MeaningMatters

http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/go-to-a-concert-get-free-music/

Lied Center of Kansas' "Go to a Concert, Get Free Music" was recently featured on appletell.com.

"Seeking new avenues for communicating with existing patrons and extending an invitation to new ones, the Lied Center has negotiated this exciting partnership to offer free music downloads with the exclusive Lied Center iTunes™ card featuring artists including Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Soweto Gospel Choir and the Turtle Island String Quartet."

This article in the Boston Globe suggests the important role of authors in promoting their books. I wonder how we might be able to get more performing artists involved in promoting their concerts.

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/books/view.bg?articleid=1099663&format=text

In today's Los Angeles Times: Heat Index

The Chicago Cubs and White Sox are each leading their divisions and fans from both sides are eagerly awaiting their next series, which begins June 20. So, seeking to capitalize on the build-up, the Chicago Sun-Times is running a poll to determine which team is hotter.

Oops. Sorry. Make that, which team's fans are hotter.

The newspaper's website is running photo galleries of fans -- based on what's posted you would think women fill 90% of the seats at games -- and asking readers to vote on which team draws the better lookers.

As of late Friday afternoon, the Cubs were in the lead, with 62% of the more than 8,000 votes cast.

These days seem the perfect time for arts groups to help arrange car pooling for participants. Our databases can easily determine if someone from the same postal code has tickets to a performance on a particularly night.

We might send an email to patrons asking them if they'd like to be introduced to someone who also wants to car pool. This would also be effective for spouses who end up driving two cars into town to see a performance and then most drive home alone.

Please let me know if you're thinking about doing this. I'd be pleased to arrange a conference call for those wanting to venture into this space.

The embargo has just been lifted for the research report by Alan Brown on values-based segmentation models for Ticket Buyers and Donors. Attached is a brief Resource Guide. The full reports will be available on the WolfBrown website next week.

It's my opinion that this work (and future iterations) will be seen as a key breakthrough in our work to increase participation in the arts.

The Oakland Athletics baseball team has recently used text messages to send online coupons. Might be a good way to evaluate the effectiveness of online strategies.

http://www.1to1media.com/PrintView.aspx?DocID=30777

From Editorial Emergency – How to make your E-Newsletter Stand-Out from the others http://www.editorialemergency.com/content/view/173/51
• a distinctive voice that cements the brand
• pithy, interesting information
• a lively layout
• interactivity

I recently received a well written email from the Penn State Center for the Performing Arts with the subject line: "BILLY JOEL INVITES YOU TO SEE MOVIN OUT!"

The body of the email had a 'note' from Billy Joel describing the show and encouraging me to "check it out." Jpeg of 'note' is attached.

Very smart use of email. I wonder how effective this message will be in encouraging people to buy tickets?

A recent Los Angeles Times story described the phenomenon of adults beginning to take piano lessons and scheduling social piano playing at “piano parties” in people’s homes. See Perri Knize’s book "Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey."
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-ca-knize27jan27,0,1759200.story

It also mentioned an online website that supports social piano playing http://www.pianoworld.com/
For those of us who present piano recital series, it might be a good place to put information about future events, as well as to offer discounts for groups of six to ten people. For example, the Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan posted information on the November 13, 2007 performance by George Winston. However instead of putting up a generic listing, it’d be great to have fans post-up concerts to which they’ve already purchased tickets.

If the current Writers Guild Strike lasts any longer, it's predicted that several television programs will be showing reruns beginning in January and February. I'm wondering if anyone is thinking about marketing campaigns that might encourage people to come out again for a live performance.

The lack of availability of new broadcast programming is predicted to be an 'unfreezing moment.' Most are predicting that this is a time when more people will go to the internet for entertainment. I'm wondering if others might be willing to 'test drive' a live performing arts experience?

Roger Tomlinson mentioned 'test drive' briefly during the NAMP conference in Miami in November '07. Here's more on test drive - a transcript of a radio interview with Andrew McIntyre.