Project Description

SITUATION: Music in the Mountains is a well-established non-profit classical music organization offering a broad range of concert experiences including their very popular SummerFest event featuring both pops and classical concerts. MMG was brought in to spearhead the marketing and public relations efforts with a special focus on SummerFest.

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to increase overall attendance to help offset an audience decline due primarily to the encroachment of a series of summer festivals offered during the same time period in the same region. While the decline of audience was somewhat steady and could also have been attributed to past programming, it was clear the vast variety of music offered in the area had also increased substantially over a 5-year period.

APPROACH: To increase attendance, MMG met with management to review historical information, look at current programming trends within the region and review concert selections with the executive director. MMG integrated with past marketing plans and created a new graphic direction, enhanced media buys which included substantial in-kind donations, while working within a budget of approximately the same amount as pervious years with modest increases. The main goal was to bring more patrons in from the I-80 corridor from Auburn down to Sacramento as well as surrounding areas within a 50-mile radius.

RESULT: These actions resulted an approximate increase of out-of-area attendance of 20% over two seasons.