Category Archives: Essentials

These posts make up the keystone content of this site’s view of orchestra marketing.

The Press Stories You Really Want to Tell

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Bruce Robinson

Week after week, orchestra marketers and communications professionals try to get stories about their music director, guest conductor or guest artist in the media. Is this wise? Yes, of course. Guest musicians are news. They can talk about the music … Continue reading →

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How to Merchandise Tickets on Your Website

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

Music Is Like Candy I spent my early years in marketing in candy: Brach, Andes, Toblerone, Cote d’Or, Milka and Suchard. One of the great things about candy is that buyers consume it immediately. So you can sell them more … Continue reading →

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What to Write in a Single-Ticket Ad. Yes, It Still Matters.

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

In this day of social technology there’s little attention paid to the ABC’s of advertising. Yet developing an effective ad will always be a useful skill, whatever the medium. Learn from The New York Times My first newspaper ads in … Continue reading →

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How to Hire an Orchestra Marketer

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

Hiring for any position is as much art as science. Choosing an orchestra marketer can be especially difficult. Understanding the dimensions of that choice can frame the decision within our orchestra’s true needs.

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How to Cut—and When to Add—Orchestra Marketing Dollars

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

The Danger of Across-the-Board Cuts Over the last two years virtually all orchestras have cut spending to balance the budget. In many cases they’ve used across-the-board reductions. This can have the negative effect of further reducing ticket revenues by more … Continue reading →

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How Orchestra Marketers Can Reduce Agency Costs

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

Since the 2008 crash virtually every orchestra has reduced its marketing expenses by cutting back advertising, mailings or people. Sadly, that also cuts sales. But there are other ways to save. You can reduce your agency’s time and billings through … Continue reading →

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What the Dalai Lama Can Teach Orchestras About Direct Mail

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

The Dalai Lama wrote me. He called me a dear friend. The Classic Direct Mail Package His letter is part of a classic direct mail package without a brochure on behalf of the International Campaign for Tibet. It turns out … Continue reading →

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Three Social Media Lessons from “Groundswell” for Orchestra Marketers

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

A few days ago I finished reading Charlene Li’s and Josh Bernoff’s terrific Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, published by Harvard Business Press in 2008. That’s old by social media standards, isn’t it? Yet Groundswell’s insights remain … Continue reading →

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How the Orchestra Marketer Can Choose Target Segments

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Bruce Robinson

We can integrate consumer marketing and orchestra marketing language with a unified view of market segments. That puts us in position to select target segments and to allocate resources to marketing tasks. How Does It All Fit Together? When I … Continue reading →

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