One of our clients e-mailed about a new kind of family orchestra concert, and it surprised me that I hadn't heard of anything like this before. Up until now, family concerts meant adults sitting with their kids listening to a concert designed for kids.
Now the Arts Viva Symphony Orchestra in Chicago has a new spin on that, called "Music for Life." Here's what they say about it:
You bring your children (or grandchildren) to our concerts and, after the orchestra has played the first piece, Maestro Heatherington will invite the children to go with the professional music educators from the Music Institute of Chicago to classrooms in the building. There they will be engaged in musical and educational activities related to the piece they have just heard. They hear the orchestra and then have fun learning and experiencing classical music in an age-appropriate setting with highly skilled teachers while you continue to enjoy the concert
This seems clever to me. Parents get to hear a professional concert, the kids get a small exposure to the real thing, and then are taken separately for an experience that suits them. In the end, everyone benefits, and as the orchestra points out, "there are no baby-sitters." Here's their Web site where you can read more: http://arsviva.org/musicforlife/index.html
I realize this ain't clever online marketing, but it's definitely clever.
Gene,
Thanks for sharing this excellent example of an organization knowing its audience. Arts Viva Symphony Orchestra obviously realizes that many classical music lovers a) are parents of young children, b) would love to attend more concerts, but find it difficult -- financially and/or logistically -- to afford both the tickets and a babysitter, and c) are searching for engaging ways to introduce their kids to classical music. I can certainly relate. If only every orchestra would catch on...
Great online marketing has great marketing at its core, so this case study certainly is relevant.
Emily
Posted by: Emily Meyer Bowles | January 08, 2008 at 09:47 AM