momorantings

Just a few thoughts on the changing landscape of arts journalism... Content aggregation vs. reporting. As newsroom staffs are being cut, an alarming number of original source reporting outlets are shifting to content aggregation. Very few media outlets now have dedicated full-time reporters that are assigned to the arts. With an increase in content aggregation and a decrease in original reporting, editorial power is shifting to the fewer outlets that are creating content which in turn feeds the increasing number of aggregators. Just a short time ago, it used to be that a significant story would be covered by several local and national outlets, allowing a well-rounded view of the story to emerge. Today, whatever the view of the originating source becomes the defacto view of aggregating outlets, thereby often times giving a single reporter the responsibility of judge, jury and executioner. That said, I have found that there are some journalists who aggregate content, and then editorial...

A spokesman for the British Hospitality Association recently justified the fact that some luxury hotels charge more for wi-fi by claiming that affluent guests are less likely to complain about the cost. “It's a commercial decision, and entirely up to the hotel,” he said. “Many owners regard wi-fi charges as a legitimate revenue source, and considering the size of some hotels, it can be a very lucrative one.” There are two things to say to that: The person whose tweet alerted me to the article is the founder of a very successful company who was unhappy about such charges on a trip to Australia. He noticed, he complained and then he publicised the fact. As soon as you start thinking of customers as revenue sources, you're placing the extraction of money ahead of good value service provision. Those customers will quickly notice that your priorities are diverging from theirs and they will divert their money to those of a more customer-focussed competitor. Everything a business doe...

A little more than a week ago, I announced that I would be leaving Arena Stage to lead the marketing and membership efforts at the Smithsonian Associates at the end of March. I've been overwhelmed by the kind words and best wishes sent my way. For that, I am very grateful. Some have also asked if I plan to continue blogging. As you may have noticed over the years, my blog covers topics that I am passionate about, often times motivated by current trends and experiences. As I move from a performing arts organization to a museum and research institution, undoubtedly my perspective will evolve over time. However, I hope to continue to contribute to online dialogue and debate. My four-and-a-half years at Arena Stage have been the most rewarding and exhausting of my career. When one decides to pursue a career in a field they love, like many theater artists I know, these two adjectives are not mutually exclusive; in fact, many would argue that you can't have one without the other. Wh...

The rise of Jeremy Lin continues unabated. Six games, six wins culminating last night in his scoring of the game-winning basket with 0.5 seconds left on the clock. Ten days ago, he didn't have a contact and had spent two years struggling to find a team. Perhaps, that was because he graduated from Harvard rather than Kentucky, or perhaps it was because he is Asian-American. As he became an international celebrity, the story was framed as an example of the triumph of perseverance, but it's really a story of managerial myopia. He didn't fit the normal profile, so he didn't get the role. What is worse, in the age of Moneyball , he didn't get the role even though the metrics had been positively analysed over eighteen months ago. Knowing your market is crucial, but you need to back up those instincts with a respect for and full understanding of the numbers. If you don't, you lay yourself open to running with the crowd and acting on conventional wisdom.

Amongst the weird and wonderful installations at the Yayoi Kusama retrospective at Tate Modern, I noticed the following marketing snippets from a letter she wrote to a gallery owner and one from a press-release. I believe we should furnish good planning and material to the no-good magazines to make them more interesting, rather than simply avoiding them because they are no good. They have the handmade look that comes from expert craftsmanship. Both date from 1968. Both apply today.

Doug McLennan, Editor of ArtsJournal , invited me to participate in an online debate on leadership in the arts. To kick things off, a panel of bloggers were asked to respond to the following prompt: "Increasingly, audiences have more visibility for their opinions about the culture they consume. Cultural institutions know more and more about their audiences and their wants. Some suggest this new transparency argues for a different relationship between artists and audience. So the question: In this age of self expression and information overload, do our artists and arts organizations need to lead more or learn to follow their communities more?" There has been vigorous debate on this issue, and to check out all the arguments, please visit the "Lead or Follow" online discussion here . As for me, below is my response to the aforementioned prompt: This week we examine the nature of leadership in the context of developing the most fruitful relationships with our audience...

There's liked and then there's popular. Marketers must be alert to the difference and remember that awareness is only part of the battle. If they had been genuinely popular, they wouldn't be closing down.