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    Hot Topic: Subscription – is there life in the old dog yet?

    Subscription is an old-fashioned and out-dated idea – right? But what if the way to reach the “time-poor” is actually to get them to make a commitment? And do the maths; if it costs five times as much to capture a new customer as keep an existing one, and you can sell the existing one ten tickets….

    Last month, we asked you to vote on whether you saw a future in subscription. Here’s what you said:

    89% - YES – There’s life in the old dog yet!

    11% - NO – Subscription? You’re barking up the wrong tree!

    Thank you to all who sent in their comments or came to join the debate in person at the Arts Marketing Association conference.

    Our strategic paper on The Future of Subscription will feature key ideas arising from the debate, and will be published on this site soon. To make sure you don’t miss it, join our mailing list, and we’ll let you know when it is available to download.

    Related resources

    Subscription
    – article, Arts Professional, Jan 2002
    "If it wasn't for my subscription, I'd never go out..."
    Subscription at Derby Playhouse
    – case study
    "Generating earlier cashflow was critical..."
    Discounting for Frequency
    – briefing note
    Yield should be sacrificed and prices discounted as much as is necessary to generate more attendances...
    A Tale of Subscription – "Jump the Q"
    – case study from prior AMA conference
    "The scheme was not designed to earn more income, but to bring more people into the theatre..." .