Heather Meza presents creative strategies for boosting audience attendance, focusing on five key principles of audience building, including the need for strategic alignment and an experimental mindset. The document outlines methods for engaging diverse demographics through storytelling and experiential marketing, highlighting examples of successful campaigns. Ultimately, it encourages organizations to take risks and foster deeper connections with their audiences.

1. CREATIVE WAYS TO BOOST
ATTENDANCE
HEATHER MEZA| AUGUST 2016

2. 2
Over 25 years marketing experience
with a passion for helping marketers
connect with their audiences
Licensed cosmetologist that can’t
keep her hands off her own hair
Gen-Xer with a Generation Alpha son
HEATHER
MEZA
VP of Marketing
at Vendini
@HeatherMeza
WHO AM I?

3. SESSION TOPICS
EXPANDING DEMOGRAPHICS
STORYTELLING
EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

4. BUT FIRST…

5. 5
Principles of Creative
Audience Building
Continuous Alignment
– With your mission, resources and target audiences
– Be strategic, be inclusive, be thoughtful
Experimentation Mindset
– Test, measure, learn, optimize, repeat
– Be flexible, be surprising, be brave

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Building Audiences
for the Arts
1. Recognize when change is needed
2. Identify the target audience that fits
3. Determine which barriers to remove
4. Take out the guesswork
5. Think through the relationship
6. Provide multiple ways in
7. Align the organization around the strategy
8. Build in learning
9. Prepare for success SOURCE: THE WALLACE FOUNDATION

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SOURCE:NATIONALENDOWMENTFORTHEARTS|ARTWORKS
YOUR MISSION:
Build bridges &
destroy barriers
to connect
people through
experiences

8. EXPANDING YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS

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Please stand up if…

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6 Generations & Growing
Traditionalists pre 1945
Baby Boomers 1946−1964
Generation X 1965−1980
Millennials / Gen Y 1981−1995
Generation Z 1996−2009
Generation Alpha post 2010
52−70
36−51
21−35
7−21
0−6
71+

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“A generation is a group of people
born around the same time and
raised around the same place.
People in this “birth cohort” exhibit
similar characteristics, preferences,
and values over their lifetimes.”
~ Center for Generational Kinetics
What’s a
generation really?

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Youth-focused content with younger cast
20 seats 1/2 off after 6pm every show day
EXAMPLE:
Ivoryton
Playhouse

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EXAMPLE:
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Created fake Tinder profiles with
graphics from Rossini’s La
Cenerentola, aka “Cinderella”
Live streamed excerpts from
outdoor performances on
Periscope
Offered patrons photo ops with
giant Instagram cut-outs

14. EXAMPLE:
Kaaboo Del Mar
Festival
“Amplify” VIP Program
Tailored to folks who want to indulge
in something extra special
Concierge Service
14

15. STORYTELLING

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Why is it so
important?
Creates empathy
Provides intrigue & curiosity
Introduces different perspectives

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The Pixar
Approach
Once upon a time there was ______.
Every day, ______. One day ______.
Because of that, ______. Because of
that, ______. Until finally ______.
RECOMMENDED
VIEWING:
Andrew Stanton
“Clues to a
great story.”

18. Joseph
Campbell
Approach
18

19. A Marketer’s
Framework
19

20. Examples of behind the scenes stories
to lure audiences:
– Venue ghost stories and
historical legacies
– Artist biographies
– Production trials,
tribulations and triumphs
Don’t be afraid to pull
back the curtain
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21. EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

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Experiential Marketing
Pulls people in digitally or
physically
Gets people to participate
and “play” with your brand
PURPOSE: “Create a closer bond between
the consumer and the brand by immersing
them in a fun and memorable experience”
~ David Moth, Econsultancy

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Surprising and ingenious “Big Idea”
with a unified theme
Creative use of old & new tech &
channels
Integrated on & offline strategy
EXAMPLE:
Quebec City
Magic Festival

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It Must Be:
Immersive
– Inspires individual interaction
Fun
– Creates sharable moments
Memorable
– Creates emotional connections
Connected
– Drives engagement goals

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SOURCE:
ECONSULTANCY.COMFrame Your Approach

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In Summary
Determine motivation for and target
specific benefits of expanding your
audiences
- Exposure, revenue, programming, etc
Start with one new approach and test it
- Expanding your demographics, adventures in
storytelling, or experiential marketing
Be Strategic. Be Brave. Be Awesome!

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Multi-sensory experiential events
- https://econsultancy.com/blog/66282-multi-sensory-experiential-
events-harnessing-the-science-behind-it/
Arts Organizations Thriving on Social Media
- http://blog.americansforthearts.org/2015/10/27/arts-organizations-
thriving-on-social-media-an-in-depth-look-at-3-stunning-campaigns
Why ticketing free events is worth it
- http://vendini.com/blog/2016/03/blog201603blog201603ticketing-
free-events/
When the going gets tough
- https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/when-going-gets-tough-
revised2.pdf
Resources

28. THANKS!
HEATHER MEZA
VP OF MARKETING
HMEZA@VENDINI.COM
@HeatherMeza