A practical blueprint for change in the cultural sector
Shrinking resources. Rising audience expectations. Data overwhelm.
These are just a few challenges the cultural sector faces today. It’s hard to cut through. Growing pressure to compete with changing audience needs dovetails with fierce competition from slick commercial experiences, streaming services and a lack of internal resources to understand and implement audience data.
There's a growing distance between what audiences seek and what cultural organisations deliver. So, what’s the path forward?
With nearly 9 in 10 leaders (87%) ranking audience engagement as a top-three priority, it is the undisputed key to resilience, growth, and future sustainability. Yet ambition alone doesn’t engage audiences. Delivery does.
We found that the on-site experience is your single most effective marketing tool. (Our research shows recommendations and return visits account for 37% of all visits). But engagement is the outcome of every interaction, every decision, every touchpoint. Audiences experience you as one organisation. When one part breaks, the engine stalls.
But how do you create experiences that engage audiences before, during and beyond their visit? In this report, we explore:
- What audience-centricity really means: Uncovering the latest audience desires, motivations, and trends.
- The four transformations required to deliver the experiences audiences demand.
- Insights that drive return visits, from discovery methods to loyalty-building experiences.
- How to craft engagement strategies that genuinely resonate across all touchpoints.
- Practical steps to put these into action: find these in the report and in an action sheet on this page.
Audiences are ready. The motivations are strong. The engagement engine works when experiences deliver. This report will show you exactly how to make that happen.
Access these insights your way. Download the full whitepaper, listen to the complete audio version at the bottom of this page or scroll on for a preview...
The four transformations that will deliver the experiences audiences want
From Silos to Synergy
How to help teams collaborate around shared outcomes to deliver seamless experiences
From Chaos to Connected Systems
How to transform fragmented technology into an integrated architecture where data flows and insights drive decisions
From Caution to Curiosity
How to build structures and frameworks for safe experimentation
From Inside-Out to Outside-In
How to replace assumption-based decisions for audience-first decision making
Exhibiting engagement best practice
The Design Museum takes an audience-first approach that manifests in major programming choices and record-breaking ticket sales. Pop culture meets the things that people care about. Diverse audience needs inform operational decisions including dedicated openings.
You can find the full case study, and more examples of best practice in engagement from The Tank Museum, Manchester Museum and Blenheim Palace in the full report.
Image: Jo Underhill
Plan your visit-or experience
Ready to start transforming your audience engagement? We’ve created this action sheet to help you get started. It’s broken down into timeframes so you can easily separate the quick wins from the longer term projects. Download below.
Ready to build your engine?
This report is just the start. We have far more data and insights to share from our research.
If you’d like to talk through our full findings, we’d love to chat. Or perhaps you already have ideas for improving your visitor experience. We can support you with a strategic partnership to make them happen.
Book an informal chat with our Strategy Principal Consultant for Engagement, Lou Barton. Just pop your details in the form below to get started.