Data Sharing and the Arts

My theater - Pittsburgh Public -- is located in the heart of Pittsburgh's Cultural District and has closed ties to the Cultural Trust and to the surrounding arts organizations. These ties have been many years in the making, and as we try to navigate new economic waters and foresee the future of Pittsburgh still-developing cultural scene, we have been testing new ways to forge relationships and coordinate marketing and fundraising efforts. It's a difficult task, to be sure - especially when the comments of some prominent figures (*ahem* Rocco Landesman) encourage more competition for the sake of a "survival of the fittest" mentality". Still, our data sharing efforts are finally starting to pay off while many regions have yet to join the Cultural Data Project.

Here's an excerpt from the National Arts Marketing Project's blog post:

"While trust must be given, it must also be earned and respected in order for any data sharing relationship to grow. For example, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has been working with Elliott Marketing Group to compile and share the SMART Database, which allows organizations in Pittsburgh's Cultural District to pool their patron data and utilize consulting services as well as “best prospect” lists for more efficient, targeted promotions. The success of this data sharing program did not happen overnight. The arts council, the arts organizations contributing data, and the marketing group have spent years developing trust relationships with each other. Now, they have ten years of collaborative data, and the participating organizations clearly understand what they must contribute to the project and what they will receive in return. With each successive year, the data deepens. Correspondingly, the level of trust each of the contributing organizations has with the arts council and the marketing group also deepens."

To read more, click here.