Marketing and programming are inseparable

I was at a meeting with a Business Volunteers for the Arts client the other day and the discussion turned from marketing to, well, a lot of other things. Pricing of offerings, increasing audience reach and earned income, service to artists vs to the general public, what the mission of the organization is or should be — our discussion ranged far and wide. While bandying these ideas about did not necessarily address our meeting objectives directly, the experience underscored how deeply mission and marketing (and let’s not forget fundraising) can and should be intertwined. It’s all of a piece. The challenge is to focus on one piece at a time while keeping the larger context in mind.

Inspired and concerned — in one day

I had a long blog break recently while I attended the Duke University Nonprofit Management Intensive Program, a week-long immersion into all things nonprofit management. My 30-plus class peers came from the arts, environment, education and human services sectors in North Carolina and beyond — and what a passionate and inspiring group they were! I returned feeling very excited about things like the “strategy canvas” and “performance mapping,” the meaning of “debit” and “credit” and many other essential concepts. But reading this week’s news headlines has been a real downer. There’s nothing like a major Wall St. meltdown to underscore the importance of beefing up one’s management skills. The next several years will no doubt challenge every arts development and management professional to maintain financial stability. On the up side, there’s significant evidence that, when the going gets tough, the tough head to the theater or auditorium to recall the possibilities of transformation. Despite its gloomy headline, “Arts Groups Fret the Woes of Big Donors” from today’s Washington Post will cheer you right up if you read the entire article.

Who are your brand ambassadors?

I’ve just returned from another fabulous vacation (this one involving sea kayaking in the Apostle Islands National Seashore on Lake Superior). Catching up on my readin’ and writin’, I came across an article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy about Carol Weisman, a St. Louis board consultant. To recruit new board members for one of her clients, she asked her manicurist to wear a lapel pin stating “Ask me how I can stop child sexual abuse.” That manicurist and others in the shop agreed to wear the pins, which prompted so many questions from the salon’s influential clientele that Weisman’s client attracted 17 new board members. This was a brilliant and very simple idea, and I wonder how it might be applied in other situations. I’m envisioning a pin or t-shirt that asks an interesting question or makes a provocative statement that prompts questions, and possibly engagement with potential arts patrons, donors or board members. Hmmmm.