The Search for Audiences handbook is a tool for helping presenters (venues) build audiences. It details the research techniques CircuitWest and its participating members used for 12 Western Australian presenters in its projects involving focus groups (qualitative) and, in some cases, surveys (quantitative). It provides an overview of the main factors that influenced audience behaviour across the studies, as well as details the research questions ... Read more

In this two and half minute video, marketers and managers from five small scale arts centres talk to Heather Maitland about the kind of copy they need from touring companies. All the venues are members of Theatre Forum, the industry body for the performing arts in Ireland.

Generator is recognised as the UK’s leading music development agency and, among other projects, it runs Mapped Out, a development programme for emerging live music promoters. Generator has set up a touring network and supports promoters with practical audience development and marketing.  Bob Allan organises Generator’s programme of advice sessions, master classes, training courses, seminars, ... Read more

Orchestras Live is a national music charity that takes professional orchestras to rural venues to enable as many people as possible to experience live world class orchestral music. Each year they work with over 60 promoter partners, ranging from professionally run arts centres to voluntary music groups presenting music in community halls and churches. Based on Orchestras ... Read more

Kroumata is a full-time chamber orchestra based in Sweden. Its mission is to perform contemporary music and promote the work of Sweden’s living composers wherever possible. This case study discusses how Kromata developed its audience and started to lead the way in contemporary classical music.

Arts Ambassadors have been used for many years for a range of promotional and marketing activities. This short guide looks at how they can be used, gives examples of how and why organisations have used them and the pros and cons involved. It also discusses two approaches: the promotion-focused approach and the audience development approach ... Read more

We may not all be in a position to offer a £10,000 prize as in the case of the example in this article from outside the arts, but this is worth a read if you are considering a voting competition.  Do you have a clear set of terms and conditions?  With the ease that social ... Read more

This short article from Promotional Marketing was first published in January 2013 and shares top-line findings from research commissioned by the British Promotional Merchandise Commission.  So if you’re not sure how effective promotional products are in comparison to other channels of customer engagement, this is worth a quick read.

This article was first published by Promotional Marketing, a website that aims to keep its readers up to date with the latest industry news, information relating to new campaigns, and features. This article stresses the importance of certain operational processes and outlines why they are key to successful promotional marketing campaigns.

The How Much? Project was an audience development scheme aimed at developing new young theatre audiences in Sheffield. This research summary discusses the findings – the changes relating to price, product and promotion.

The Judging Creative Ideas guide is aimed at arming marketing professionals with a best practice guide to assessing creative ideas from communications agencies. While the steps outlined may not be relevant to every creative idea process that you go through as arts marketers this provides some extremely useful steps to go through and aims provide some ... Read more

This Marketing Society Scotland (2013) paper outlines an award winning campaign from the National library of Scotland (NLS) and Frame.  NLS is the world’s leading centre for the study of Scotland and the Scots. In the summer of 2012, a campaign that explored the story of cinema-going in Scotland over the past 120 years attracted ... Read more

In this article Anna Rafferty explains how Penguin Books has developed a more meaningful and intimate relationship with consumers, in her case readers. She gives examples of promotions including the invitation to write a blog reviewing a Penguin Classic and the involvement of teenagers in the launch of a website to promote teen books.

After five years in the making, the National Portrait Gallery’s major exhibition of Lucian Freud Portraits took place in 2012. This major exhibition, which spanned Freud’s seventy year career, was the first to focus on his portraiture. Produced in close collaboration with the late artist, the exhibition concentrated on particular periods and groups of sitters, ... Read more

Ambient media is the term used to denote out of home advertising utilising non-traditional methods. It is often used in conjunction with more mainstream traditional media to create an event or spectacle in a public place. London Calling, in partnership with Ambient Media, were commissioned by the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) to develop a ... Read more

Following a six month closure for redevelopment, the Imperial War Museum (IWM) re-opened HMS Belfast in May 2012. The re-launch campaign was a great opportunity for the IWM to build a marketing strategy to meet the ongoing challenge to increase awareness of HMS Belfast as a must-see visitor attraction. This case study describes how this ... Read more

This guide explores how hand-crafted lettering and illustration can make your brand stand out.

February 2015: New guidance on Data Protection is coming soon and information here will be updated as soon as possible A guide designed to assist managers, box office, marketing and fundraising staff in operating procedures for dealing with customers and their data. It gives guidance on how to provide good customer service while complying with the spirit ... Read more

In the year that the Edinburgh International Festival celebrated its sixtieth birthday, this presentation discussed how an understanding of audiences contributes to the development of the Festival brand, illustrating how in 60 years it has transformed a City not known for its festivals into one that attracts millions of visitors and generates over £200 million ... Read more

This guide shows how businesses use Twitter to market themselves and their work in Manchester, one of the most active Twitter communities in the country.  With clear illustrations of what the data on usage actually means, this analysis can help you to make sure you’re staying one step ahead of your competitors when using Twitter.