When ArtsEmerson began working with Creating Connection in 2017, they knew they were ready to test new marketing strategies: “Traditionally, we have focused marketing on the art and artists,” said Foundations Manager Sara Brookner. “But this project helped us focus on the audience, their experience, and the benefits they could expect from engaging with us,” she shared.
ArtsEmerson now prioritizes having photographers at their engagement events in addition to performances.
Bringing the audience into the brand
Before they encountered the tools that came out of our public values research, ArtsEmerson’s website imagery focused on showcasing grand architecture of empty performance venues.
Thanks to the training and grants available through the Massachusetts project, ArtsEmerson was able to gather new visual assets that show the creative, human experience their audiences have through their performances and programs.
Brookner reflects, “The library of assets we created through this project has had huge value. These will be used both in our rebranding and as examples for when we work with future photographers and videographers . While we still feature production photos in key art for single ticket marketing, we regularly use these images in printed and digital publications and other communications, which uplifts and empowers those guests shown in photos while visually communicating our welcoming and inclusive experiences to those who haven’t joined us before. It’s a win-win.”
Understanding the “why?” and inspiring a new way forward
ArtsEmerson’s project wasn’t just about producing new content. Rather the audience-first focus permeated their organizational culture and brand. “Because of the duration and the extent of this project, every department was exposed to the underpinning ideas, and many staff members interacted with them directly,” Brooker noted.
“[Creating Connection] has influenced our culture -- now we all think about why people join us and our community on a more relational level, not just to see a show. This notion has helped to bring our presenting work in better alignment with our engagement efforts, and it has provided us all with new perspectives for the values-based changes we have been making in recent years,” she shared.
Highlights from the ArtsEmerson Rebrand
In the process of updating their marketing materials, ArtsEmerson began to examine how their values-oriented programming could be expressed in language that would resonate with and move current and potential audiences to action. They articulated that their focus was on telling stories that reveal and deepen our connection to each other.