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EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Signature Magazine Audience & Resource Development Plan
Prepared for: Eleanor Finger Associate Director, Patron Development P. 780.401.2578 E. EFinger@winspearcentre.com April 17, 2013 Prepared by: Natalie Shykoluk Sue Gobherdan Sarah Farnsworth Catherine Kuzik

SITUATION ANALYSIS
Organizational Overview & History The Edmonton Symphony Orchestras mission is to bring the highest quality of live orchestral performance to the broadest possible spectrum of audiences. Over the past 60 years, the ESO has become one of Canada's foremost orchestral ensembles and has a wide-ranging repertoire. The ESO attracts talented musicians from all over the world and the diversity of its orchestra complements the diversity of the ESOs performances. For example, a season of ESO performances ranges from classical masterworks to pops and childrens concerts. The Symphony Under the Sky festival held at Hawrelak Park is one of the ESOs most popular performance series and is eagerly anticipated and wellattended by Edmontonians each summer. The ESO is also heavily invested in music education programming for people of all ages, but especially in relation to school-aged children. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra publishes its in-house concert program, Signature magazine, eight times per year. Currently, the magazine features short to mid-length articles that are both informative and appeal to a wide range of readers. Signature magazine is also used by the ESO as a positioning tool, which makes the magazine a valuable asset to the organization. Because the magazine is published free of charge by Alberta Venture solely through advertising revenue, readers can only access Signature at the Winspear and through the ESOs RSS feed on its website. Strategic Need The ESO has recognized that its magazine readership may have valuable feedback that could improve Signature magazine, which would in turn strengthen the relationship between the ESO and its audience. As part of its ongoing audience development activities, the ESO retained a marketing research group to develop a survey which solicited feedback with respect to what readers think of Signature and what, if anything could be done to improve the magazine. The survey was designed to elicit information from respondents such as how they feel about the magazine in general, what they would change, and content they would like to add. The ESO would then use this valuable feedback to improve Signature so that its content reflected the needs of its audience, stakeholders, and readership.

SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

attractive advertisements background information about performances and artists is well-received by readers advertisements appeal to audience interests people like magazines layout, colour, texture, size keeps patrons informed regular publication schedule helps to solidify ESOs brand personalizes ESOs connection with patrons excellent quality of written work excellent photography appeals to a specific audience

hard copy only available inhouse advertisements s can sometimes distract from text hard to locate digital version people dont know its published for free by Alberta Venture doesnt clearly show ESOs involvement in the community people want to know lack of interactive content people dont like magazine inserts social media is not used to promote magazine/articles caters to specific demographic

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

people are concerned about environmental friendliness reform and layout showcase more artists and talent include more diverse stories increase amount of background info people want background info on ESO musicians promote digital version have more in-depth or exclusive content available in the online version to entice people to read the digital version of the magazine clearly indicate Alberta Ventures involvement with the production of the magazine and printing costs o for donors & sponsors

increased demand for digital media Alberta Venture somehow goes out of business other publications are already being mailed out/available inhouse from other organizations to patrons o Signature is only available online Alberta Venture could go out of business and ESO would lose their free publishing Alberta Venture has a lot of control over types and placement of advertisements

for audience, patrons, & subscribers illustrate ESOs level of community involvement bring back trivia, quizzes, etc. (make it interactive) send emails about RSS magazine code
o

GOAL
To increase audience engagement with Signature Magazine in a way that makes the magazine accessible to all demographics for the purpose of strengthening the bond between the ESO and its patrons.

OBJECTIVES
1. Increase readership of the hard copy Signature magazine by the ESOs patrons and subscribers by 25 percent over the next six months. 2. Attract 30 percent of current Signature readers to the online magazine format from September 2013 to August 2014. 3. Increase the number of individual donations to the ESO by 15 percent over the next 12 months.

AUDIENCES/STAKEHOLDERS

Season subscribers Single ticket buyers ESO staff Board of Directors Volunteers Government funding agencies Alberta Venture Publishing

Donors Sponsors Advertisers Musicians/Performers Community organizations & partners Contractors/Vendors

KEY MESSAGES

The ESO is the one of Canada's foremost orchestral ensembles, has a wide-ranging repertoire, and is beloved by Edmontonians Signature magazine is the ESOs innovative in-house concert program and contains exciting articles and attractive advertisements Signature magazine communicates the ESO brand through key messaging, production and print quality, and strategic alignment with the ESOs mission and vision Advertising opportunities in Signature magazine offer a unique opportunity for businesses to garner the attention of key target markets (i.e., demographics related to affluence, age, and interests) Signature creates a dynamic platform to elicit support from ESO patrons and stakeholders through donations and sponsorship

STRATEGIC APPROACH
We recommend the following three strategies be used: (1) Incorporate Signature magazine to the ESOs strong online presence, (2) Interact with patrons around content development, and (3) Use Signature magazine to communicate the ESO brand. (1) INCORPORATE SIGNATURE MAGAZINE INTO THE ESOS STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE Signature Magazine is an incredibly sophisticated, informative publication that contains information which aligns with the interests of ESO patrons. Our research has concluded that 30 percent of Signature readers prefer to read their other publications online. Therefore, incorporating the magazine into the ESOs online presence would definitely be an asset and potentially increase readership. The magazine is already available on the ESOs website but, as evidenced by our research, none of the patrons we surveyed were aware that they could access Signature online. Therefore, our recommendation is that the ESO make the magazine more easily accessible online simply because there are so many patrons who prefer to access publications like Signature online as opposed to a hard-copy only available in-house. This will also help meet the ESOs desire to have their patrons see Signature as a before concert experience that they can read at home to feel more informed about the performances they will be seeing. (2) INTERACT WITH PATRONS AROUND SIGNATURE MAGAZINE CONTENT DEVELOPMENT Research has presented several themes regarding additional or expanded content the audience would like to see in Signature. By using this information and

encouraging ongoing dialogue with the audience regarding content development, the ESO can make Signature a more personal experience for the patron. (3) USE SIGNATURE MAGAZINE TO COMMUNICATE THE ESO BRAND The ESO has indicated that they would like to use Signature magazine to communicate their brand to audiences and stakeholders. Our market research has shown that this the ESO can solidify its image and brand by incorporating articles that relate the symphony to the patron, featuring advertisements that align with the ESOs mission and vision, and developing content around specific ESO initiatives and activities. In developing Signature into a stronger aspect of the before show and after show experience, the ESO can integrate the concept of live classical music as an integral experience for all patrons.

TACTICS
Incorporate Signature magazine to the ESOs already strong online presence (1) WEBSITE The ESO website is a place where patrons have easy access to all things pertaining to the ESO. That being said, the website is a tool we can use to make online access to Signature magazine easier and more attractive to patrons. Our market research survey showed that patrons did not know they could access the magazine online through the ESOs RSS feed because it was so hard to find. Additionally, using the ESO website as a means of signing up to receive the RSS code could increase readership by potential patrons (i.e., the public) who may be casually visiting the ESO site. (2) SOCIAL MEDIA Social media is an excellent way to keep up with the public demand for up-to-theminute information. It is also an efficient way to provide readers with exclusive content only available online. Even though daily maintenance is required, these tools will ultimately help to keep ESO patrons aware and involved in the goingson at the Winspear and in all things related to the ESO. Facebook fan pages are beneficial for keeping people constantly equipped with new links to the ESO website, Signature Magazine, and any other online resources ESO patrons may be interested in. A large proportion of the target audience is likely already on Facebook, so it would be wise to create and update a fan page that could potentially become a hub for the information the ESO wants to communicate to the audience. When a new digital issue of SIgnature magazine is released, this could be posted on Facebook.
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Twitter is a great way to connect with patrons, and have patrons connect with the ESO, in an efficient and concise way. Twitter could primarily be a means of tweeting links to exclusive online content and interesting stories to readers. It could also be used to remind readers to read about performances before actually attending, so as to increase readership of the magazine as a before the concert experience. (3) QR CODE QR codes are especially useful for giving people a look at exclusive content in an easy, accessible way. If there was a QR code on the back or front of a hard copy, it could give the reader access to exclusive articles and the online calendar that would contain information on upcoming events, contest opportunities, and more. (4) ESO APP A specialized ESO App would be an asset for keeping patrons in the loop about upcoming performances, events, fundraisers, magazine issues, and contests. It would be a good idea to create a smartphone and/or tablet App that would contain links to Signature Magazine and the online performance and event calendar, as well as information about performances, individual performers, and orchestra members. To create the App, the ESO could either contract it out to a web design company or solicit a sponsorship from a development company who would cover the cost of creating and maintaining the App. Interact with patrons around content development (1) 360 SURVEY The ESO is currently developing a comprehensive 3 - 6 month online survey that will be send to all its stakeholders (e.g., patrons, sponsors, donors, government) in order to improve all aspects of ESO operations. After consultation with the ESO, we recommend that the 360 survey include questions related to what stakeholders think and/or know about Signature magazine, similar to the original market research study our group completed. However, the 360 survey will reach more people and produce additional data that can be used to improve the Signature experience for readers and those who have a financial stake in the magazines content, such as donors, sponsors, and advertisers. (2) MAGAZINE INSERTS Magazine inserts, combined with a case for support, are an excellent way of presenting a tangible platform for donation support. Signature magazine itself communicates all the amazing things the ESO does and can encourage readers to donate to the ESO. The takeaway format of an insert allows the reader to

leave the magazine behind at the Winspear, but still puts the opportunity for donate directly in the readers hands for after the performance. Periodic inserts can could also be used to administer a short survey designed to connect with patrons and gain insight into what content they want to, or dont want to, see in Signature magazine. This method of surveying the readership could reach different demographic groups compared to using a solely online method of surveying. Use Signature magazine to communicate the ESO brand (1) CONTENT DEVELOPMENT Signature magazine could be an incredible tool with which to communicate the ESO brand to various stakeholder groups. In order to improve the ESOs image with stakeholders, readers must be informed that the publication of Signature is fully financed through advertising. Readers are not aware that Alberta Venture publishes Signature without cost to the ESO. This could be detrimental to the ESOs brand and image because potential donors and sponsors may decide not to support the ESO financially if they think their money is going towards publishing a fancy magazine. Therefore, each issue should contain (in a prominent place) an acknowledgment describing how the magazine is published. The ESO prides itself on its community involvement initiatives. However, survey respondents indicated that they wanted to know more about how the ESO partners with community organizations and what it does to support local artists. Some ways in which these important elements related to the ESOs image could be communicated to stakeholders within Signature are: a community event listing, feature articles on emerging Alberta artists, short profiles on talented student musicians in the education program, and ways in which the ESO supports community organizations. (2) ADVERTISING The ESO could recommend that Alberta Venture Publishing solicit advertisements that tell a story or engage the reader in unique ways. Market research respondents enjoyed these types of advertisements, such as those from Sherbrooke Liquor Store, and wanted to see more of them. This is an opportunity for the ESO to continue to align itself with advertisers who share the same demographics as the ESO.

TACTICS, TIMELINE, & BUDGET

Activity Timeline Estimated Budget

INCORPORATE SIGNATURE MAGAZINE TO THE ESOS STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE Website Make RSS feed more prominent on ESO website and include magazine description Create a sign-up form to receive RSS feed link to Signature Social Media Create Facebook fan page Create Twitter feed Post reminders on Facebook and Twitter before each performance with links to magazine articles QR Code Develop QR code (contractor) Ongoing maintenance/ troubleshooting ESO App Create ESO App for smartphone and tablet App maintenance/ troubleshooting May July 2013 $750

May 2013 April 2014

$350

Ongoing June July 2013 Ongoing

$4,800 ($50/hr x 2 hrs/week x 12 mo.) $500 TBD

June August 2013 Ongoing

ESO will look for a sponsor to cover the costs of App development TBD

INTERACT WITH PATRONS AROUND CONTENT DEVELOPMENT 360 Survey Create survey Implement survey Analyze survey data Compile report June 2013 February 2014 $15,000 (this includes staff salaries, survey resources, & printing)

Magazine Inserts Develop insert content Analyze effectiveness of inserts as related to donation revenue Compile feedback regarding content

April 2013 March 2014

Printing costs covered by Alberta Venture (staff salary costs TBD)

USE SIGNATURE MAGAZINE TO COMMUNICATE THE ESO BRAND Content Development Create acknowledgment describing how the magazine is published Develop additional content (as discussed on page 8) Follow up online survey to readers Advertising Identify vendors who are interested and able to create unique storytelling advertisements Work with Alberta Venture to align advertisements with 360 Survey results March June 2014 (after 360 Survey) $5,000 (staff salary costs)

Fall 2014

Free (Grant MacEwan AGAD 232 students) $2,000 (staff salary costs for both activities)

May 2013

March July 2014

GRAND TOTAL

$28,400

EVALUATION We will evaluate the success of the audience and resource development plan based on the following criteria: Track the number of email subscriptions to the online version of Signature magazine Number of Facebook likes and Twitter followers Twitter and Facebook comments by followers (in relation to ESO posts and spontaneous follower posts) Number of new advertisers Number of new donors
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New sponsorships generated by 360 Survey and by promoting Signature using social media and online tools Nature of 360 survey feedback Number of inserts returned with donations Number of inserts discarded at Winspear (not used by readers) Feedback about new magazine content Number of times ESO App is downloaded Number of times QR codes scanned

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