The potential for new technologies to change the face of arts marketing is, as the latest MORI survey reveals (p3), starting to become crystal clear to those who work in the sector. And this issue of ArtsProfessional presents some interesting ideas as to how to make the most of the rapidly changing face of technology how to ensure your websites are customer-friendly (p16); how e-marketing can improve your green credentials (p10); and how your web pages can be made more dynamic and responsive (p7). Sadly, financial constraints and a foot-dragging reluctance on the part of some managers has left almost a third of arts organisations with no budget for developing digital marketing techniques, and 18% admitting to being in the dark about the whole subject. Perhaps this is not so surprising. An awful lot of people working in the arts presumably do so because they love the arts (and if they loved computers as much or more, they would most likely be working in a much better paid sector instead). Consequently, the idea of investing hard cash in technologies that they dont really understand and in which they have little interest, involves a significant leap of faith.
But the foot-dragging will start to come at a price. How long will it be before the elusive youth (and increasingly older) audiences, for whom texting and emailing comes as naturally as breathing, lose patience with arts organisations with whom they have to have a conversation in order to book a ticket, or worse still, have to pay a premium to use Internet booking? High street retailers have made the Internet shopping experience attractive by discounting their products purchased over the web, and the Royal Mail predicts that Internet shopping will reach £5bn this year an increase of 40% on 2004. But how many sales will be lost by arts organisations whose websites leave potential customers perplexed, frustrated, and ticketless? So if your organisation is among the one in three that has no budget for developing web-based and email strategies next year, maybe its time to re-prioritise your Wish List.
Liz Hill and Brian Whitehead, Co-editors