Consumers across the U.S. continue to support live entertainment events despite the recession. This is great news for producers of opera, symphony and theater groups. But these marketers must continue to advertise their offerings to stay top of mind with their core audience. Increasingly, this may mean using online media.
According to a recent Media Audit release, media use statistics for live arts events patrons are as follows:
- Heavy Internet users (3+ hours daily): 41.9%
- Heavy Outdoor users (drive 200+ miles a week): 37.5%
- Heavy Radio users (3+ hours daily): 21%
In general, about 3 out of 10 U.S. consumers attend at least one live arts performance annually. The audience demographics are typically more female (55.7%) than male (44.3%). And some U.S. markets enjoy higher attendance rates at these events. The Media Audit reports the following top five markets.
- Ann Arbor, MI 40.6%
- Hartford, CT 38.1%
- Long Island, NY 38%
- Washington, D.C. 37.6%
- New York City, NY 35.7%
As producers of this year’s Christmas concerts and ballets consider where to advertise their events, it seems a safe bet that many will allocate a significant portion of the budget to online media outlets.
[Source: FYI Newsletter, The Media Audit, October 2009]