This presentation was made March 19, 2014 by TRG's VP of Strategic Communications Joanne Steller. To develop donors and cultivate patron love that lasts, you have to start with a visitor’s first paid admission. In this webinar, learn from two decades of arts patron research what it takes to make donors—and keep them. With each ticket sale or donation transaction, you gain important information that can help you develop lasting relationships with your patrons. The patron loyalty experts at TRG Arts, a consulting firm, say the process of meeting patrons is like a love story. This one-hour webinar with TRG Arts will cover transactions that are turning points in your patron relationships and specific cultivation tactics that will help your donors fall in love with your organization. Grab your marketing, ticket office, and development colleagues to watch this informative webinar – because you all have a role to play in building donor relationships.

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THE ART OF THE UPGRADE
A TRG Arts Master Class for Blackbaud

2. The Art of the Upgrade
A TRG Master Class for Blackbaud
Hosted by
Joanne Steller
VP, Strategic Communications
Copyright © 2014 TRG Arts
All Rights Reserved

5. Vancouver Recital Society

6. What We Do
Patron Results
1. Consulting
Capacity building for sustainable growth
2. Data Services
Aggregation, analysis, direct response counsel
3. Community Data Networks
35 million households

8. Loyalty
A Love Story

9. Why Patron Loyalty?
Increased Investment
1. Strong relationships = lasting revenue
Increasing RFM (recency, frequency, $$$)
2. How? Upgrade
Ask the patron to take the right next step
3. First: Data

10. Photo by Todd Huffman

14. What’s an upgrade?
Action Next Step
Buy a ticket
Buy a small
subscription or
membership
Renewing
subscriber or
member
Buy another ticket
Buy a full series
subscription or
larger membership
Add on
donation or events

15. Two critical turning points

19. LOYALTY TRENDS
From Integrated Data
1. See patterns
2. Develop segmentation
3. Cultivate meaningfully

20. TRYER UPGRADE
A second date
Largest numbers
Long-lapsed patrons
New-to-file patrons
• Second, multiple attendance
• Same season
• More retention + lower attrition = GROWTH
• Must have: patron contact information
LOVE
OR
LOSE THEM

21. 4 year retention study
New buyers
SRT achieved second
date in same season
TRIPLED retention rate
Revenue kept growing.
More on this case at www.trgarts.com

22. Seattle Rep
Starting with the 2nd date
Year 1 Offer: same-season ticket offer ONLY
Nothing else.
Year 2 Offer: 3 plays for $99
5 tickets that year
Year 3 Offer: Subscribe!
6 tickets that year
Year 4 Offer: Renew!
First time renewal rate: 81%

23. Case Study:
First Timer Cultivation Group: Four-Year Study

24. Case Study:
First Timer Cultivation Group: Four-Year Study

25. Seattle Rep Case
Key Points
1. Retention is a worthy discipline
Requires focus
2. Asking for the second date
THE right next step
3. Growth is incremental
Monetizing engagement takes time

26. Next Step: Reactivate
Message: “Welcome
back”
How? Treat them like a
first timer and a valued
patron.
Next Step: Come back
Message: “Welcome—
thanks for joining us”
How? Make the first
time the best possible.
Next Step: Come back again
Message: “Thanks, and might
you wish to _____?”
How? Foster further
engagement by making the ask

27. GET ENGAGED
Upgrades to grow loyalty
Focus: Harness the power of “AND”
Include: All organizational assets
• Multiple attendance AND
• A range of activities
• The more they buy, the more they buy
• Engaged patrons stick

28. Add a donation
Renew Flex to Full
Renew & Upgrade

29. More on this case at www.trgarts.com
94% of subscribers now
subscribe to full series
Subscription revenue in
2013-14 has surpassed
goal and has increased
20% in two years.

30. Single Ticket
Buyers
New
Subscribers
Renewing
Subscribers
Renewing
Subscriber-
Donors
Per Patron
Yield $53.84 $156.05 $341.51 $550.42
Cost of Sale 20% 25% 3% 3%
Renewal
Rates
23% 46% 69% 88%
How valuable is loyalty?
A performing arts example

31. More on this case at www.trgarts.com
453 Super Subscribers
Gave $51,100
in Four Months
65% first timers, subscribers
of 5 or fewer years, or patrons
returning after lapsing.
70% no giving history.

32. UPGRADING
Everyone’s job
LOYAL
PATRONS
Marketing
Box
Office
Development

33. More on this case at www.trgarts.com
The Des Moines Performing Arts
ticket office secured 380 donations
totaling $3,887 for their education
fund. 70% had no prior giving
history.
The Arena Stage box office has
collected 2,834 gifts totaling $72,010
over 3 years.
Ordway Center achieved their goal
for box office giving halfway through
the 2011–12 season. They
generated 548 donations totaling
$12,758, including one $1,000 gift

34. ART of the UPGRADE
Every patron’s next step
Make a plan for every patron type
Focus first on biggest opportunities
• Consider the whole picture
• Choose efforts you can do best
• Collaboration gets the best results
• Learn to up-sell

35. The Art of the Upgrade
A TRG Master Class for Blackbaud
Copyright © 2013 TRG Arts
All Rights Reserved
Hosted by
Joanne Steller
VP, Strategic Communications

36. 5/2/2014 Footer 36
QUESTIONS
Contact Us
TRG Arts Blackbaud
E: LetsTalk@trgarts.com E: Solutions@blackbaud.com
P: 719.686.0165 P: 800.443.9441
W: www.trgarts.com W: www.blackbaud.com