Strategic marketing for the performing arts

Why Spektrix is central to future success for Huddersfield’s ambitious producing and presenting venue

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Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, written in a bold capital font in navy blue and turquoise

Lawrence Batley Theatre

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Huddersfield, England

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Producing & Presenting Theatre
Switched to Spektrix from SeatGeek in 2021

2020 was due to be the start of a new era for the Lawrence Batley Theatre, with a new Artistic Director, Henry Filloux Bennett and a new Head of Marketing and Communications, Josh Babcock.

Both had come across Spektrix in previous roles, and when they realised that the Lawrence Batley Theatre’s existing ticketing system was holding the team back, they were keen to bring the benefits of Spektrix to the venue.

“Some areas were just really limited - a fundraising consultant joined us to tap into data and drive donations, but the evidence wasn’t there to do that work effectively. Spektrix spent time understanding our priorities and showing us how a new solution could meet those needs.”
Josh Babcock
Head of Marketing & Communications

Future marketing strategy

Josh’s work began with a detailed, five year marketing plan for the performing arts programme, including indoor and outdoor performance spaces and catering facilities.

He contacted Spektrix early on in the process, well before the theatre was ready to make a definite move, and spoke to Allegra in the business development team. Those conversations helped him to understand exactly what the theatre could achieve with a CRM system that was truly designed around the needs of arts organisations.

Josh’s work on the strategy helped him to focus on delivering against the venue’s mission, reaching untapped revenue and strengthening underdeveloped connections with the community in Kirklees.

  •  477 seat theatre with a range of indoor and outdoor spaces
  • A small, busy marketing and box office team
  • Built by and for the community, with a mission to serve local people

Shared ambitions

The Lawrence Batley team believed that a CRM platform built for the performing arts sector would be more responsive and supportive than those with other priorities.

The arts sector knowledge at the heart of the Spektrix solution translates into data insights, shared best practice, and an annual programme of learning and events for users right across the Spektrix community. 

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Connecting with the community

There was a lot the Lawrence Batley Theatre didn’t know about their audiences, making it difficult for them to build a comprehensive fundraising and marketing plan for the performing arts.

Their mission is to reach out, build relationships, and serve a population the size of a small city. With a comprehensive view of audience behaviours across marketing, fundraising and sales activity, the team uses Spektrix to track data more closely, identifying trends and driving decision making.

Using automated email programs in Spektrix and Dotdigital, the team will deliver more bespoke communications and target potential members with dynamic content designed around their interests. They know there are people who would be willing to support the theatre’s work, but their existing membership scheme has proven too laborious to administer in reecent years. With more targeted communications and closer audience relationships, a tiered membership scheme - and a parallel programme for under 30s - is at the heart of the theatre’s audience marketing strategy, with an ambitious target of £10,000 in membership revenue within three years.

As a theatre built by and for the community, the impact of better audience data doesn’t stop at communications. That insight will inform future artistic programming, helping the team build attendance and develop new genres. Ultimately, they hope to make their audiences more representative of the demographics of Kirklees and measure the impact of their artistic and community work against their overarching mission.

In brief

  • It’s never the wrong time to explore what alternative CRM systems could do for you. A move might not be possible immediately, but the answers might influence your long term plans.
  • Your CRM platform isn’t an isolated tool - it should form part of your long term strategy for the performing arts. Look for a system that offers both the tools you need today, and the opportunities you need to grow in the future.
  • Comprehensive audience insight lets you measure not just your daily sales, but your impact across every channel - giving you powerful stories to drive revenue, relationships and funding streams.