Building Arts Brands

Before I was an arts leader, I was a marketer. So I believe in the power of branding and the need to build strong brands.

What is a brand? It’s a set of perceptions & beliefs in the mind of your audience, and they influence how people feel about your organization, and will either attract or repel audiences. I can work w/ either of those reactions. What you don’t want is for ppl to be indifferent.

Remember: We’re emotional creatures. If someone is indifferent about your organization, they ignore you. You’re not even a consideration. That’s the worst position to be in.

Yes, you can be an “institute of contemporary art” or a “museum of modern art”. But that just tells people what you do. Branding shapes what your organization stands for in the minds of the audiences you say you serve. However wonderful, innovative, and welcoming you think you are internally, none of it matters if that’s not what your communities believe you are.

That’s why we must be committed to #artsbrandbuilding. A strong arts brand means there’s alignment between what the organization says it stands for, and what its audiences think it stands for and finds resonant. Based on my experience as an arts leader, I believe strong arts brands are built on three pillars:

Mission-aligned programming that’s relevant and resonant to your audience;
Community Engagement that’s consistent and authentic; and
Marketing that reaches your audience(s) through the channels they use.

The benefits of a strong brand are awareness, audience loyalty, trust, the ability to charge a price premium (if you so choose), the ability to attract talent, and more engaged employees (after all, who isn’t excited to work at a perceived “winner”?). I’m sure you see why these would give your arts organization a competitive advantage across the board.

I get why arts organizations aren’t focused on branding. The most important thing for arts organizations–especially the smaller ones–is fundraising. Development teams tend to emphasize “programs,” “program impact,” and a “theory of change” as a means of wringing dollars out of funders.

Those dollars are not unimportant.

But I believe the stronger your brand, the easier your work becomes. Strong #branding attracts dollars, partners & talent. Funders are predisposed to support your work. Other organizations will want to collaborate with you. People want to join your team.

A strong brand puts your organization in a better position to do the work, fulfill your mission, and drive value for your community.

Yes, the money MUST be raised for arts organizations to continue their work. After all, they don’t sell “things” like for-profit, consumer goods companies. Arts organizations sell the value and experience of engaging with the arts. Perhaps a strong arts brand is indicative of how well you’re communicating the value of the experience you provide for your community.

Maybe this is the start of understanding what the value of a strong brand is in the arts and culture space.