and your new audiences, or open doors.
Marketing Technologies
This session explores a variety of new practices around Peer-to-Peer (P2P) marketing, a costeffective sales paradigm that leverages social context to stimulate attendance in small social groups. The session establishes a framework for P2P marketing of cultural events, defines terms, and provides illustrations of P2P marketing practices in various industries. Several P2P pilot projects will be discussed, as well as emerging best practices in the broader P2P field.
The use of mobile technologies by performing arts patrons before, during, and after performances continues to grow. But in this new area, it can feel like a leap of faith to invest in new technologies that may or may not give hoped-for results. Discover how the use of mobile technology can enhance your marketing mix and reach new audience segments. In this workshop, you'll learn about:
- Recent studies on the mobile phone use by arts patrons: what are they doing now and what do they want to do?
- Ways that mobile and social media can enhance the audience experience
- Field cases of how other arts organizations are currently using mobile technologies - what might fit for your organization?
- How to navigate the tricky path of using new media technologies while trying to respect a "traditional" audience experience
- How to plan the steps to an implementation strategy for use of mobile technologies for your organizations, from 3rd party apps to apps of your own
- How to measure outcomes and expectations with the launch of new mobile/social experiences
For arts organizations, e-mail and websites provide great exposure. But an organization’s online presence doesn’t always capitalize on its other marketing and sales initiatives. This session is designed to get organizations thinking tactically about e-mail marketing and websites. First, participants will study how and why arts consumers use the Internet and social media to make entertainment decisions. Participants will then cover the basics of effective online marketing – what works and what doesn't. The presenter will also discuss the necessary staff time to make online marketing work.
The top reason audiences cite when asked how they heard about an arts offering is “from a friend.” And increasingly, friends are talking through social networking tools. How can organizations make word of mouth happen online? Are there strategies for disseminating messages about arts organizations? Participants will find out how to make online referrals, viral marketing, and good old-fashioned networking work. The presenter will also discuss how networking relates to social change and deeper engagement in the arts.
Social media provides a wealth of channels for arts organizations. But how do you ensure that your organization cuts through the noise? Letting patrons “behind the curtain” online brings great rewards and excitement. The presenter will provide an overview of online marketing strategies that utilize interactions with your artists and staff, via social media and online tools. Participants should be prepared to address online marketing initiatives that will encourage new strategies and tactics for increased audience engagement.
Why is it that some web sites have much more success than others? How do arts organizations understand the reports about traffic their sites? How do they know if their sites are well designed?
For an arts organization looking to make the most of its web site, this session is perfect. Participants will learn basic industry trends and benchmarks, so that they can compare their results with others. They will then take a careful look at good site design, improving their sites, and setting goals for the future. Participants will hear a case history about the development of a new site and the results of an innovative online marketing effort. Organizations will walk away from this session with a clear understanding of what is possible, what others are doing, and action steps they can take to improve their sites without a huge investment.
The session will cover direct marketing from developing a compelling offer to effective results tracking. It will provide information on how to leverage databases for best results, the importance of timing, alternatives to mail, and how to develop and maintain an effective database that provides the information needed to reach customers. It will also cover optimizing telemarketing and leveraging web technology to reach new customers. Best of all, organizations will learn when to use each method of direct marketing, depending upon their customer.
With arts marketing budgets dwindling, reaching patrons as efficiently as possible is more important than ever. For small and mid-sized arts organizations, using e-mail effectively can provide great results for a fraction of the cost of other marketing tactics. This session is designed to get organizations “up-to-speed” with e-mail marketing. First, participants will study how and why arts consumers use e-mail, drawing from recent marketing research studies of arts patrons. They will look at several case histories, focusing on campaigns from various organizations. Participants will then cover the basics of effective online e-mail marketing – what works and what doesn't.
Fundraising & Sponsorship
This workshop will illustrate how to build meaningful bridges between a nonprofit and a sponsor’s sales and marketing needs. Today, corporations and nonprofits must be smarter in how they give and receive limited sponsorship marketing dollars. Visibility is no longer enough, and smart companies and savvy nonprofits can use sponsorship to meet a business need to deliver measurable results. Attendees will learn to think strategically and use hands-on techniques to secure and keep corporate sponsors.
Arts organizations use e-mail and other online tools to promote programs, but what about using them for fundraising? In this session, we’ll explore how you can move beyond a basic online presence to create a new community of supporters online, who are much more actively engaged in supporting your organization’s work through donations and advocacy. We’ll review advanced techniques for managing your email list, including list segmentation and creating a cultivation series, and how to branch out from your own website to engage supporters using social media.
This session will teach attendees how to connect their mission with the goals and motivations of potential funders. The presenter will show attendees how to make their grant seeking process successful. Speaking from “both sides of the table” as a grantmaker and applicant, the presenter will highlight the compelling features of a strong application, and how to make an organization stand out. The session will also discuss generational differences in individual philanthropy – look at traditional approaches to reach donors, and get insight into what the next generation of givers is thinking.
Pricing
Marketing ROI is a no-nonsense approach to marketing investment which will allow you to improve its impact. With this simple and powerful tool, you will be able to prove the value of your efforts to your board, win the budget battle and elevate the marketing function in your organization. This session will introduce the key concepts of marketing ROI, basic calculations and metrics, and help you initiate a marketing measurement plan.
Pricing is one of the most sophisticated tools available to arts managers – even small adjustments can make a significant difference to income and volume of sales. This pricing seminar gives an introduction to key concepts in pricing strategy and implementation for arts and cultural products.
Case studies will be used throughout to illustrate different pricing strategies used to maximize income and optimize sales volume. The case studies will be drawn primarily from experience with performing arts institutions. The presenter will devote attention to helping arts organizations develop pricing strategies that maximize income and optimize occupancy.
An organization that only prices to cover costs cannot finance its own future. Here, we’ll look at the latest in price analysis as well as pricing strategies that combine what the market will bear with meeting mission-based goals (servicing diverse communities). We will also see how pricing is an integral element of your audience’s perception of your organization and its artistic product.
Research & Analysis
Most arts organizations have come to realize the value in getting to know their audiences and recognize that strengthening customer relationships is one of the keys to long term viability and success. Hence we’ve seen an increased interest in marketing research for the arts. But there are some pretty big obstacles including lack of time, money, and expertise. Using a variety of real world examples, the presenter discusses the types of research organizations should consider, ways to do research in a cost efficient manner, how to develop more effective surveys, and how to approach analysis for greater learning and insight.
Now is the time to begin looking at your own audience. Participants will learn when and how to use audience research to guide strategic planning and develop marketing programs to connect to new audiences or deepen your connection to current audiences. The session will include practice creating surveys, then analyzing and applying the information they provide.
Most arts organizations have come to realize the value in getting to know their audiences and recognize that strengthening customer relationships is one of the keys to long term viability and success. Hence we’ve seen an increased interest in marketing research for the arts. But how does that data inform marketing strategies? Using a variety of real world examples, the presenter discusses the types of research organizations should consider, how to approach analysis for greater learning, and how these insights can drive effective marketing.
With more frequency than ever, cultural communities are uniting to maximize resources. The benefits of collaborative research projects always exceed expectations. By working together to survey their community, arts partners 1) spend a lot less, 2) learn a lot more, and 3) create synergy, strategy, and success! Participants will learn from real case studies how to create a research partnership, what to expect through the process, and how to work with research findings.
Collaboration
Collaborating with another organization brings many rewards, if you can work through the challenges successfully. Preparing your organization for partnership is the first step. How do you make decisions in partnership with external staff, a different organizational culture, and new stakeholders? This session will help you think about moving forward in new directions, and working in new ways.
Properly planning for resource allocation (money, time, and people) is setting up for success. In collaboration, it is critical that each party knows what it is contributing to the project, and what it is responsible for. This session will cover the hows and whys of effective planning, budgeting, and impact measurement. Participants will learn how to develop a plan for measuring the impact of your collaboration, while determining the best method of tracking, when to track, and how to present the results to stakeholders, funders, and other decision makers.
Advocacy
The arts need to be marketed to the public sector as well as to individual patrons. When economic times are good, the arts are funded because it is “the right thing to do.” But when economic times are tough, the arts are often the first to be cut from federal, state, and local budgets. To protect organizations from budget cuts, preparing an effective arts advocacy program before times get tough is crucial. In this session, organizations will learn about effective arts advocacy organizations and programs, how to quickly and accurately communicate with elected officials, and how to protect the arts from budget cuts.
