Season 2 Episode 6: Marketing the Arts in Uncertain Times

Written By Patternmakers

The pandemic has accelerated a range of marketing and social trends - and created plenty of new challenges, like last-minute decision making.

In the latest episode of Theory of Creativity we speak with, Amy Maiden, managing partner of Anthem, to discuss Marketing the Arts in Uncertain Times.

We explore the rise in digital marketing, brand marketing vs selling, and the importance of focusing on the whole experience for the audience.
 
Amy talks in detail about utilising social media to effectively market productions and events by telling a story. Content is king and sometimes social media isn’t the best place for direct sells. 

Amy is embracing this time to test, learn and try new things and she has plenty of wisdom to share. We hope you enjoy it!

Image description: A black and white photo of Amy smiling at the camera with long dark hair flowing over her shoulder. The episode title “Marketing the Arts in Uncertain Times” is displayed next to the photo of Amy.

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In this episode, we are discussing marketing the Arts in uncertain times. Amy talks about the significant shifts that have occurred in sales patterns, how this has affected the planning and preparation of events, and how she teaches her own team to remain responsive and not to panic. 

We explore the current trends in marketing, the rise in digital marketing and the importance of focusing on the whole experience and feel for the audience. People will remember how they were made to feel and it’s vital for the brand that they’re driven to return in the future or purchase subscriptions.

Amy talks in detail about utilising social media to effectively market productions and events by telling a story. Content is king and the audience will shy away if they’re hit with a direct sell. 

In order to emerge out of these unpredictable and difficult pandemic times with a strong Arts sector, Amy shares how everyone must embrace each opportunity to test, learn and try new things.


Key points

[1:12]: Amy and I met through The Australia’s Council Art Leaders Program. Amy was one of the first people I invited to appear on the podcast in Season 1 but the episode was never published due to a technical issue! 

[2:47]: Marketing is a critical part of the Arts industry but often has a dirty name. 

[3:16]: Amy talks about how her passion is centred around the audience. Her company, Anthem, are the biggest arts and live entertainment culture advertising specialists in Australia. They work with a very wide variety of productions and Arts and culture events. 

[6:56]: Amy discusses the big shift in sales patterns. How and when people are buying tickets has completely changed. 

[9:29]: Nobody can think about buying a ticket if they’re going to a supermarket and the shelves are empty and they can’t get the test they need to operate in the community. 

[11:43]: Amy has frequent conversations with her team about planning on being responsive and not being panicked. 

[13:31]: It’s important to be really clear on boundaries. The Arts are a passion-led industry but are often ripe for burn-out because people will continue working long hours for little pay. 

[15:16]: Amy talks about current trends in marketing. There is a place for traditional media but it is vital to be in the digital space. There’s been a huge rise in audio advertising (such as podcasts). 

[18:09]: Specificity allows for personalisation and feels less like an ad. 

[20:40]: You have to look after your current audiences, people remember how you made them feel. You’ll have a higher return of investment if you focus on your core audience and the next adjacent audience. 

[23:21]: Brand is very important because people can have trust in the brand and not necessarily the production. 

[25:00]: Multi message marketing is utilised when you’re giving your audience several reasons as to why they should buy a ticket. 

[26:14]: Amy measures success with her current clients via the sales KPIs. 

[27:39]: People underestimate the power of content and socials. Storytelling is at the heart of your marketing campaign. 

[30:11]: Tailor your content to your audience. Definitely check out Six the Musical. The social media following on this show globally is next level, have a look at their channels!

[33:15]: Your content shouldn’t all be about sales. 

[34:52]: To build a strong sector post-pandemic we must embrace the opportunity to test, learn and try new things. 

[36:34]: Links to Amy and resources she recommends. 

[37:48]: My top takeaways: #1 Sales trends are likely to fluctuate dramatically this year. #2 Digital marketing makes up 90% of many marketing budgets. #3 Selling tickets and marketing a brand are two different things. #4 Content is king and to succeed on socials we should be telling stories rather than selling. #5 Audiences are looking to be uplifted. #6 The opportunity now is to throw out what is not working and try new things. 

[39:10]: Most clicked resource in The Culture Insight Innovation Update was a report by Creative Partnerships Australia: Beyond Sponsorship (see link below).


Links

Resources mentioned: 

Supported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focussed on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience. 

CONNECT:

Connect with Tandi Palmer Williams:

Visit the website of research agency Patternmakers: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/


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Season 2 Episode 7: Learning from Culture in Crisis with Ben Walmsley
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Season 2 Episode 5: Cultivating Wellbeing in the Arts with Tracy Margieson