If you need Mom's attention, get in line

New whitepaper out from Advertising Age titled "The New Female Consumer: The Rise of the Real Mom". Puts a nice little dent in any idea that we've achieved gender equity. Lots of facts to ponder, from pay inequities to household duties.

If women are the primary decision maker in your audiences, which is true for most arts organizations, the report is well worth a read. I've included one table from the report (above) to whet your appetite. Now if you'll excuse me, it looks like I need to stop writing and start pulling my weight on the laundry.

Say...That's not a bad idea

There was a victory for the arts last week in Toronto, sort of. For a few years now local arts organizations have been pushing for a tax on billboards, with the money to be designated to go back into beautification projects and the arts.

Apparently the idea was a little too good.

On December 7th councilmen voted to approve the tax, all except the benefitting the arts part. Seems city government will place the over $10 million in taxes into the general fund. With budget short falls being what they are this year, I suspect we all know that money won't be going to arts groups anytime soon.

To read the full story check it out in the Toronto Sun here.

Technology in the Arts

This evening I had the opportunity to go to dinner with some very interesting and passionate arts marketers from across the country.

One member of the group was Corwin  Christie, the primary author of a blog you should read if you haven't run across it before.  Technology in the Arts consistently has good, new information on the use of technology, from mobile to the web, in the marketing of arts organizations.

Check out Corwin's thoughts at technologyinthearts.org

NAMP Conference

Opening day was really great here in Providence.  Lost of marketers interested in finding new ideas to take back to their offices and put into use.

The openings session with David Court of McKinsey was very interesting.  They've done a lot to measure the effectiveness of various media  on consumers.  One of the most important charts he showed was on the way mass media diminishes in effectiveness for those that aren't familiar with a brand.  

If you haven't worked your way into their consciousness before they need your product, Court says you have to rely on having a great web presence because the consumer is in the driver's seat once they start searching for info to make a decision.  They'll look online and make up their own minds at that point and it's too late for your mass media messages to have an effect.

I'm waiting to see his presentation again on the NAMP website this coming week so I can digest more of his message.  I'll share thoughts of my own when I have.

Plus more to come from Rhode Island in upcoming posts.

Providence

Arrived in Rhode Island today in preparation for the opening of the NAMP conference tomorrow.

Providence is a wonderful choice as host for the conference.  The commitment to promoting the arts shows everywhere here.  There is a reason they bill themselves as the creative capital.

One of the biggest draws downtown is the restored Providence Performing Arts Center.  Had a chance to get my first tour of PPAC and to grab lunch with marketing director Lynn Singleton today.  If you are in Providence it's worth your time to see the remarkable old theatre that originally opened in 1928.  

Tomorrow the Collaboraction conference starts and I'm really looking forward to a number of the sessions.  A panel of Massachusetts arts groups presents on Collaborative Cultural Tourism in what should be a great afternoon session for the first day.  Then the Museum of Art at Rhode Island School of Design hosts our reception tomorrow evening.

More thoughts from RI throughout the weekend.

North Carolina Central University

The last three weeks we've been designing and preparing to install new materials at the North Carolina Central University Art Museum in Durham.  NCCU has recently committed to significant upgrades in the museum's branding.  The new graphics are coordinated for the opening of "Homecoming", an exhibition of works by Central grad, and Durham native, Ernie Barnes.

I'll share some additional pieces from their new graphics package in the next few weeks.  The exhibition opens this weekend on the Central campus.

Collaboraction!

I'm getting very excited about attending the National Arts Marketing Project annual conference next week in Providence.  As I've mentioned here Wendy Livingston and I will be presenting a case study on how they've reduced their collateral budget at the Nasher Museum of Art over the last year.  Wendy's eliminated almost 50% of printing costs without losing impact and I think it's going to be an interesting discussion.

The rest of the lineup for the conference is really tremendous as well, including speakers like Arthur Cohen, futurist David McIntosh and John Maeda, President of the Rhode Island School of Design.

Check out the full schedule here.