-
June 30, 2015
Taking Out the Guesswork: A Guide to Using Research to Build Arts Audiences
Market research expert Bob Harlow shows how arts organizations can use qualitative and quantitative research to attract and retain new audiences.
-
February 28, 2017
Building Millennial Audiences: Barriers and Opportunities
Arts organizations could help attract millennials by clarifying pricing and better explaining the value of the arts, suggests this Wallace-commissioned synthesis of market research.
-
October 31, 2017
Understanding Audiences, Building Connections: How the Seattle Symphony Uses Market Research
Downtown Seattle is changing rapidly, with new residents, new buildings, and new affluence. To connect with the newcomers, the Seattle Symphony launched a wide-ranging audience-research program, with support from The Wallace Foundation’s Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative.
-
August 22, 2018
Research and Self-Reflection Help Strengthen Community Ties (Post by Bob Harlow from The Wallace Foundation's blog)
Find great ideas applicable to orchestras in this blog post by market-research expert Bob Harlow about how the Fleisher Art Memorial connected with newly-arrived young immigrants in its South Philadelphia neighborhood.
-
October 16, 2018
Read the Audience Journey—Three New Blog Posts Incorporating Data From the Wallace Foundation
Three new blog posts by noted arts writer Judith H. Dobrzynski outline The Audience Journey, a conceptualization of the decision-making process of potential audience members. The posts, written for American for the Arts' Optimizing Your Arts Marketing Practice blog salon, incorporate data from The Wallace Foundation's Building Audiences for Sustainability program.
-
November 29, 2018
Think Opera’s Not for You? Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Says Think Again
How can performing arts groups use market research to develop programs that appeal to new audiences? A just-released study and video from The Wallace Foundation’s Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative show how the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis used market research to understand and reach new audiences—with lessons that orchestras can apply.
-
March 31, 2019
World Music/CRASHarts Tests New Format and Name To Draw New Audiences
How does an arts presenter increase name recognition and attract younger audiences? An article and video from The Wallace Foundation’s Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative show how the Boston-based World Music/CRASHarts built loyalty and name recognition among younger audiences by creating a new annual festival, rebranding, and using creative marketing techniques to encourage repeat attendance during its regular season.
-
September 5, 2019
Discovering What It Takes to Attract—and Keep—Young Audiences
How does a performing arts group draw younger audiences and build loyalty? A case study in the September 2019 issue of American Theatre magazine reports how Portland Center Stage in Oregon used support from The Wallace Foundation to experiment with its marketing and engagement programs for new theatergoers—and gained insights that are relevant to orchestras seeking to strengthen their own audience-building efforts.
-
February 4, 2020
How New Media Got New Audiences at Seattle Opera, With Wallace Support
Can technology enhance the classical music experience for today’s connected audiences? Seattle Opera, which produces five operas each year for an audience of more than 100,000, began using digital and social media to engage audiences several years back, with a boost from a $750,000 Wallace Foundation Excellence Award, which provided funds for four years of experimentation between 2009 and 2012.
-
July 10, 2026
Conference 2026: Permission to Wonder in the Age of AI for Orchestra Marketing
This session explored the ethical tensions and creative possibilities AI brings to our campaigns and visitor experiences, rethinking what marketing strategy really means at this moment
