Is classical music PR running out of road?

Read the full article in this edition of International Arts Manager

The expressway of PR has come to an intersection, and every arts and culture professional must decide whether to keep driving or change direction. WildKat Founder Kathleen Alder’s article ‘Is classical music PR running out of road?’ featured in the June edition of International Arts Manager tackles a familiar question for arts and culture professionals. There is an autopilot mode for many in the industry to keep with tradition, stay in one lane, and embrace the classical arts with methods that have long been proven and reliable. But what if there was another option for expanding into new horizons?

Enter digital marketing. Taking the next turn on the expressway, this exit allows the seemingly endless and blurry heat mirage of traditional PR to verge into new territory. Arts marketing with digital platforms and strategic communications provides tangible results beyond the visibility that PR boasts—not only in the form of measurable metrics, but also in how artists can build a base of support, connecting them to an even wider scope of audiences who resonate with their mission.

It may seem as though PR is more authentic—there are real people behind the scenes with human voices, propelling equally human stories to the forefront of the public eye—whereas digital marketing is nothing but numbers and data, cold hard facts separate from any kind of authenticity. But marketing strategy is not possible without considerations of an artist’s or institution’s innate goals, digging into the heart of why they care about sharing their creations and performances with the world.

In Kathleen’s words, “If the true purpose of PR is to connect, to contextualise, to create resonance between artist and audience, then we need to be honest: coverage alone is not connection, and repetition doesn’t equal relevance.” Like WildKat itself—which was originally named ‘WildKat PR’—many artists and institutions are adopting digital strategy to boost awareness and audience interest.

Social media platforms provide numerous advantages: glimpses into the everyday life of creatives, bite-sized and accessible educational content for those uninitiated into the classical world, and opportunities to showcase upcoming and real-time events in advertising. Investment in analytics offers tangible data: insights into highly-specific target audiences, activity and engagement tracking in measurable forms, and a quantity of results that would otherwise take an unfathomable amount of hours to compile and individually evaluate.

This is why “PR can’t fill the hall” on its own any longer. There is space to fill our halls with not only the solos of interviews, articles, and features, but also the wider symphony of strategic campaigns, content creation, and brand connection.

Read Kathleen’s article for more details about how marketing fits into the arts and culture space. We know the digital world moves fast, with a lot of noise! If you need further help or consulting, please get in touch at [email protected]. We’ll be happy to connect!