Across the industry, performing arts organizations are reporting a decline in subscriptions numbers and revenues since reopening their doors post pandemic. The 2022-23 season in North America – and the 2023 season in Australia – is certainly seeing some uptick in both renewing and new subscribers, but the trends seem to indicate that the numbers may not return to pre-pandemic levels.  Over the last couple of years we’ve been advising clients on how to respond to the trends, and have been recommending experimenting with new models and approaches

It is worth focusing marketing effort and budget on understanding new audiences and crafting campaigns that speak to those people who are reevaluating their priorities in our post-pandemic reality. These audiences could provide the roadmap to recovery for our industry as we emerge from the difficulty of the past two years.

We’ve seen our colleagues and clients tackle enormous challenges over this period and make enormous organizational changes. If some of these new ways of working and interacting with audiences “stick” we believe that they will not only make huge impact for individual organizations but also help our industry meet our audiences where they are and return stronger than before.

Transformation doesn’t occur through a new logo, a new piece of technology, or one new hire. These are parts of a system that move together, and this is a time for forward movement.

Over the past year, arts marketing as a discipline has weathered as many changes as the industry we support. From the work that we do, to the roles that we occupy within organizations, and the ways that we relate to one another—everything is in the process of evolution right now.

For arts marketers, our traditional objectives or KPIs have been tied to visitation or to ‘butts on seats’, and all of the related metrics such as frequency, recency and value. When our venues are shuttered this season and possibly next, what can we measure and what objectives can we set for ourselves with this data?

Our President Tom O'Connor and a panel of colleagues recently shared their thoughts on the state of the arts in 2020 on the latest episode of the Capacity Interactive - Digital Marketing Consulting for the Arts CI to Eye podcast.

There’s been much made of the fact that this time is giving our earth a moment of rest and regeneration. And it seems that it’s a moment for us to do that too. If we can lift our heads above the day to day struggle to adjust, we might be able to accept that this time we’ve been given as a gift. A gift that allows us time to stop, reflect, rethink and retool.

Our entire world is in the midst of a profound traumatic experience. A return to any semblance of normalcy (and relevance) for the arts and culture fields will require facing and integrating that trauma head-on.

In the span of a month, the definition of what the marketing team does at this organization has completely changed. Sound familiar? When the whole system transforms on us in an instant, it takes a moment to step back and see the path forward. We can’t always do this on our own.

For the past two months, in every conversation I’ve had with industry colleagues, their primary focus has been on delivering a digital program while their venues or events are shuttered. The question is: what happens when the web becomes your venue, and the only place that your organization currently operates?