For years, arts marketing has been built around reach. Larger email lists. Broader audience segments. Wider geographic targeting. More campaigns designed to put the same
Category: Program Book
In many organizations, decisions about program books are not made explicitly. They evolve over time, shaped by experience, internal preference, and a series of assumptions
There is a moment in many program book conversations where the same assumption surfaces: “We have to print program books anyway.” In many cases—especially with
Collaboration is a core part of how arts organizations operate. Program books, in particular, bring together multiple perspectives—marketing, development, artistic, and leadership. In many cases,
Program book season should get easier over time. You’ve done it before. The structure is familiar. The components don’t change much from year to year.
Arts organizations are not short on data. They have ticketing reports, campaign metrics, donation summaries, and attendance trends. In many cases, they have more data
Ticket sales tell you who showed up. They do not tell you what mattered. A core insight from McKinsey’s research on arts institutions is that
Arts organizations don’t suffer from a lack of passion. They don’t lack creativity. They don’t lack commitment. What many lack is confidence with data. A
For many performing arts organizations, program books have quietly become a second job. What once felt like a contained production task now spans months of
Outsourcing program books isn’t new. What is new is why organizations are doing it. This shift isn’t about cutting corners or offloading creative work. It’s