Choral Direction vs Creative Direction - A presentation for the Chorus America conference

Creative
Direction
Lessons from an Ad Man
to help your chorus stand out

by Tim Brunelle @tbrunelle
June 14, 2012 | Chorus America Conference | #CA12 @chorusamerica

(This is a slightly revised version
of the slides presented on June 14.)

Lessons from an Ad Man @tbrunelle
2012 Chorus America Conference #CA12 @chorusamerica

Three topics:
Ideas first.
Data is the new storytelling.
Empower your audiences.


Ideas can be tactical and all-
encompassing. Tactics are easy.
Let’s start with the hard stuff:
What is the idea of your choir?


My definition of an idea—
it causes this reaction:
“I hadn’t thought of it
that way before.”


How might you cause that reaction:
~ through your programming?
~ through auditioning?
~ through rehearsing?
~ through your venue choices?
~ through marketing? (Duh.)
~ through your performances?
~ through fundraising?
~ through board governance?


In other words, the core idea of any
choir is the collection of actions that
make it distinct and memorable.


So what is the idea of your choir?
(Extra credit it you can write that in
less than 140 characters.)


Ideas first.


“Thank you for calling
Page, Brin & Zuckerberg
how can I help you?”


“What has changed... is technology’s
infusion into every topic here [at Davos].
Sessions on philanthropy, agriculture,
social unrest, media and the economy
were all full of digital banter.”
“In Davos, Technology Moves to Center Stage”
New York Times - January 29, 2012


Data used to only
benefit marketers


Not
anymore


Your website’s most popular webpage this week
The number of Facebook “Likes” for every photo you post to your choir’s page
The opening rate trend for your email campaigns
The number of people who follow you on Twitter, versus the number who re-tweet your posts
The average click-through rate for your event emails
The average click-through rate for fundraising emails
Percentage of people who say “Yes, I’m attending” your events on Facebook versus all followers
Any of these points plotted over time
The top five referring links to your home page
Your most Liked/Re-tweeted tweet
Your most Liked post on Facebook
The subject line of your best responding single email
Ticket sales correlated against Facebook traffic
The percentage of your database with active emails and postal addresses

Data is: That information cross-referenced with Google Maps
Responses to online surveys sent to people you know attended an event
Which section of your choir has more friends following your choir on Facebook
Which section of your choir generates more reliable fundraising connections
A list of 20 keywords that best define your choir
The LinkedIn profile URLs of your season ticket purchasers
The same URLs but for donors
A list of every piece your choir has ever performed, organizable by composer, nationality, etc.
Evidence your print ads work (e.g. distinct URL in the ad)
Knowing if Facebook or email drove more traffic to an event registration webpage
Your average revenue per ticket sold, per venue
The average cost to sustain one member of your choir (i.e. with music, rehearsal space, etc.)
The names and demographics of the people who attended the most performances of your choir
The referring link driving the most traffic to your website
The #1 keyword driving search traffic to your website
Your venues ranked by ticket sales
Your individual concerts for the past five years, ranked by ticket sales
Etc.


Then the question becomes:
What stories do we see in all this data
that help us be more distinct? More
efficient? Of greater relevance?


Most important: Do something as a
result of reviewing your data.
Do it once a week or month.
But do it.


Ideas first.
Empower your audiences.


In the age of the Internet, every singer
in your choir and every audience
member could market on your behalf.


The point isn’t to control them,
but to guide them, to help them.
It’s about listening, setting
examples and nurturing behaviors
you want repeated.


Empower by listening:
Follow. Like. Re-tweet. Comment.
Demonstrate your choir’s brand is
aware of conversations about it.


Empower by providing content:
Encourage sharing. Provide URLs,
images, video, text to aid those who
want to speak on your behalf.


Empower by providing direction:
Be transparent about your brand’s
goals—and the roles people in your
organization and outside play in
acheiving them. Write a manifesto
or policy and post it online so we
know why and how the choir brand
intends to operate.


Empower by motivating:
Sopranos vs. Tenors. Basses vs. Altos.
Which group can generate more Likes,
re-tweets, photo uploads from their
personal networks for your next event?


Empower by focusing:
Don’t be all things to all people in all
places. If print ads work, do print. If
your audience isn’t on Facebook, be
active elsewhere. Maximize fewer
venues and tools.


Empower by focusing, con’t.:
Define the idea of your next event in
140 characters or less. (Then go long
with more detail.)


Empower with strategy:
Before (the event) | During | After
What content gets published when?
99% of your messaging could be
written and queued in advance.


Ideas first:
What’s the core premise of your choir?
Data is the new storytelling:
What stories might your data help tell?
Empower your audiences:
Define a strategy that enables them
to help your brand succeed.


Thank you.


@tbrunelle
tim[at] timbrunelle [dot] com

Lessons from an Ad Man
2012 Chorus America Conference

Choral Direction vs Creative Direction - A presentation for the Chorus America conference

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Choral Direction vs Creative Direction - A presentation for the Chorus America conference