Thriving in a downturn

Ad Age did an article this month called Five Tips to Cope - or Even Thrive- Through Downturn.  It's a reminder that some of the most successful marekting ideas were born during hard economic times:

- American Airlines created a short-term loyalty promotion in 1982 called AAdvantage, the precursor to today's ubiquitous frequent-flyer programs.

- With new car sales lagging in 1975, General Motors capitalized on the desire to keep current vehicles running by introducing Mr. Goodwrench to push parts and service.

One very interesting trend discussed in the article was going upscale in the down market. While general spending goes down consumers still like to splurge in small areas.  How else to explain the successful launch of a premium cat food, Fancy Feast, in 1980.  Or Calvin Klein's 1982 launch of designer underwear for three times the cost of a generic brand.

What sorts of small splurges can you offer your guests?

Maybe a private docent tours for individuals or champagne and strawberries in a VIP area before the show for premium seat holders.  

When fewer dollars are spent on attending events our customers want those events to be memorable.  It's a good time to ask yourself the question, "What can we do to meet that desire?"

Social Marketing

Social media outlets are certainly hot topics for marketers these days.  Just at our agency we're creating social networks ranging from a Facebook page for a South Carolina hospital to a Ning community for truck drivers sponsored by Volvo Trucks. 

As a marketing tool we're all learning what seems to be right for our particular market as we go.

I found the Christmas day New York Times piece  on how Broadway is using social marketing very interesting.  Even bigger shows like Shrek are moving slowly as they figure out how they want to use web 2.0.  Check out the article here.

Dashboard through the snow

Sorry for the headline.  It's the holidays and it was hard to resist.  

I was looking at various reports on attendance numbers this year and ran across the Indianapolis Museum of Art's performance dashboard featuring their 2007 data.  In a glance they've given access to tons of metrics;  new memberships to volunteer hours, works of art loaned to Facebook fans.

Most of us have seen or used dashboards for our marketing efforts at some point, but I rarely see them open for public review.  Not sure if they'll be using the tool for reporting on 2008, but if I get an update I'll pass it along.

Here's the link: http://dashboard.imamuseum.org.

What can you learn from Hollywood?

I'm always interested in seeing how Hollywood markets their product.  I was reminded of that again this weekend when I saw the seven billionth commercial for Tom Cruise's film "Valkyrie". 

I've been hearing about this film for so long that I would have sworn it was out on video already. Yet when I saw the spot again today the graphics flashed "opening this week".  Hollywood believes in building anticipation.  They know great buzz before the opening goes a long way to ensuring box office success.

It's not just in big bold advertising campaigns either.  It occurs in more subtle ways.  An NPR report a few years back discussed how Universal funded dinosaur digs just so they'd be able to announce a new find each time the latest iteration of Jurassic Park was released.  They obviously left no stone, or bone, unturned in finding publicity for their film.

Whether it's a one-day concert, a five-day broadway touring run or a four-month exhibition, look for your own opportunities to build excitement before the opening.  

If John Legend is coming to your venue the week before the inauguration, remind a local reporter how much work he did on the election trail for the Obama campaign.  When you bring in German artists' work from the post-cold war period, find German ex-pats that have relocated and can talk about the effect that period had on their lives.  

Unless you have a Hollywood ad budget (and even if you do), spend some time in advance and find connections you can talk about with the media.

Do it and watch the anticipation build.  

Congratulations to the Nasher Museum

For over a year now our agency has worked with a tremendous group of people at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.  This month the Nasher received more national accolades. Their fall exhibition, "El Greco to Velazquez: Art During the Reign of Philip II", ranked third on Time's Top 10 Museum Exhibits.  It's an amazing accomplishment for director Kim Rorshach, curator Sarah Schroth and the entire museum staff.  They put in tireless hours to bring the show to North Carolina.  

Read more of Time's review of the show.

You can also view the exhibition website here.

Some samples of the advertising campaign that Jennings developed are posted on our site in the Showtime section.  I hope to announce more recognition for the show soon as the El Greco TV ad  is up for a number of awards in the category of original music.

Audiences want to get away

I personally believe that during an economic downturn, there is a real desire for some escapism through entertainment.  A recent story out of Pittsburgh says that many museums and theatres there are continuing to have success despite the current economy.

No doubt that having blockbusters on the schedule can make ticket sales easier in 2009, but smaller shows and exhibitions can benefit from audiences' desire to get away from stock market headlines and employment reports, if we position those offerings properly.

Read the article here.

Those that ignore history...

Tough economic times.  Falling visitor counts.  Sound familiar?

Thomas Aageson was the VP of marketing and merchandising at Mystic Seaport in the late 80's.  And they were facing some of the same hurdles we all are facing today at museums and theatres around the country.  

How did they address the issue? They went back to basics.  They started with some street-level market research that assessed the current environment, created a strategic plan and developed advertising and promotional efforts that were based on the plan.

His excellent account of their efforts is here on the American Association of Museums website.

If you haven't looked at your strategic marketing plan in the last few months, go back and check your assumptions about the market to see if they still hold true.  As the Mystic Seaport example shows us, it's not a new idea, but it's a good one.

Plan ahead for the long post-holiday weekend

If you're weathering the economic storm but would like to see a little more sales activity around the holiday, you aren't alone. I've been re-reading articles on holiday marketing recently, just to make sure we don't miss any tricks. I was reminded that the calendar is creating an opportunity for museums and theatres to end their year on a strong note.

With Christmas on a Thursday this year, lots of people have scheduled extra days off between the 25th and New Year's. But 72 straight hours with kids and visiting family can make any home seem small. After the wrapping paper is cleared out, most people will be looking for something to do. Museums are always great options for getting children and relatives out of the house. And your facility becomes even more attractive when the weather outside is frightful. You may even want to offer a special price on warm drinks in your cafe those days, just to round out the invitation

If your theatre is holding matinees that weekend, those also can be lower-cost impulse decisions that provide a change of scenery after days of holiday festivities at home.

Spend time over the next two weeks pitching the story with your local media. If you want local TV and radio morning shows on Friday the 26th talking about options for getting out of the house, you'll have to work a few days further ahead than normal. They'll likely be short staffed during the holiday week so anything you can do to provide them with interviews and information prior to that will increase your chances of coverage. Newspapers will also have been working skeleton crews that week (especially Christmas Eve and Chritmas Day), so talk with reporters early so they can sell the idea to their editors and work the story before the holiday starts.

Remember that people will do the majority of planning for the days leading up to Christmas. This year make sure you're the answer to the post-holiday question "What can we do today?"