“Uh, well, actually we’ve been doing XYZ for the last two years.”
Do you sometimes find yourself in this awkward conversation with a patron? The one where she asks, why isn’t your arts organization doing such-and-such, when the fact is that you’ve been doing it for quite some time?
That’s a signal that you’re doing something wonderful, something your people care about, but you’re not communicating it effectively.
Over this past weekend, we were planning to shop at the Wegmans, so I took a look at their weekly flyer in advance. I found that the front page was dedicated to showing customers that instead of raising prices, they've lowered them in the last year. Instead of just the usual “every day low prices” claim, the copy shows empathy for the shopper:
A year ago, the economy was in tough shape. Stocks were falling and prices were climbing. We knew people needed a hand.
The page is filled with specific price comparisons, this year to last: chicken breasts $1.97/lb compared to $2.69 in 2008; flour $.99 compared to $1.49 in 2008; eggs $1.39 compared to $2.19 in 2008.
They’re not just saying they’ve lowered prices, they’re showing you.
So is there something you’re already doing, something that’s meaningful to your patron, that you haven’t put front and center? Is there a way you could show her?
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