smARTstart

You're ready to get serious about promoting your organization. Have you considered the best ways to reach your potential audience?

Wait — who is your potential audience? You'll need to determine the answer to that question before you decide how you're going to reach them. And once you've got their attention, what will you say? And when your audience becomes your loyal patrons, how do you maintain that relationship?

Marketing is the process by which you come to understand the relationship between your organization and your audience. Commitment to this process is essential, particularly when working with a small budget and minimal resources (staff, time and product). You must also be creative, tenacious and focused.

While the precise mix varies from one marketing plan to another, most include five basic elements. These elements are commonly referred to as the five “P’s” of marketing:

1. People: Who buys your product and why? What do they need, want, value? Who else do you want to reach?
2. Product: What is being sold? What are its qualities and characteristics relative to other competitive offerings?
3. Price: How much does it cost? What is the pricing strategy? Are there non-monetary costs associated with the product?
4. Place: How does a customer obtain the product? Where is it available and how does it get there? What is the availability strategy (intensive/exclusive)?
5. Promotion: How are customers made aware of the product? What motivates them to purchase/repurchase? How is it advertised? What does it look like?

In the following pages, we will assume you have already defined the first three P’s and will focus on the forth: promotion. We will help you develop a communication plan, craft a persuasive message, select the right media and make the best use of emarketing and public relations.

But where do you begin? By knowing yourself - understanding who you are and what you have to offer.

Resources

1. Marketing 101 (.ppt) -- an Arts & Business Council workshop presentation by Diane Mielnikowski
2. Marketing Plan Development (.doc) -- an example of the development of a marketing plan for an arts client by Arts & Business Council consultants

Links

1. Marketing Web site of the Art and Business council: www.artsmarketing.org
2. The American marketing Association: www.marketingpower.com
3. Arts Management Network (global perspective on arts management): www.artsmanagement.net