Be Ready to Respond
Evidence-backed tips and tactics for sustaining audience engagement
Audience behaviours are changing in response to recent outbreaks. Some are eager to make plans, some are more cautious, while others are opting to wait until the uncertainty clears.
For all events, we should anticipate last minute-decisions and changes to tickets. Now is the time to strengthen our capacity to be responsive and nimble, plan creative contingencies and ensure our marketing strategies are fit for purpose. Tips and tactics inlude:
Be strategic about marketing spend – and anticipate last minute decisions by focussing your marketing spend to peak two weeks from your event. During lockdown periods, audiences may be likely to book well-ahead – so pre-sales could perform well.
Audiences are looking to support local acts – for both pragmatic and altruistic reasons – so take this opportunity to invest in homegrown talent. Booking local can be a good way to minimise your risk while supporting artists in your area. Additionally, it may make it easier for them to access support in the event of cancellations.
Examine ways to continue improving the quality, timing and clarity of your communications. Audiences report that transparent reschedule/refund policies, short response times and good customer service experiences are giving them the confidence to keep booking.
If your event is affected by lockdowns or changing restrictions, reach out to your ticketholders as soon as it’s announced. Even if you don’t have all the answers, audiences feel reassured if you make it clear that you’re ‘onto it’.
In larger organisations, ensure that knowledge-sharing mechanisms are stronger than ever, so marketing, ticketing, front-of-house and executives are aware of the questions audiences are asking and how to best manage difficult situations.
Look at investing in technology solutions to build your capacity for the long-term, for example embedding ticket exchange functionality into your booking platform.
The facts
In early July, 76% of audiences saw events cancelled or changed due to lockdowns/restrictions. Most elected to reschedule (58%), with some requesting a refund (29%) – and a small number reported qualitatively that they are still out-of-pocket.
Audience members express sympathy and support for artists and presenters, though some find cancellations disappointing and difficult. Tensions may be running high at times — and future decisions may be made cautiously, though after lockdown many affected audiences are eager to make plans.
Qualitative audience data shows that clear communication about cancellations and refund policies is highly valued – and has the power to turn a challenging situation into a positive experience.
As outbreaks grew around the country in July, audiences appeared to be looking slightly further ahead to book tickets. Whereas in March many audiences were booking in the week or fortnight leading up to an event. In July, audiences were slightly more likely to book for the next month or even further ahead.
Audience members reported different strategies for dealing with uncertainty, with some suggesting they would make last-minute decisions. Others suggested that local events would be their preference as they involve a lower level of risk.
Head to the study’s homepage to access more detailed Fact Sheets about these groups at the national level.
Key perspectives
“I’m an artist myself - stuck in a loop of wanting to see shows, but not wanting to risk being a close contact and having to quarantine and miss my own shows.”
“We hired 90% Victorian artists to be on the safe side.”
“Connecting with local audiences by presenting the work of local artists through both digital and in-person experiences has been the biggest success for our Gallery. It has given the Gallery a unique drawcard amongst regional galleries, whilst encouraging our community to celebrate born and bred locals, creating a very strong sense of town pride.”
“We had a really robust customer service team handling refunds when RISING cancelled, and open shared channels on Slack where we fielded new customer questions, so everyone (customer service and marketing/comms) was across the same answers.”
“Having ticket exchange functionality available on our website has really saved us to be honest. Makes the load much more manageable.”
“‘Technical issues (whilst unavoidable) have been greeted far more angrily, and FOH have found any ticketing issues result in much more aggressive patrons than usual”
