Seminar: Advanced Branding Strategies for Music Organizations
Roundtable Discussion: Music and Marketing in Philadelphia

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Approximately fifty individuals gathered at Settlement Music School in South Philadelphia for a seminar and roundtable discussion entitled Advanced Branding Strategies for Nonprofit Music Organizations. Featuring Deborah Obalil, Executive Director of the Alliance of Artists’ Communities in Providence, Rhode Island, and Aleba Gartner, President of Aleba Gartner Associates in New York City, the event offered regional organizations an opportunity to refresh their understanding of marketing strategies and hear feedback from the speakers on their experiences consulting with Philadelphia music groups through PMP.

Deborah Obalil began the event with a presentation on identity development that explored the nature and purpose of branding, addressed its relation to better knowing and attracting audiences, and analyzed examples of the visual identities of several national music organizations.

Reviewing the basics of branding, Obalil noted that a brand serves as both a trusted promise and encapsulates a “big idea” behind the organization. For example, she illustrated, though Nike sells shoes, its big idea is winning, and behind Starbucks are the ideas of sociability and consistency. Branding defines organizations relative to their competition and articulates what it has that is worth the attention, time, effort and money of potential audiences.

Obalil went on to delineate the steps in identifying customers, and particularly, the importance of audience segmentation. Quoting Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerilla Advertising, she commented, “Segmentation is saying something to somebody instead of saying nothing to everybody.” Obalil’s tips for effectively segmenting one’s audience include improving audience surveys, for example, sorting single from season ticket buyers or asking what other activities audience members do with their leisure time.

Following customer identification, Obalil suggested that music groups consider their competition: what are the strengths and weaknesses of competing activities, and how does your organization compare and contrast with those? What distinct position might you claim? In order to gain an accurate sense of one’s organization and its competition in the eyes of a customer, Obalil encouraged groups to employ an objective observer and to analyze the total customer experience, up to and including the atmosphere of the venue where events are held. Finally, she offered the “kitchen table test”: throw all marketing materials of yours and your competition’s on a table and compare the materials for their ability to speak to the heart of their intended target, ability to stand out, and internal consistency.

The last component of Obalil’s presentation regarded “core competency,” or the ability to articulate and utilize an organization’s uniqueness. Exercises to identify uniqueness include listing ten things only your group does and imagining, if it died tomorrow, how it would be eulogized. When what is unique about your organization can be clearly stated and wedded to what your audience values, Obalil argued, a strong brand and visual identity can be established.

Afterward, she and Ms. Gartner provided observations from their consulting experience and fielded questions from the audience regarding Philadelphia-specific branding issues. Ms. Gartner emphasized the importance of using efficient, professional language in press materials. Many questions from the audience focused on particularities of communicating with Philadelphia-area press and competing for limited arts coverage.