FULL HOUSE Turning Data into Audiences - ARTS Australia

This circle assumes that ‘prospects’ (people who arepersuaded to join a mailing list or to register on a website)are then persuaded to provide more information aboutthemselves via a ‘preference questionnaire’ sent to them orthe ‘personal profile’ for self completion on the website. Thisis done so that they can then be targeted appropriately as‘potentials’ and persuaded to attend for the first time. Ofcourse, that first visit is crucial. According to internationalconsulting firm Gartner 7 , it can cost up to ten times asmuch to acquire a new customer as it costs to retain anexisting one, so first-time attenders are very valuable.Once they have visited the venue, they know what theexperience and the ambience is like, and they understandbetter what is on offer and what they get out of a visit. Itis to be hoped the organisation now knows who theyare, what they attended, what price they paid and, ifrelevant, where they sat. Now the challenge is to nurturethe relationship with them and bring them back again.This is where some science comes in, because it will notbe appropriate to expect everyone to become a frequentattender. So venues must learn to understand all theirattenders and communicate with them accordingly.‘ambassadors’ 8 as part of their New Audiences programme.Mel Jennings visited Australia and New Zealand as a guestspeaker on this topic in 2004. Others support people whoorganise groups, perhaps from their workplace or socialorganisation, while others offer ‘Test Drive’ schemes to helppeople make and enjoy that first visit.If this sounds like hard work, it is – reaching and persuadingnew audiences will always require considerable effort.However, the rewards are long-lasting when people can bedrawn into an appropriate relationship.“The easiest kind ofrelationship for meis with ten thousandpeople. The hardest iswith one.”– Joan Baez (1941 – )Those people who are persuaded to become frequentattenders are of course very valuable to the organisation.Not only do they attend frequently and therefore bringin more income, they are also likely to be ambassadorsfor the organisation in recommending the experience totheir friends. They are also more likely to make donations,offer other kinds of support, and use their social and worknetworks to obtain sponsorship, and so on.So the virtuous circle is completed when the supplyof potential attenders comes from introductions by‘ambassadors’ who know the organisation well. Someorganisations have formal schemes for this. The ArtsCouncil of England has a publication by Mel Jennings on7. www.gartner.com8. Mel Jennings, A Practical Guide to Working with ArtsAmbassadors, 2003, Arts Council England. www.artscouncil.org.uk/publications/publication_detail.php?rid=0&sid=&browse=recent&id=3712. PEOPLE NOT ‘BUMS ON SEATS’, CUSTOMERS NOT ‘PUNTERS’15