POP Arts Marketing

It’s Not Just Politics As Usual

Reva — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:35:25 +0000

Today is the last day before what has been the most intense presidential campaign in history is finally over. Throughout, one element I’ve been energized by has been watching the growing sophistication of the political campaign process as technology becomes increasingly integral to it. And whether it’s a political campaign or an arts organization, I’m always excited to see smart technology and good design elevate and improve the ways things are done.

Admittedly, I’ve been paying most of my attention to the Obama campaign. I’ve seen traditional (dare I say stodgy?) norms of politics broken down as the Obama campaign has made use of available technologies ranging from multimedia and text messaging to mobile platforms.

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Missed “The Magic Flute”? Don’t panic, the Met’s got you covered

sarah.ohanlon — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:43:50 +0000

Many opera companies stream live performances or post excerpts online, but the Metropoli tan Opera goes one step further with Met Player. This new online subscription service was developed with POP a s a technology partner, and offers 13 high definition videos, 37 historical TV performances, and 120 radio broadcasts, all delivered on demand through Internet streaming.

With operas dating from 1937 to today, this is a chance to watch classic performances such as Maria Callas in “Lucia di Lammermoor” or a rare full-length recording of Rosa Ponsella in “Carmen”. This new initiative builds on the Met’s already impressive array of online audio and video tools, which includes regular live transmissions of performances to select movie theaters, live streaming each week, plus a channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. (more…)

Page Copy Optimization and the Value of Keywords

Jeremy Hutton — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:50:38 +0000

What does good website content look like? Is it tailored to reach to your audience by speaking in a specific voice? What about optimized content for search engines? What about concise content that effectively communicates your message in directly?

This may surprise you, but ultimately the best search engine optimized content is all three. Search engines like content that is readable, effective, and focused. There is a lingering myth that search engine optimized text is inherently shady or “black hat” because most people equate SEO with cheap, keyword-stuffed copy (mostly popularized by ugly micro sites laden with Google ads).

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New Santa Fe Opera and Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Websites

Reva — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:20:55 +0000

We recently launched new websites for the Santa Fe Opera and Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.

The new Santa Fe Opera website elegantly incorporates multiple needs on the homepage. I find the imagery of its open air venue powerful and inviting. Playing to its status as a destination venue, it makes planning a visit easy without detracting from other valuable information such as upcoming performances. And the scroll bar at the bottom of the page expands the information available without compromising the integrity of the page.

Check out the old Santa Fe Opera Website:

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World’s First Select Your Own Seat Implemented with Fixed Packages

Jennifer Showe — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:42:55 +0000

Last year the Royal Opera House became the first Opera organization to implement support for Select Your Own Seat for single tickets online with great success. With access to premium seating an important issue to patrons and the organization alike, this represented a major step in improving customer service options and appealing to patrons who prefer to make their purchases online. ROH recently followed this up by becoming the first to offer Select Your Own Seat for package sales online.
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Technology in the Arts Blog

Reva — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:45:11 +0000

I’m always keeping my eyes open for interesting blogs and one I find myself reading lately is Technology in the Arts from the team over at the Center for Arts Management and Technology at Carnegie Mellon. They’ve got a great focus towards staying current with new technologies and how they can be applied to the arts in ways that are realistic and attainable, which I think is an important rule of thumb to follow. With all of the amazing technologies out there, you should always be evaluating them in the context of both your organization and your audience’s needs.

I’m especially liking their podcasts, which have everything from interviews with arts professionals to juicy tech tips and product reviews. They’ve got some great guests, and I can’t resist giving a plug for one podcast in particular recorded at the National Performing Arts Convention in Denver featuring Erin West, POP’s very own VP of Arts Marketing.

Although Brad Stephenson, one of the site’s contributors, was clearly busy doing interviews and blogging at NPAC, he also somehow found time to dominate a competition we had going that week. POP made its own version of Guitar Hero called Harpsichord Hero. It’s an online version of the game, played using your keyboard and featuring the theme song to Rocky – a little homage to NPAC taking place in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. You can still play the game, although the competition is over, and check out Brad’s posting to find out whether or not victory was ultimately his.

The National Performing Arts Conference - Denver June 10-14

Reva — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:25:30 +0000

The National Performing Arts Conference starts Wednesday and we’re ready for a week of inspired ideas and conversation on the arts.

If you’re planning on attending the conference, be sure to stop by our booth at the Town Hall to say hello. We’ll be spicing things up with a little friendly competition and you’ll have the chance to win an iPod Touch.

In addition, Erin West, VP of Arts Marketing, will be presenting at three sessions:

Opera America’s Electronic Media Forum
Wednesday June 11, 9:00am - 12:00pm

Current Opportunities in Digital Marketing
Thursday June 12, 2:45 - 4:00pm

New Technologies/New Opportunities
Thursday June 12, 4:30 - 5:45pm

If you’d like to arrange a time to connect during the conference, feel free to get in touch with Erin West, VP of Arts Marketing, or Reva Parness, Client Strategist, Arts Marketing.

See you in Denver!

Who’s Watching Your YouTube Videos?

Reva — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:16 +0000

If your organization is already on the YouTube bandwagon, you may be wondering who is watching your videos and where they’re coming from. It’s a good question to be asking.

YouTube has been offering basic analytical information since the start, but is aiming to deliver more in-depth information with the new YouTube Insight. This free feature sheds light on your video’s popularity by providing additional statistics on performance, for example that people tend to be watching the most in New York on Friday afternoons. The information, presented as a color-coded map and an interactive graph, is accessible through the video creator’s account page and will be updated once a day. The goal being to provide you with enough information to help you understand your audience and create even more compelling content.

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Royal Opera House Gets Personal

Reva — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:59:52 +0000

Recently, we helped the Royal Opera House launch the restaurant reservations and booking history functionality on their website. We’re pretty excited by the level of personalization ROH has reached. For starters, patrons are asked if they’d like to make a restaurant reservation once they have added tickets to their shopping cart. A little concierge-like service goes a long way in making the ROH website a one stop shop for a night out on the town.

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Engage!

Kirk Bentley — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:06:18 +0000

That’s the point of email. Email is an extension of your brand, website, store, story, staff, concert venue or philosophy etc.. This is a nice article about how email is changing (I think it has already changed) from being seen as a sales tool to an engagement tool.

You can’t buy tickets or make donations when you’re stuck in Gmail or Outlook. Click that button and engage!