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A sobering statistic that almost 70% of audiences for performing arts events in London are attending just once in three years (1) was the starting point for research that Audiences London undertook with twelve of London's most innovative producing theatres (2). The research (which was funded by ACE) aimed to help us understand more about why these people didn't return and what could be done to entice them to do so.

Sharpening up our customer focus is likely to be one of the ways successful arts organisations will weather the tough times ahead; reflecting on this piece of work I was reminded of some principles that could stand us in good stead.

Take time to process and reflect what you already know about your audiences

A workshop with theatre marketers proposed a series of segments based on their understanding and hunches about their audience, these included people who only visited the theatre for a special occasion - 'Trip or Treat'; those who used to go but whose life circumstances have changed - 'Lifestyle Lapsers' and 'Trophy Hunters' who look out for the hottest tickets in town – often following star casting or 5 star reviews.

Use research to challenge or evidence your hunches

To test the applicability of these segments, we undertook depth telephone interviews amongst a selection of attenders from the theatres.  Many of the marketers hunches proved correct; Lifestyle Lapsers were a large group, as were Trophy Hunters and Trip or Treaters. Research also identified some new segments that we hadn't thought of -  'Popular and Unperturbed' were people who were knowledgeable about theatre, know what they like and quite happy to stick with what they know. 

It's not (just) about the play

As we know, it's not just the play on the stage or the paintings on the wall that is important to audiences. This research confirmed the importance of 'the whole package' with respondents talking about how they valued the welcome and atmosphere of the theatre, the comfort of the seats and the ambience of the front of house areas.

Think benefits not features

The survey respondents spoke confidently and enthusiastically about the special atmosphere, the buzz and social aspects of their evening out.

It's entertainment

Even amongst the most specialist theatre-goers we spoke to (the 'Knowledgeable Niche') entertainment is important. Across all the different segments we identified, audiences told us they are looking for a good night out; a time to relax and socialise with friends and family.

Use it, don’t put it in a drawer

Research is only worth doing if it helps you make better decisions. The theatres are using this information to develop a collaborative on-line offer, presented in ways that match the motivations of these different segments.

So, let’s talk more to the 70%

We have all become experts at talking to our equivalent of the 30% - the small proportion of audiences who know us, like us and return. I think we’re missing out on enormous potential. If we truly do want to grow our audiences, widen our reach and increase our ticket income, (our analysis suggested the theatres could earn an additional £3m from this group if just 10% of them attended once more) we need to start talking to the 70% - in their language.

Sarah Boiling

Interim Chief Executive

Audiences London

(1)       Source: Snapshot London, Audiences London’s data analysis and benchmarking project which analyses and compares box office data from 39 performing arts organizations across the city

(2)       Almeida Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre, Bush Theatre, Donmar Warehouse Greenwich Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Tricycle Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Royal Court, Young Vic.

 I’ve just returned from a one week staycation (as the media would have me call it) in Dorset.  Where we stayed had the most amazing views looking down the valley to Corfe Castle. So it was no surprise that we found ourselves there. Corfe Castle is not only the inspiration for Enid Blyton’s Kirrin Castle but also a National Trust property.  The Castle was great, the family guide book was good and as we paid for our tickets we were politely asked if we would like to become members of the Trust (free gift included). 

I recalled hearing recently that the National Trust has more members than all the political parties combined, and that started me thinking, how many members do the National Trust have and how much income does that generate for them? Back home a little Googling found me the National Trust’s Annual report for 2008/9. 

The National Trust is independent of Government and receives no direct state grant or subsidy for its core work. So, as they say, “Instead, our future depends on the generous support of 3.6 million members, 14.8 million visitors and 55,000 volunteers, as well as benefactors, tenants and other partners.” So there’s the answer 3.6 million, that’s a fairly hefty number.  A little further flicking through the accounts reveals the members generated £121,987,000 or 31% of their annual expenditure (or 35% of this year’s RFO investment from Arts Council England). I have to confess I was extremely impressed, the numbers were big.

How many arts organisations could claim their members generate 30% of their income? I don’t know, but the answer I guess is few.  But there again it’s not a fair comparison, membership or friends of an arts organisation or museum is just for that one organisation, not the more than two hundred properties owned by the Trust.  But what if all the organisations got together…is it time to do some really big scale collaboration? 

So a bit more Googling and I find a piece written in July 1999 on how to survive the millennium bug - Making a NICER Transition to the Millennium: Five Keys to Successful Collaboration by David Smallen and Karen Leach. In those worrying months leading up to what some predicted would be a great disaster they wrote these words:

“The most important precondition for successful collaboration is the existence of a common, strongly felt need. That need can be as simple as survival, but it must be strong, since collaborative work takes time and energy, of the kind that will be sustained not merely by ideas but by desires. In the wild, animals sense that collaboration increases their chances of survival. In the lion kingdom, male lions that work together have, on average, bigger prides of lionesses, more cubs, and better overall chances of survival. Zebras are herd animals because working together confuses their predators.”

They went on to say

“In general, the need to collaborate can simply be the necessity of dealing with uncertainty, or of having someone with whom to share our concerns, or of solving a very real, common problem. Michael Schrage suggests: "People collaborate precisely because they don't know how to -- or can't -- deal with the challenges they face as individuals. Collaboration is a necessary technique to master the unknown."

As we face difficult times ahead, the attitude may be to hunker down, focus on what we need to do as individual organisations and perhaps try and ride the storm alone. The reality may be that we should get out and work more closely together - a survival by collaboration. Anyone want to buy a National Arts/Museum Trust membership? We’ll throw in a free rug.

James Gough. James is Director of Audiences South and Vice Chair of Audiences UK

References:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/html/erm/erm99/erm9945.html#3

Michael Schrage, No More Teams! Mastering the Dynamics of Creative Collaboration (New York: Currency Doubleday, 1995)