The real meaning behind the Jargon…

Audience Development

Knowing who your audience is, how you can engage with them, how to retain and develop your audience, building their commitment to, knowledge or and appreciation of your specific arts or cultural event, discipline, or organization. Audience Development does include, but is broader then, marketing, and encompasses programming, education, accessibility etc. 

Marketing

 The promotion of products, distribution and selling of services, activities, venues, or organizations, particularly through advertising and branding.

Marketing Strategy

A written plan (usually a part of your overall business/ organisational plan) which combines product or service development, promotion, distribution, and pricing. It defines your marketing objectives (goals), and explains how they will be achieved within a stated timeframe.

Tactics

The specific ways you’ll carry out your marketing strategy.

Mission 

Defines the fundamental purpose of your organization, basically describing why it exists.

Mission Statement

Tells you the fundamental purpose of your organization, concentrating on the present. Defines your customers and what you do and how, and informs your desired level of performance.

Vision

Is where, or how,  you want to see your organization or venue in the future, taking into account your Mission or strategic direction 

Vision Statement

Outlines what your organization wants to be in the future. This should be a source of inspiration, and provide a clear set of objectives.

Values

Beliefs that are shared among your stakeholders. The values drive an organisations culture and priorities.

Objective

Your desired or needed result, or goal, to be achieved by a specific time. An objective can be broken down into a number of specific goals.

SMART

Useful when defining your objectives, SMART is an acronym for

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Actionable

R – Realistic

T – Timebound

Market Profile

A summary of the characteristics of a market, including information of typical customers or audiences, and competitors. Often this will also include general information on the economy and audience patterns of an area.

Target Market/    Target Audience

A specified market/ audience or demographic group for a marketing campaign or message to be directed to.

Segmentation

Is the process of dividing your current or potential audience by shared characteristics, these can be demographic, geographic, or by specific interests. 

Positioning

A process by which marketers create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for your organisation, venue, or brand.

Capacity

A range of measures that quantify the amount of something that is made available by an arts facility through an event (or sequence of events) such as a performance, series, exhibition or workshop.

Lapsed Attender

Someone who has been to an art facility on at least one occasion in the past, but now appears to have stopped attending.

Sample

A specific number of people from an overall population, usually used as part of a survey or analysis exercise.

Marketing Research

Gathering, recording, analyzing and the use of data relating to your activities, services and audiences.

Desk Research

Is relevant information that is available in the public domain that may relate to your current or potential audiences, or to other similar organizations or services in your area.

Secondary Research

Is historical information that you already have about your organisation and its audiences; this may include past research and financial reports. 

Primary Research

Is the research you will need to carry out to answer the questions that you have identified, such as surveys or focus groups. You should only undertake primary research when you have ascertained that the information you require is not available from Desk Research or Secondary Research.

Qualitative Research

Tries to understand people’s beliefs, experiences, attitudes and behaviour and interactions, the non-numerical data – audience’s verbal answers in interviews, focus groups, or written commentary on questionnaires.

Quantitative Research

Uses statistical methods to count and measure results from your primary research– all information other than commentary i.e. ratings, rankings, yes’s and no’s. 

Area Profiles or Area Profile Reports

 A detailed summary of model data relating to a catchment area (based on selected drivetime area) and the people who live in it.

Model data

A source of summarized statistical information that gives a representation (or indication) of the essential nature of an area and the people who live in it.

Demographic Profile

A statistical representation of the groupings within a market, community or area, classified, for example, according to age, social grade, economic status and life cycle.

SWOT

Is a method used to evaluate your internal Strengths and Weaknesses and the external Opportunities and Threats to your organization or venue.

Penetration

The extent to which a venue or organisation is attracting actual users or attendees from within its relevant identified markets.

Direct Marketing

Sending a promotional message directly to audiences, rather than through a mass medium (i.e. generic email, advertisement).

Marketing Mix

The levels, and how they interact, of your organization or venues marketing efforts. This is usually referred to as the ‘4 P’s’:        

Promotion

Place

Price

Product

USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

What element, characteristic, benefit does your organization, venue, activity offer that others do not.

You can Download this Tip Sheet and many more by visiting out site HI-Arts Audience Development.