Experiencing 30 orchestra concerts and 50 open rehearsals in Millennium Park each summer as Marketing Director for the Grant Park Music Festival provides fascinating opportunities to watch lots of budding romances.

I'm talking about the potential lifelong love-affair between a first-time classical music-goers and a live orchestra.

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is a fairly remarkable laboratory for understanding and testing the ways that new audiences can overcome cultural barriers. The simple fact the concerts are free and the venue is uncommonly accessible means that on a typical night, according to surveys, 25% of the audience or 2,000-3,000 might be experiencing their first-ever live orchestra concert. We’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to truly understanding how new classical music lovers are born in this space, but we’ve had some interesting success in a few areas in recent years and I’d like to share a bit about ideas that might also be useful in other venues.

In thinking about the challenge of overcoming cultural barriers at the concerts, I often remember this archival photo from 1935, the year the Festival was born. First, here’s a small snippet of the crowd gathered at the Festival’s original band shell in the south end of Grant Park during the Great Depression:

To give a sense of the scale, below is a bigger view of the same crowd:

Looking closely at the folks waiting for the concert to start 77 years ago, I see the same dynamic that we still witness at the concerts today: people for whom live classical music is probably a new experience. Their clothes alone are a clue that many of them might not have had the money or perhaps more importantly, the wherewithal to overcome the cultural barriers of going to a formal concert-hall.

Maybe they loved classical music on the radio, but couldn’t afford indoor concert tickets or maybe they’d never listened to a symphony from beginning to end in their entire lives before someone suggested an evening outing along Chicago’s lakefront. The casual, free, accessible, outdoor nature of the concerts in the heart of the city drew them in.

Much has changed since the 1930s and when the Grant Park Music Festival moved to Millennium Park in 2004, the concerts began to draw large audiences with a remarkably high percentage of people who were new to classical music but drawn by the venue, which presented a tremendous opportunity to forge connections and cultivate new classical-music lovers.

Connecting at Open-Rehearsals

One of the first things the Grant Park Music Festival did when it moved to Millennium Park was recruit train a group of volunteer Music Docents to be the face of the Festival at all the free day-time Open Rehearsals. This happened less out of a grand vision for educating audiences than as a stopgap measure to protect our musicians and conductors from being beseiged by questions from the hundreds of people who gathered, many just drawn spontaneously to the music while strolling through the park.

The format is quite simple. A typical Open Rehearsal runs from 11am until 1:30pm all summer-long from Tuesday through Friday and the Docents do the following to help welcome new/curious attendees:

•  Fifteen minutes prior to the rehearsal and then during the break roughly half-way through, a pair of docents give a short talk about Millennium Park, the Festival, the pieces being rehearsed.
• Then they take questions from the audience, making it very clear that general questions about classical music (What does a conductor actually do? Why is the orchestra divided up into sections the way it is?) are absolutely welcome.
• Once the rehearsal begins, they circulate through the audience, giving out season brochures and having quiet one-on-one conversations with any audience members who have questions.
• They also distribute short surveys that allow audience members to both share a few details about how they came to be at the rehearsal and also solicit opinions about what kinds of music interests them. In exchange for completing a survey, rehearsal attendees receive a voucher that allows them to return to an evening performance and be given good seats near the stage for free on a standby basis.

A day-time rehearsal in Millennium Park attended by a group of children from a Chicago Park District program.

Over time the docents developed into amazingly well-rounded ambassadors, as at ease sharing ideas about why Frank Gehry's pavilion looks so startlingly unusual or suggesting the best place to get a Chicago-style hot dog as telling an anecdote about the Shostakovich symphony being rehearsed or explaining the role of our Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar.  

Perhaps the most important role that the docents have come to play is using themselves as primary examples of people who have gone from being intrigued by classical music to becoming impassioned regulars. They’re encouraged to talk about how and why they themselves became interested in the music.

“Bravo!! Can I clap now?”

One of the most striking examples of this newcomer-overcoming-the-cultural-barrier-dynamic comes with the frequent moment of confusion and uncertainty at the end of a movement of a long work.

For more than a century, the typical custom has been that audiences stay respectfully and raptly silent during a movement break of a symphony or a concerto or other long works. In an indoor concert hall the audience by-and-large knows the convention and the rare newcomer who enthusiastically bursts into applause after the third movement of a Mahler Symphony is likely to be greeted with dozens of sharp, dagger-eyed glares from fellow concert-goers.

Outside in Millennium Park, whether at Open Rehearsals or evening performances, there’s no hope or even desire to stick to this convention. In fact one of the bits of information docents are encouraged to share with new-comer spectators is that staying silent between movements was a comparatively recent, late 19th century idea and that the beauty of a thriving, outdoor venue like Millennium Park is that it’s a place where conventions might slowly evolve based on new audiences and new dynamics.

While it’s a small detail, it can be an important symbol, especially when the docents explain that such conventions evolve. When we think about overcoming cultural barriers so that new audiences can feel a connection to an unfamiliar art form, the idea that ‘the rules’ are a work-in-progress, can be quite a helpful realization.

An especially new, new-comer at a Grant Park concert in the 1930s.

There’s much more to say about this on-going project of connecting with and learning about new audiences in Millennium Park. Among other areas we’re still just beginning to explore are:

• Using text messages and other new media to share details about the music with people sitting on the lawn.
• Conducting live radio interviews with lawn audiences during the intermissions at concerts being broadcast.
• Creating post-concert music events on the lawn, so that more casual lawn audiences have opportunities to see and hear artists up close.
• Designing more insightful and widely distributed surveys to gather an ever-deeper understanding of what brings the many new-audiences to these concerts and sharing these findings with other arts organizations in our community.

All of these ideas are hopefully just the beginning of an ever-growing list of tools for connecting with the new audiences that are already out there. One of the thrilling prospects of this exploration is that the Grant Park Music Festival shares this great laboratory of public interest in the arts with a large list of other Festivals and Chicago-area cultural organizations who perform there periodically, so the possibilities for sharing tools and results is immense.

Tony Macaluso is the Director of Marketing and Patron Services for The Grant Park Music Festival in Millennium Park.

Two weeks ago, I trotted through the falling snow of this long January and made my way to the beautiful Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center to hear Nina Simon, author of The Participatory Museum. Every seat was taken. After her talk at the Cultural Center, Simon headed south to the University of Chicago where she was speaking with students, faculty and staff members from various cultural organizations on campus at the Center for Cultural Policy. Late in the afternoon, she led an interactive workshop for a group of 20 trustees, advisors and senior managers (including MCA Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn) at my place of work, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. For a day, at least, Nina Simon was the most popular lady in town, and rightfully so, as she has put her practical finger on the pulse of an issue we are all grappling with: How to be engaging and relevant places at a time when people have so many choices and increasingly expect to not only find, but to drive their own experiences.

Last week culminated a four-session Learning Circle, hosted by the Arts Engagement Exchange on the topic of “Collaboration”. Recalling our first day together, back in late October, I found myself surrounded by approximately 20 of my peers; leaders in Chicago’s arts and cultural organizations.  Each of us sitting obediently in horseshoe formation, caffeinated and eager.

Upon entering this space I had little expectation. Admittedly I assumed this would be much like other professional development workshops I have attended. You know… when an expert lectures for a while, divulges his or her ‘secrets for success’, and we all leave with a business card or two, and an informative 1-sheet with yet another “Top 10 Trendiest Websites/Blogs/newsletters, etc.” 
 
The thing is, the Learning Circle was not this. Immediately upon arrival Kelly Lavin, our fearless ‘teacher’ engaged each participant, having everyone share who he or she was and which organization they represented. As a program manager of a newly formed art non-profit -The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship- I initially felt apprehensive about being an outsider among my colleagues.  However, having the opportunity to return to a familiar setting with familiar faces laid the groundwork for more fluid connectivity in the 'classroom', and for some (myself included) facilitated the building of real relationships.

The interactive and participatory nature of the workshops continued throughout the sessions. Returning to this familiar space, filled with familiar faces was particularly unique in that we were able to build relationships through our shared experiences. Certainly, the high profile speakers were informative and knowledgeable. But personally, I found the repeat-visit model the most successful aspect of the Learning Circle as it enabled participants to get to know one another beyond merely the organizations for which they serve. Individuals were given a platform through which to openly voice comments and concerns around the topic of collaboration. It felt only natural to then approach my “classmates” about potentially partnering with my organization because we had shared in this 4-week intensive learning and planning session together.
 
Lastly, one recurring concern that was brought to light time and again was the issue of marketing, and capturing an ever-shrinking audience. We had several conversations,going back and forth about the best social media tools, websites for advertising, and so on. However, it is my opinion that the best method of marketing is (and always will be) word of mouth. While I cannot say for certain what “collaborations” will transpire from these workshops, I can confidently say that we have all gained advocates; each one of our organizations has 15+ people who now know one another’s assets and can (if they so choose) support one another through continued encouragement and informal promotion.

Our last Learning Forum, Campus Connection: Engaging College students in the Arts, concluded with a brainstorming session to get organizations talking about what they learned from the college students and student life professionals on the panel.  We had hoped to spark some ideas that could be taken home.  Our very own Maureen Burns compiled these top-of-head thoughts into an informal summary in our resources section.  But just in case you missed it, we thought we would give you the highlights from her summary and a link to view the entire thing.

To read the entire summary click here.
The following are some selected thoughts to wet your appetite.

Many of the ideas that resounded dealt with communicating and advertising to college students.  Offering food and beverages is, of course, a must. Organizations must also appeal to their passion and excitement. When advertising to college students, images should be bold and adverts should be intriguing to inspire curiosity.

Beyond the typical ways of advertising through social media, organizations can also develop specific ticketing programs for students. Several ideas were shared for creating special student tickets. Tickets can be offered free, as pay-what-you-can, at day-of prices, or discounted for groups… Students say they don’t mind an online processing fee because buying tickets online saves them time and money from going to the theater.

Students, however, need to have consistent access to tickets, beyond rush tickets. One of the major concerns is the need to build healthy buying habits and expectations, like having student membership plans.

Other ideas focused on connecting with students on their own turf. For example, programs could be directed more toward college students. Performances could focus on issues important to students today and celebrate diversity. These performances could also be conducted as short campus performances. Additionally, arts organizations could target university departments to create dissertation support networks that would put students in touch with relevant arts centers and organizations. On a much larger level, the existing Emerging Leaders Network could be expanded as a possible forum to involve students from the many universities.

Following these ideas, many present offered some valuable advice. Arts organizations need to be aware of the particulars of a given university. Asking the right questions of your audience is still important. Students will need to be segmented down into thoughtful and specific groups.

You should have been there to see it.  You had to be there to believe it:   100 people who wouldn’t leave, 100 people who couldn’t stop brainstorming, 100 people who wouldn’t stop swapping great ideas, 100 people all focused on the best ways for Chicago arts organizations to reach college students.

Here’s the best news:  Leslie Shook, one of the event’s organizers and moderators, wrote in her AEE blog two months prior to event: “I am optimistic about the potential for college students to join the arts audience and become lifelong members.”  If she was optimistic before the event, you should have seen Leslie after it.

The future is undoubtedly bright given the enthusiasm and creativity brought to the task by 100 representatives from Chicago cultural organizations, colleges and universities and students brought to the task.  Riffing off of  ideas and comments made by two expert panels of arts and educational administrators and one amazing student (don’t miss Ashtin Berry’s blog “From the Student Perspective” on this site,) the Gang of 100 came up with a list of concrete ideas and suggestions that will help guide Chicago arts organizations in building their college audience bases.

It’s clear from the Brainstorming Session that it can be effective to recruit students who are seen as “influencers” by their peers to get the word out about your upcoming event or a product.

Indeed, much has been written for several years about this marketing phenomenon, for example:

In an age when the college demographic is no longer easily reached via television, radio, or newspapers -- as TiVo, satellite radio, iPods, and the Internet crowd out the traditional advertising venues -- a microindustry of campus marketing has emerged…

''There is a paradigm shift in the way that corporations are marketing to college students," said Matt Britton, a managing partner of Mr. Youth, a New York-based firm that specializes in college student marketing. ''The student ambassador tactic embraces all the elements that corporations find most effective: It's peer-to-peer, it's word of mouth, it's flexible, and it breaks through the clutter of other media. For all that, it's growing very quickly." - Sara Schweitzer, “Building a buzz on campus,” “The Boston Globe’,” October  24, 2005

However, it’s not as simple as it seems at first glance. While you may not agree with the analogy that “Branded Product = Cultural Event,” the point made by Joan Voight made in her “Ad Week” article,  “The New Brand Ambassadors,” (December 31, 2007), rings true.

While (student) brand ambassadors are a good, inexpensive way to extend a brand's reach, "ambassador programs require a good deal of supervision to ensure that the brand is being represented properly," says Lara Bass, vp of client services at Renegade, an experiential marketing agency… "Once selected they must be trained and well versed on the brand so they don't come across as paid endorsers who lack real brand knowledge," she adds.

Training might not be the only issue.  As reported in Edelman’s 2010 Trust Barometer study, there exists a problem with declining trust in word-of -mouth, particularly when delivered through social media. According to the study, the percentage of people who view their friends as credible sources of information about a brand has fallen from 45% in 2008 to 25% in 2010.

What are your thoughts?  Can “cultural organization ambassador” students be effective in spreading the word to their peers about your organization and filling your seats?  What experiences can you share?

Blogger’s Note: If you are interested in learning more about effective and ethical word-of -mouth marketing, check out the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s website: womma.org

To read about what this group had to say:  go to Maureen Burn’s list and insightful summary, accessed here.

And, next time AEE offers a session like this, you need to be there
 

Well I'm not technically a student considering I just graduated from the University of Chicago, but I guess I'm qualified enough to give a few pointers for those of you looking to reach the college student market. When I was asked by the AEE to give a presentation on how students decide to go to an event, I immediately thought, “what does it cost?” However, after sitting on it for about five minutes I realized the word cost had so many layers to it.  This is my attempt to share some of my thoughts on the topic.  I hope you find it helpful.

3 factors in decision making

1) Transportation

• Cost(financial) -Although many universities and colleges within the city have U-Passes available for their students it is still important to be cognizant of the students who do not.
• Is it convenient? - Making several transfers on public transportation may be discouraging for students.
• How to get home?- many of times, especially for students new to the city, how to get home at night is a concern
• Does the university provide any transportation to an area near you? Do not reinvent the wheel keep it simple. If students already have a transportation system they are used to take advantage of that.

2) Time/Expense

• How much does the event cost? Is it worth that much?- These questions are pretty self explanatory.  Some of the factors that go in to determining the worth of event are how many things there are to do at this event and is there food? (Food is always important!)
• How long is the event? Remember most students have class students 5 days a week so having an event that takes up a large part of their weekend may not be the most marketable.

3) Who will be there? (The most important questions of them all)

• Most students want to know how many people are going to the event before they commit, which is why so many students often dislike rsvping  because they are waiting for everyone else’s decision. This is especially true for freshman and sophmore who have limited access and knowledge of the city, partly because they are under 21.

How to market to students based off of these ideas

1) Keep it as simple and interesting

• Leave something to the imagination – we want to know u have variety but to much can be overwhelming.
• Being big and loud does not automatically mean people will come to your event. Take some risks.  Give it some edge.
• So college students are in this weird place. They're not exactly adults yet, but their not children either.  Remember this in your marketing approach.  No one wants to feel like a child, so it is important to find a way that gives students an option (options are adult-like).  However, you also have to find a way to make them accountable, which is never easy.

2) Social Media

• Facebook and twitter are the main forms of communication. The question is how effective are they? If students already have an idea of who you, are these modes of communications maybe pretty effective. If not, you may have a harder time.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel- If the school has a page try linking your page to theirs or asking them to post your event on their status.

3) Word of mouth (the best form of communication with students in my opinion)

• The way to get into students mouths is to find a couple of students who are particularly active and have a wide network. You can seek the students out through guidance counselors and student activity centers.
• Reaching out to resident assistants is also a great way to get a conversation going about your event

4) Campus initiatives

• Joining campus initiatives is a great way to get your organization involved and recruit students. The University of Chicago has a program known as the UChicago Arts Pass that provides special offers to events with registered organizations.
• Student activities offices are also a great way to get your organization involved with student populations.  See if you can be a sponsor for a student event. It  is a great way to publicize and get people talking. Plus, it doesn't cost that much for you or the students as far as your time is concerned.

5) Different strategies for different campuses (Loop vs. Off-Loop)

• Include different transportation options on the back of a flyer or print them out with tickets so that students from different parts of town are equally as comfortable getting there.
• Be aware that some universities are on a quarter system and others are on semesters.  We have different needs and schedules.

6) Campus Messeging – make sure marketing coordinates with the over all calendar and massaging of the institution.

• If you are introducing something new to the campus it maybe a good idea to see of you could do a demonstration in a class.
• It may be a good idea to invite groups during orientation week- or go to them on campus while they are still learning what is available to them and forming opinions.

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Ashtin Berry is a University of Chicago Alum