Knowing our audience or who we would like to target as an audience is universal no matter the product. Art is no different.
"If you build it they will come," does not work in marketing, especially of the arts. Just because we make art does not mean we will find an audience who appreciates it. Understand I am not addressing making art for arts sake or because of what we personally gain from doing so.
I am talking about the professional artist as well as the art venue.
The 5 -p's of marketing the arts are the following:
People: Who is your current audience and your potential audience?
Product: The product is important but the packaging / environment is critical as well.
Place: Can constituents reach you easily? What will be their experience once they get there? Is your place accessible to all?
Price: Obviously, art work needs to have a price associated with it. We must also consider the cost associate with going to an event, art exhibit, etc., even if the event is free. For example, if someone has to arrange for a babysitter or a dog walker in addition to travel costs.
Promotion: Based on the other 4
I will only address one of the 5-p's -- PLACE.
We must create experience-rich environments in which our audience can not only 'see' our art but can experience it. Experience rich environments does not mean the environments are designed for sensory overload. Rather experience-rich means an environment that appeals to all of our senses. By ‘environments’ I mean places. Places can be indoors, out of doors, on the phone and as we all know, they can be online or virtual. Places that appeal to our senses appeal to us – we are attracted to them.
As an example – our local Safeway store in has always been a place to go to make purchases. They have a little bit of everything. Safeway just completed a remodel. The project included the addition of a Starbucks kiosk.
Safeway used to have 3 deli tables located near the deli. People would sometimes look for the price tag on the chairs because the location was awkward, dark and unappealing. Now the table and chairs are located between the Starbucks kiosk and the deli right inside the entry. Everyone seems to be thrilled by the small seating area and it has become a place for people to be. Safeway suddenly has an appealing sense of place it never had before. Why? In part because people have better access to comfort. There is greater appeal to their senses by providing a safe place of rest near the aroma of Starbucks Coffee where the lighting is more natural than artificial.
Creating a place that appeals to all of our senses creates an environment that is appealing, keeps customers and patrons in the environment longer, and makes them comfortable.
How often do you purchase from a place where you are comfortable? How often do you return?
Slide 4
"If you build it they will come," does not work in marketing, especially of the arts. Just because we make art does not mean we will find an audience who appreciates it. Understand I am not addressing making art for arts sake or because of what we personally gain from doing so.
I am talking about the professional artist as well as the art venue.
The 5 -p's of marketing the arts are the following:
People: Who is your current audience and your potential audience?
Product: The product is important but the packaging / environment is critical as well.
Place: Can constituents reach you easily? What will be their experience once they get there? Is your place accessible to all?
Price: Obviously, art work needs to have a price associated with it. We must also consider the cost associate with going to an event, art exhibit, etc., even if the event is free. For example, if someone has to arrange for a babysitter or a dog walker in addition to travel costs.
Promotion: Based on the other 4
I will only address one of the 5-p's -- PLACE.
We must create experience-rich environments in which our audience can not only 'see' our art but can experience it. Experience rich environments does not mean the environments are designed for sensory overload. Rather experience-rich means an environment that appeals to all of our senses. By ‘environments’ I mean places. Places can be indoors, out of doors, on the phone and as we all know, they can be online or virtual. Places that appeal to our senses appeal to us – we are attracted to them.
As an example – our local Safeway store in has always been a place to go to make purchases. They have a little bit of everything. Safeway just completed a remodel. The project included the addition of a Starbucks kiosk.
Safeway used to have 3 deli tables located near the deli. People would sometimes look for the price tag on the chairs because the location was awkward, dark and unappealing. Now the table and chairs are located between the Starbucks kiosk and the deli right inside the entry. Everyone seems to be thrilled by the small seating area and it has become a place for people to be. Safeway suddenly has an appealing sense of place it never had before. Why? In part because people have better access to comfort. There is greater appeal to their senses by providing a safe place of rest near the aroma of Starbucks Coffee where the lighting is more natural than artificial.
Creating a place that appeals to all of our senses creates an environment that is appealing, keeps customers and patrons in the environment longer, and makes them comfortable.
How often do you purchase from a place where you are comfortable? How often do you return?
