Reaching Audiences

Audience Building Roundtable Workshop Livestreaming or Hybrid: What’s Right for Your Organization? December 3, 2020

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation was pleased to present the final workshop in the Audience Building Roundtable COVID-19 series. This workshop also marked the final workshop for the Audience Building Roundtable, although the website resource will remain in place. The workshop features a panel discussion about sponsorship and funding for non-traditional content, a “how to” about livestreaming and hybrid content, and how to decide on a delivery method. Panelists are:

  • Scott Williford, President, vLink Solutions

  • Chelsea Steverson, Director of Marketing & Digital Engagement, Dad’s Garage Theatre

  • Megan Schmitt King, Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships, Camp Southern Ground

    • Moderator: John Bare, Senior Vice President, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Presentations modeled on the Audience Building Roundtable’s “Essential Journey” took place throughout the workshop, with presenters discussing what’s working for their organizations (and what’s not) relative to livestreaming and hybrid approaches to delivering content to audiences. Presentations were made by the following organizations, and each of their presentations is attached here.

Audience Outlook Monitor Study Results

Arts & Culture Audience Survey Results:
May, June, September 2020 November 10, 2020

A key component of The Essential Journey of Audience Building has been capturing and utilizing data to make informed organizational decisions. The ABR has created a resource library — a knowledgebase — that contains the learning gleaned from experts in a variety of fields and from the very important peer interaction that has been the cornerstone of the ABR.

City Lights Features Atlanta Audience Study: Listen Now

WABE's City Lights featured the Audience Outlook Monitor Study on September 18. Lois Reitzes interviewed Alan Brown of WolfBrown (who leads the study,) about the results. The Blank Foundation sponsored the study in Atlanta. Twenty-one Audience Building Roundtable organizations are participating. The study examines audiences’ comfort levels about returning to theaters and other cultural venues and has been going on since May 2020 around the world.

To listen to the interview and for more information about the study:
https://www.wabe.org/blank-foundation-survey-looks-at-audiences-comfort-levels-returning-to-theaters-cultural-venues/

On the Path to Future-Proofing: Critical Trends in Audience Engagement in a Pandemic-Impacted Nation, September 10, 2020

In this workshop, IMPACTS Research discusses how the coronavirus has created major shifts in how people engage with arts and culture organizations and how the coronavirus may have impacted the visitation and engagement decisions of people for years to come. IMPACTS Research explores the economic downturn and the changes in interpersonal communication in light of social distancing. How each trend translates to different business models is discussed during the workshop.  

Some key takeaways from this workshop: “Let data light the path.” “Meet audiences where they ARE - and that is online. Younger, more diverse audiences - especially -  are online.”  “Online content consumption has increased dramatically during the time of the pandemic - in all ways.” “Take the long view - be thoughtful, not reactive. Be willing to change.”  “Focus on subscriber-members while being welcoming to younger & diverse audiences.” “$300 is the threshold at which people feel like ‘donors’/investors….”

 REFERENCES 
IMPACTS_WebinarReferences_ABR_Sept102020.pdf

Core Dance Generates New Interest from Audiences Through Old Windows

By Elizabeth Labbe-Webb, Executive Director

Core Dance is celebrating our 40th anniversary. It’s quite an accomplishment. We’ve been a fixture on the Decatur Square for more than 35 of those years. We’ve seen Decatur change and grow to be one of the most vibrant parts of the Greater Atlanta area and we’ve managed to make ourselves an undeniable part of that vibrancy. Our studio space on the square is our home, our creative center, and it’s a resource for our community because we make it available for rent to other artists and nonprofits at very, very affordable prices.

Stay top of mind during partial re-openings without losing lessons learned during the “great pause”

By Stephen Brown, President, Cookerly PR

As The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation reconvened its Audience Building Roundtable for a “COVID-19 Pivot,” I had the opportunity to talk with more than 50 arts and culture organizations in the Roundtable about ways they can stay top of mind with their audiences during a 2020 which has thrown curveballs to nearly every American institution.

The week ending June 12, 2020, the twelfth week of national arts and culture data expert Colleen Dilenschneider’s research about “intent to visit” has now intersected with societal unrest in the wake of tragedies and protests related to systemic racial injustices, capturing the attention of Americans and the world at large, with people indicating that they intend to return to their usual attendance behaviors within about three months, but with some redistribution of demand.

THE THURSDAY RETHINK: Amplifying Your Messaging Across Channels, presented by Cookerly PR, May 28, 2020

Presented by Stephen Brown, President of Cookerly PR

Download:
ABR Thursday Rethink Amplifying Your Message 5-28-20 Cookerly PR.pdf

Stephen Michael Brown, APR, is president of Cookerly Public Relations. He helps ideate for consumer and corporate campaigns, develop social media programs and strategize for all facets of integrated marketing and lead generation. Favorite recent assignments have included brand activations for nationwide clients at the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and the Academy Awards.

Stephen is in his element facilitating brainstorms and branding workshops, leading media training sessions and coaching executives for public speaking. He recently spoke at Social Media Week about the intersection of mixed reality on communications disciplines. Some of Stephen’s notable campaigns include the introduction of Coca-Cola Freestyle technology and the McCafé line of coffees to U.S. restaurants; celebrations of The Home Depot’s pioneering work in the DIY industry and InterfaceFLOR milestones in sustainability; and social media activations for Mercedes-Benz, General Mills, LexisNexis and Procter & Gamble.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina and of Leadership Atlanta, Stephen is past president and a board member of PRSA Georgia, chairman of the board for Actor’s Express and involved in advisory boards for Alliance Theatre, Serenbe Playhouse and Center for Puppetry Arts. He is a fan of theatre and movies. He resides in the creative enclave of Pinewood Forest in south Atlanta.

THE THURSDAY RETHINK: Building Your New Information Infrastructure, presented by Cookerly PR, May 21, 2020

Presented by Stephen Brown, President of Cookerly PR

Download:
ABR Thursday Rethink Session Building Your New Information Infrastructure CookerlyPR 5-21-20.pdf

Stephen Michael Brown, APR, is president of Cookerly Public Relations. He helps ideate for consumer and corporate campaigns, develop social media programs and strategize for all facets of integrated marketing and lead generation. Favorite recent assignments have included brand activations for nationwide clients at the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and the Academy Awards.

Stephen is in his element facilitating brainstorms and branding workshops, leading media training sessions and coaching executives for public speaking. He recently spoke at Social Media Week about the intersection of mixed reality on communications disciplines. Some of Stephen’s notable campaigns include the introduction of Coca-Cola Freestyle technology and the McCafé line of coffees to U.S. restaurants; celebrations of The Home Depot’s pioneering work in the DIY industry and InterfaceFLOR milestones in sustainability; and social media activations for Mercedes-Benz, General Mills, LexisNexis and Procter & Gamble.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina and of Leadership Atlanta, Stephen is past president and a board member of PRSA Georgia, chairman of the board for Actor’s Express and involved in advisory boards for Alliance Theatre, Serenbe Playhouse and Center for Puppetry Arts. He is a fan of theatre and movies. He resides in the creative enclave of Pinewood Forest in south Atlanta.

Out of Hand Builds Community - & Audience - Thru Equitable Dinners, Now Virtually

From IAMO4W to Equitable Dinners:
Out of Hand’s Unexpected Journey of Audience Building

By Ariel Fristoe, Artistic Director, Out of Hand Theater

I want to share something extraordinary and unexpected that came out of Out of Hand Theater’s audience building journey. Out of Hand works at the intersection of art, social justice, and civic engagement. We spark conversations to build a better world by using the tools of theater to support and enhance the work of community partners. Through the generosity of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, we have taken several steps on our audience building journey, starting with our neighborhood, Old Fourth Ward.

THE THURSDAY RETHINK: Gathering The Grassroots To Reach Your Audiences; Leveraging Social Channels, presented by Cookerly PR, May 14, 2020

Presented by Stephen Brown, President of Cookerly PR

Download:
ABR 5-14-20 Thursday Rethink Session Two_Download-Edition.pdf
May 14 ABR questions.pdf
Survey results from May 14.pdf

Stephen Michael Brown, APR, is president of Cookerly Public Relations. He helps ideate for consumer and corporate campaigns, develop social media programs and strategize for all facets of integrated marketing and lead generation. Favorite recent assignments have included brand activations for nationwide clients at the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and the Academy Awards.

Stephen is in his element facilitating brainstorms and branding workshops, leading media training sessions and coaching executives for public speaking. He recently spoke at Social Media Week about the intersection of mixed reality on communications disciplines. Some of Stephen’s notable campaigns include the introduction of Coca-Cola Freestyle technology and the McCafé line of coffees to U.S. restaurants; celebrations of The Home Depot’s pioneering work in the DIY industry and InterfaceFLOR milestones in sustainability; and social media activations for Mercedes-Benz, General Mills, LexisNexis and Procter & Gamble.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina and of Leadership Atlanta, Stephen is past president and a board member of PRSA Georgia, chairman of the board for Actor’s Express and involved in advisory boards for Alliance Theatre, Serenbe Playhouse and Center for Puppetry Arts. He is a fan of theatre and movies. He resides in the creative enclave of Pinewood Forest in south Atlanta.

THE THURSDAY RETHINK: How To Get The Media To Talk About You Again, presented by Cookerly PR, May 7, 2020

Presented by Stephen Brown, President of Cookerly PR

Download: Thursday ReThink Session One How To Get the Media to Talk About You Again 5-7-20.pdf

Stephen Michael Brown, APR, is president of Cookerly Public Relations. He helps ideate for consumer and corporate campaigns, develop social media programs and strategize for all facets of integrated marketing and lead generation. Favorite recent assignments have included brand activations for nationwide clients at the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and the Academy Awards.

Stephen is in his element facilitating brainstorms and branding workshops, leading media training sessions and coaching executives for public speaking. He recently spoke at Social Media Week about the intersection of mixed reality on communications disciplines. Some of Stephen’s notable campaigns include the introduction of Coca-Cola Freestyle technology and the McCafé line of coffees to U.S. restaurants; celebrations of The Home Depot’s pioneering work in the DIY industry and InterfaceFLOR milestones in sustainability; and social media activations for Mercedes-Benz, General Mills, LexisNexis and Procter & Gamble.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina and of Leadership Atlanta, Stephen is past president and a board member of PRSA Georgia, chairman of the board for Actor’s Express and involved in advisory boards for Alliance Theatre, Serenbe Playhouse and Center for Puppetry Arts. He is a fan of theatre and movies. He resides in the creative enclave of Pinewood Forest in south Atlanta.

The Alliance Theatre’s Year of Bold Experimentation: A Case Study

Following a $32-million renovation, the Alliance Theatre opened the Coca-Cola Stage this past January. Even as construction was being completed during the 2017–2018 season, the show had to go on, and leadership at the Alliance made the untested (and rather bold) move to produce 12 shows in different locations around Atlanta, selecting venues that complemented themes of the work being produced. The hope was that they could meet Atlantans where they lived and bring them back to the newly renovated stage once it opened. 

Race, Equity & Advocacy in the Arts: Attracting Diverse Audiences

By Adam Fristoe, Out of Hand Theater

Thanks to a scholarship provided by the Arthur Blank Family Foundation’s Audience Building Roundtable, Out of Hand Theater’s Co-Artistic and Marketing Director Adam Fristoe was able to attend the 2018 National Arts Marketing Conference in Seattle, Washington.

Over the past five years, Out of Hand has focused our work toward social justice, civic engagement and community building in Metro Atlanta. In Seattle, Washington, both the city and King County have policies in place that make a commitment to equity, in particular to racial equity, including taking into account historical inequities. In Seattle, I was specifically looking for guidance and best practices in implementing such a commitment at Out of Hand, as well as for strategies to advance advocacy for these policies in Atlanta.

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