The authors of a new series of marketing guides outline the issues behind their titles. First in the series, Mel Jennings explores ambassador schemes.
Suddenly everyone seems to be thinking about setting up an ambassador scheme. Arts ambassadors are community networkers who help arts organisations to access specific audiences. More than just good talkers, they can represent the views and aspirations of a community and their ability to connect and be trusted by target audiences is a valuable asset to anyone seeking promotional fire-power. However, it?s not simply a matter of ?press here for word of mouth?, and dangers lie in wait for those who set up schemes without thinking them through. At best just ?having a go? can end in wasted time and wheel reinvention. At worst it can damage relationships with new or even existing audiences. Outcomes have ranged from the good (major increases in attendance by new audiences), to the bad (misrepresentation of product), and the ugly (hard-won audiences walking out mid-show).
Imagine you?ve managed to squeeze in a few minutes to brief three chatty volunteers. Within days bookings are coming in from parts of town left lying fallow for years; but weeks later, one is still phoning you daily to share his ideas on improving your marketing, one has gone missing presumed inert, and another has lost his allocated tickets. An exaggerated tale, but you can see both the opportunities and the pitfalls. A bit of planning and research at the start will go a long way towards staying on target. For a start, are you aiming for short-term sales or long-term audience development? Either way, it is a mistake to view ambassadors as a surefire way of generating box office income or diversifying audiences. Yes, they are often engaged when traditional promotion methods aren?t working, but like all marketing tools, good planning is critical. It needn?t be an arduous process. Those who have tried (even those who have failed) say it can be ground-breaking, rewarding, even empowering work. Listen to their word on how they made it pay off.
?A practical guide to working with arts ambassadors? was commissioned by Arts Council England and written by Mel Jennings with Arts About Manchester, Birmingham Arts Marketing and Christina Dixon. It is available at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk