How much should an organization spend on audience acquisition each year? And how should that amount be broadly allocated within marketing and communication departments? Here’s the data-informed answer for both exhibit and performance-based organizations. Back in 2015, IMPACTS Experience published a data-informed equation informed by analysis of actual visitor-serving spending for audience acquisition relative to realized market potential. The goal of this analysis was to generate an advisable investment benchmark for organizations to contemplate in the context of maximizing opportunities for a ..read more

Are people who visit museums or performing arts organizations as children more likely to grow up to be cultural organization attendees than those who do not visit at all? It depends on how and with whom they visit.  Research shows that cultivating cultural supporters is not as straightforward as simply getting kids in the door.  These data outcomes might make you uncomfortable – but they also have a potentially valuable lesson for how to cultivate the next generation of cultural organization devotees. Did you know that over 62% of adult visitors to exhibit-based organizations (e.g ..read more

What are the differences between these pricing models? How is the market responding to them for cultural organizations? What is working well, and what is backfiring? Let’s talk about it – with data. Pricing models are currently dominating a lot of management discussions in cultural organizations. And it makes sense: Business disruptions relating to the pandemic remain fresh in many executives’ brains and underscore the need for organizations to think strategically about their business models. And recent financial challenges have motivated boards of trustees and leadership teams alike to critic ..read more

How big of a barrier to attendance are ticket purchasing challenges? What is the redemption timeframe for tickets to cultural organizations? What methods are people using to purchase tickets (e.g., mobile, web, etc.)? Here are the answers for exhibit and performance-based organizations. There’s no doubt about it: Digital and online purchasing expectations increased during the pandemic. People are used to spending less time navigating and completing the online transaction experience, with companies from Amazon to Uber working to make the purchase pathway as easy and simple as possible.  Fo ..read more

Happy New Year! Here’s our research publication calendar for January through June of 2024 so that you can make the most data-informed decisions for your cultural organization. We recently wrote an article on the top trends we’ll be watching in 2024. Not only is 2024 an election year, but we are also observing the impacts of our “new normal” informed by the pandemic. From the need to understand optimal pricing considerations to the implications of the “urban doom loop,” 2024 promises to be a year in which it will be critical for museums and performing arts organizations to stay vigilant and mon ..read more

From attendance projections to welcoming perceptions to what makes employees happy, here are the most discussed and referenced articles from IMPACTS Experience in 2023. To access the articles linked below, please log in or subscribe.  It’s that time of year, folks! As we all get ready to put 2023 behind us and bring new hopes and plans into 2024, our team at IMPACTS Experience has stopped to take stock of the articles cultural executives found most valuable this year. This annual wrap up has been a pre-New Year’s tradition on Know Your Own Bone for twelve years, which feels unbelieva ..read more

As we approach the coming new year, we’re closely monitoring many emerging topics so cultural organizations can meet challenges and opportunities with maximum information.  We’ve deployed additional research in three areas we believe will inform operations and strategy in 2024. In what situations does variable pricing work best? How much should a cultural organization spend on marketing efforts?  How can entities most effectively and efficiently expand audiences? What do elevated crime perceptions mean for 2024 market potential? We look forward to sharing new data on these topics and ..read more

Perceptions surrounding educational value are a unique differentiator for visiting both exhibit-based and performing arts organizations. Here’s why that matters. If the entertainment value of an experience motivates a visit, then what role does education play? An equally important one, according to research. Understanding the relationship between education and entertainment can help organizations better facilitate both aspects of the experience. As we explored in our last article, what being “entertaining” means to guests in the context of visitor-serving organizations isn’t what some leaders ..read more

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