In partnership with:

Turning Data Into ActionGreater Boston Theatre Board Convening

9/19/15

#artsdata

Founded in 1975, ArtsBoston helps build and sustain

demand for Greater Boston’s live arts experiences.

We serve 170+ performing and visual arts

organizations

Boston Children’s Chorus

What Is ArtsBoston

Champion to Help Develop Audiences

Resource For Affordable Access

Connector/Creative Partner

Research-Driven Organization

Award-Winning Nonprofit Arts Service Organization

With the data that makes a powerful case for the return

on investment in the arts, ArtsBoston'sThe Arts Factor Report was one

of Boston’s 20 best new big ideas in 2014.

The Boston Globe Magazine

20 of Boston’s Best New Big IdeasJanuary 11, 2015

For our work helping arts organizations grow their audiences and make deeper connections to their communities through the Audience Initiative and The Arts

Factor Report.

The 2015 Commonwealth Awards: Massachusetts’ Highest Honors in

Arts, Humanities, & SciencesThe Boston Globe

Game ChangersJune 2014

Celebrating the people and things making MA a national leader in

innovation including ArtsBoston’sAudience Initiative for teaching other US nonprofits the art of data mining.

The ArtsBoston Audience Initiative

Greater Boston’s resource for actionable data about arts audiences.

56Participating

Organizations

1.5 MilUnique

Households

ArtsBoston Audience Initiative Today

• Understand Audiences– Geography, Demographics, Behavior

• Engage Existing Audiences– Holistic view of patrons, Upgrade, Segment,

Personalize

• Find New Audiences– Prospect Finding, List Trading, Cross-promote

• New: Research/Advocacy/Storytelling

How It Can Be Used

Understanding Audiences: Behavior

76%

24%

14% - 2 Organizations

5% - 3 Organizations

2% - 4 Organizations

3% - 5+ Organizations

Behavior: Multi-Buyers

76% - 1 Organization

Existing But

New To You

Behavior: First-Time Buyers

47%

31%

22%

Returned To Your Org

First Time To YourOrg

Bought First TicketEVER

More than ½ of

your audience

attended for the

first time.

Existing But

New To You

Behavior: First-Time Buyers

4 out of 5 first-time buyers don’t come back to your organizations within 12 months

Philadelphia 2014 Patron Loyalty Study

• 17 Organizations

• 7 Years of data

• 51% of patrons new each year

• 70% did not return to ANY organization within the next 12 months

Behavior: First-Time Buyers

Revenue Concentration

62%

Revenue Concentration

12%

Revenue Concentration

62%

Behavior Conclusions

• Prospecting (broadening) is strong

• Retention is weak

• Focus on community-wide retention

• We need new tools and new strategies

Understanding Audiences: Demographics

Income

Age

Race/Ethnicity

Why Should We Care?

Race/Ethnicity

*NEA SPPA - Plays

44% POC

Median Age By Race

*US CensusProf. Manuel Pastor

*US CensusProf. Manuel Pastor

Race/Ethnicity

How that looks in Boston

Arts Participation

Household Income

Race

Participation and Transportation

Arts Venues – From ArtsBoston.org Calendar

Population Density

Conclusions

• Diversification is critical

• …but retention of first-time buyers is weak

• Retention strategies need to be developed or else

diversification work won’t be sustained

• Focus on community-wide retention

• We need new tools and new strategies

What is ArtsBoston doing?

Who else’s patrons

attend our performances?

30% of Boston Baroque

patrons have attended A.R.T.

70% are HOT PROSPECTS

Where else

do our

patrons

attend?

Behavior: Crossover

Existing Audience

ArtsBoston Audience Initiative

1.5 Million Unique Households

Barr-Klarman Pilot Project

Existing Audience

Potential Audience

Existing Audience characteristics are matched

to the potential audience

Demographic Data

Consumer Data

Voter Data

List Filtering / Selection

New modeled potential audience introduced to our organization

• Innovative approach to adaptive challenges

• Action learning initiative

• Custom data analysis to drive discovery and insights within a cohort

• Safe space for shared learning and developing experiments

• Creating a culture of collaboration around community-wide challenges

• Interested?

ArtsBoston Audience Lab

What are the opportunities for your organization?

Questions?

Thank You

John Beck

Deputy Director

ArtsBoston

johnb@artsboston.org

@johnwbeck