Analysis from TRG Arts

Great video GPAC! Best of luck growing your co-op ...

2012-05-09T17:06:38.768-06:00

Great video GPAC! Best of luck growing your co-op and your arts patrons!

'Every night is an opening night': interes...

2012-05-09T03:29:58.475-06:00

'Every night is an opening night': interesting video! The results match with the results I get from my PhD research on 'customer loyalty to performing arts venues' in The Netherlands. The subtitle of my dissertation will be 'from coincidence to routines'. For some groups attendance at a specific venue is a coincidence, for some others (the minority) it is a routine.
Pieter de Rooij, rooy.h@nhtv.nl

Thanks for this analysis. Much helpful post about ...

2012-03-14T22:57:46.555-06:00

Thanks for this analysis. Much helpful post about arts.

Sample Analysis

Excellent Post! I just noticed this change a few m...

2012-03-02T02:29:22.623-07:00

Excellent Post! I just noticed this change a few minutes ago and made a short post about it. I will include your post in it.
Thanks for the suggestions
EMAIL MARKETING BOOK

We're addressing an American issue that likely...

2012-01-26T09:46:05.083-07:00

We're addressing an American issue that likely has some similarities to election cycles in the UK and abroad. Is there a specific aspect you'd like to know more about? Or question you have? Let us know via comment and we'll do best to respond.

Wow, nice post,there are many person searching abo...

2012-01-25T22:42:27.037-07:00

Wow, nice post,there are many person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your post.Thank you for sharing to us.Please one more post about that..Corporate Entertainment

Wow, nice post,there are many person searching abo...

2012-01-19T08:35:56.777-07:00

Wow, nice post,there are many person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your post.Thank you for sharing to us.Please one more post about that..Corporate Entertainment

The ladder is a great way to demonstrate the posit...

2011-12-28T11:15:18.449-07:00

The ladder is a great way to demonstrate the positive results of effective customer service. In this digital age, customer service is aided with tools that can facilitate the accomplishment of efficient customer care service.

That was awesome! Probably one of the more interes...

2011-11-16T10:41:59.064-07:00

That was awesome! Probably one of the more interesting reads in awhile.Customer Service Cashier CV

Great thoughts. Database and social media integrat...

2011-11-08T14:37:45.942-07:00

Great thoughts. Database and social media integration is a great idea. It does require a lot of time and effort, both of which many companies or individuals do not have. I usually recommend people to try anything social media on their own, because it keeps it more genuine and personal, but something like this may require the help of a social media company. Thanks!

Thanks for your comment. Of course the big, popula...

2011-09-19T13:53:18.877-06:00

Thanks for your comment. Of course the big, popular shows always sell faster. But that doesn’t mean they are the only ones you should put on sale in advance or early. The longer any show is on sale, the more time you have to sell it – and our data suggests, the more you will sell. You may not want to spend the same amount of money marketing it at the on-sale point, but the show should still be available. The earlier you put a show on sale, the earlier patrons can—and will—buy. Late-selling makes late-buying a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Rick

While I agree in general with your conclusion, I t...

2011-09-15T09:14:55.592-06:00

While I agree in general with your conclusion, I think a lot depends on the market and the product. I would argue that "White Christmas" in Vancouver is going to have a wider appeal and generate more interest than "Don Giovanni" in Fort Worth, TX.

I agree 100% with Rick. My organization fits this ...

2011-03-24T09:19:42.239-06:00

I agree 100% with Rick. My organization fits this description. We are an orchestra. I laughed as I read this because so many times when reporting to the Board we cling to our incredibly strong renewal rate. But let's call it like it is: our loyal base, who love their seats, who are familiar with the subscription model, renew at 86% (higher in some series). Our three-year window of new subscribers are fickle. We have already planned to launch a targeted approach to this group.
Our crucial issue: acquisition. I would gladly take a 75% renewal rate if it meant we had more new subs. Our community runs rampant with entertainment choices in the Arts. The mood is "last minute." Sweetening the deal of/perks to subscribing is tough and expensive. We definitely need to be honest with our staff, Board, and musicians so that all of our minds can work together on this issue.

That's acquisitions. Sorry. (Mis-spellings o...

2011-03-17T01:37:44.395-06:00

That's acquisitions. Sorry. (Mis-spellings on the internet drive me crazy.)

Um...huh? I don't quite get what you're s...

2011-03-17T01:33:32.189-06:00

Um...huh? I don't quite get what you're saying, Anonymous. (And who are you anyway?) Subscription numbers should grow year to year, period. The base is renewals, the growth is acquistions. End of story.

Not to mention that... "Rapidly growing organ...

2011-03-16T23:55:56.988-06:00

Not to mention that... "Rapidly growing organizations may see a mix nearer 60-40." ... is only true if the total number of subscribers is growing. If you have 1,000 subscribers one year, and 1,000 subscribers the next, and your renewal rate is in the 60-40 range, you're not growing rapidly, you're doing something wrong.

Who wrote this "analysis" and thought it was news?

There are two versions of a "renewal rate&quo...

2011-03-16T23:43:37.932-06:00

There are two versions of a "renewal rate" - A) the percentage of prior year subscribers who renew, and B) the percentage of total current year subscribers who are renewals from the prior year.

This article seems to say nothing more than B shouldn't be 100%, and that A should be. And I think we all knew that. And I'm pretty sure that many of the organizations touting these 85% or higher renewal rates are already talking about A...

I agree with Anonymous that a high renewal rate me...

2011-03-16T20:12:03.254-06:00

I agree with Anonymous that a high renewal rate means you have an engaged audience, just as a low renewal rate indicates audience dissatisfaction. We're proud of our 90% renewal rate, but since we're far from fully subscribed we would have a lot of empty seats if we left it there. Renewals are easy and cheap - a letter with season information and an invoice, a reminder postcard to those who haven't responded, phone calls to pick up the stragglers. The challenge is filling the remaining seats with acquisitions and single ticket buyers (who are, after all, the primary source of acquisitions). Of course it's unhealthy to fill 80% of your seats with subscribers because then there's not enough room to bring in new audiences! (Duh.) That would be a fantastic problem to have, and it's very different from a high renewal rate. Rick, did you confuse the two?

This analysis is, quite simply, dumb. A higher ren...

2011-03-15T20:09:17.185-06:00

This analysis is, quite simply, dumb. A higher renewal rate also translates to an engaged audience, at least in the theatre world. This may be less true in the symphonic world from whence Mr. Lester comes, where prestige and "being seen" are motivators for subscription, and frequently motivators for subscribers that don't attend the concerts. The implication that first-year subscribers will only have a good experience if you anger enough long-term subscribers to get them not to renew is self-defeating. People pay this dude to consult for them? Not my organization -- which has a healthy renewal rate, a balanced budget, adequate cash reserves and very inventive program, thank you.

Great post, Rick!! It is great to hear about the w...

2011-03-03T15:36:57.463-07:00

Great post, Rick!! It is great to hear about the work of these two smart groups. Our research at the League of American Orchestras has yielded similar insights into what works and what doesn't. We will be sharing some suggested tools and strategies at our Conference in June. No question about it: everyone in the arts needs to take this on now!

Thought-provoking. Thank you.

2011-02-11T11:42:35.964-07:00

Thought-provoking. Thank you.

Welcome back!

2011-01-12T13:42:31.996-07:00

Welcome back!

Hi Rick, I stumbled upon your blog via Thomas Cott...

2010-06-18T08:32:52.123-06:00

Hi Rick,
I stumbled upon your blog via Thomas Cott's email newsletter. Thank you for providing metrics and data reports for the marketing questions my organizations are encountering.
Dawna Jarvis
www.morpheusmarketing.com

Demand pricing does work both ways: up when demand...

2010-06-04T11:16:48.264-06:00

Demand pricing does work both ways: up when demand warrants and down (discounts and firesales) when demand is slack. The challenge for our theatres in Los Angeles in this recessionary market is very acute: we don't have a problem with high priced seat locations, nor do we have a problem with lowest priced tickets in the balcony. The recession has pointed its ugly finger at the mid-priced tickets in the back of the orchestra section or rear mezzanine. Those buyers are not coming as frequently. In fact, for the same performance, demand pricing can raise some prices in prime high-demand locations and lower prices in mid-priced sections.

Regarding season tickets: in the old days there were three buyers, subscribers, single ticket buyers and group buyers. Today, technology allows us to segment into much finer micro targets: specialty buyers (they like certain genres, like musicals vs plays), smaller groups (those between 6 and 15), go-when-I-want-to-go package buyers, discount freaks (they need discounts to feed their culture diet, because they go to theatre multiple times PER WEEK and discounts help them go often), mavens and fans (preferential treatment) newbies (20% of our audiences have never been to our theatres at every performance -- and we've been around for more than forty years), cultural tourists, cultural communities (not just ethnic), etc. etc. etc.

Technology helps us to communicate, but WOW there are now hundreds of micro target markets and hundreds of media outlets to pay attention to when a decade ago, there were just five: newspaper, radio, television, direct mail, and word of mouth. And you all know what's happened to the first four on that list. Word of mouth is now all about social media and will eclipse newspapers, if it has not already, for effective selling of the arts to consumers.

Jim Royce, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles

Analysis from TRG Arts

Great video GPAC! Best of luck growing your co-op ...

'Every night is an opening night': interes...

Thanks for this analysis. Much helpful post about ...

Excellent Post! I just noticed this change a few m...

We're addressing an American issue that likely...

Wow, nice post,there are many person searching abo...

Wow, nice post,there are many person searching abo...

The ladder is a great way to demonstrate the posit...

That was awesome! Probably one of the more interes...

Great thoughts. Database and social media integrat...

Thanks for your comment. Of course the big, popula...

While I agree in general with your conclusion, I t...

I agree 100% with Rick. My organization fits this ...

That's acquisitions. Sorry. (Mis-spellings o...

Um...huh? I don't quite get what you're s...

Not to mention that... "Rapidly growing organ...

There are two versions of a "renewal rate&quo...

I agree with Anonymous that a high renewal rate me...

This analysis is, quite simply, dumb. A higher ren...

Great post, Rick!! It is great to hear about the w...

More coming on this topic?

Thought-provoking. Thank you.

Welcome back!

Hi Rick, I stumbled upon your blog via Thomas Cott...

Demand pricing does work both ways: up when demand...