Happy New Year! Here’s our research publication calendar for January through June of 2024 so that you can make the most data-informed decisions for your cultural organization.
We recently wrote an article on the top trends we’ll be watching in 2024.
Not only is 2024 an election year, but we are also observing the impacts of our “new normal” informed by the pandemic. From the need to understand optimal pricing considerations to the implications of the “urban doom loop,” 2024 promises to be a year in which it will be critical for museums and performing arts organizations to stay vigilant and monitor emerging trends.
With that in mind, we are sharing our research publication calendar for the first half of 2024.
IMPACTS Experience is deploying intercepts via the National Awareness, Attitudes, and Usage Study in order to get to the bottom of the questions below. However, the schedule is subject to change for two primary reasons: First, we don’t yet know the outcomes of these research questions. After all, the data will be segmented around dates that have not happened yet! If outcomes reveal a pressing issue, we might add a new topic or shift the calendar so we can get our KYOB+ subscribers the information that they need.
Second, we are entering an election year. Unforeseen political issues or topics may arise that affect data outcomes. Regardless of your own political affiliation, many might agree that sometimes politicians running for office say the darndest things. Again, we will want to get real-time research outcomes into the hands of our subscribers swiftly.
This said, shifts in the publication calendar are likely to be minor and simply consist of adding additional articles or simply swapping certain weeks, should something pressing come up in the data.
The First Quarter: January 1–March 31, 2024
In January, our Premium Member and Premium Elite Partner organizations can anticipate a report with their own market potential analysis based on their institution and/or region, as well as a preview and analysis of the updated data-driven equation for optimal marketing spend.
And for all our KYOB+ subscribers, IMPACTS Experience plans to publish data to address the following topics and key questions here on Know Your Own Bone:
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- 2024 market potential analysis for cultural organizations (January 17) What was the industry’s actual attendance in 2023, and what is the 2024 expected attendance for cultural? This article – like many on this website – will be segmented for eleven organization types: Art museums, aquariums, botanic gardens, children’s museums, history museums/sites, natural history museums/sites, science museums, zoos, live theater, symphony orchestras, and other live performing arts organizations.
- Trends in ticket purchasing behaviors (January 31) How big a barrier to attendance is ticket purchasing difficulties? What is the redemption timeframe for tickets to cultural organizations? What methods are people using to purchase tickets (e.g. mobile web, web, etc.)? We’ll dive into these behaviors and more.
- Static, differentiated, variable, and dynamic pricing (February 14) What are the differences between these pricing models? How is the market responding to them for cultural organizations? When are we seeing them work well and when are we seeing them backfire? Dynamic pricing is one of the most popular topics that we’re asked about at IMPACTS Experience. Let’s talk about it – with data!
- Redistribution of demand and travel trends (February 28) Have folks returned to their pre-pandemic cultural visitation patterns when it comes to the entities they choose to visit? What are the implications of these changes? How are folks deciding where to travel? We will share research on the redistribution of demand updated for the new year, and dive into destination motivations.
- Field trips and adulthood perceptions of cultural organizations (March 13) Does attending a museum or performing arts event with a school group as a child correlate with positive perceptions of organizations in adulthood? Do childhood visits correlate with better welcoming perceptions in adulthood? A greater intent to revisit? By how much? If field trips do not increase these positive perceptions in adulthood, then what kind of childhood engagement does make an impact?
- The equation for optimal audience acquisition investments (March 27) How much should an organization spend on audience acquisition each year? How should that amount be broadly allocated within marketing and communication departments? We have the data. This in-demand article is an update on this equation, and it contemplates the percentage of revenue that proves most effective for investment in order to optimize market potential.
The Second Quarter: April 1–June 30, 2024
In Q2 2024, IMPACTS Experience plans to publish data to address the topics and key questions outlined below. We’ll also host a Q&A for our KYOB+ subscribers this quarter and will announce the date of the event in April.
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- Best practices when contemplating pricing research (April 10) Are you considering a pricing study to determine your organization’s data-informed optimal admission price? Pricing studies are one our most popular services at IMPACTS Experience. In this article, we’ll share some helpful information to inform your processes, like the best timing to start collecting data for a pricing study, the best times to roll out new pricing, and important factors to keep in mind when contemplating pricing changes.
- Diversity of members/subscribers and a data finding to help (April 24) How diverse are members and subscribers relative to overall cultural organization attendance? This article will reveal a trend we’ve been watching within the cultural industry that is likely to inform your member and subscriber engagement strategies – particularly if a long-term goal is to expand member profiles. We’re excited about this new finding and look forward to sharing it with you!
- Top factors for creating a welcoming guest experience (May 8) What are the top factors that make a guest experience welcoming, according to Americans? And what are the top factors that make a guest experience unwelcoming? We collect a lot of data on welcoming perceptions, but we’re often asked to drill down deeper into the factors that contribute to these perceptions so that organizations can work to be as welcoming as possible.
- The “urban doom loop” and what it means for cultural participation (May 22) During the pandemic, many people started working from home and Americans have not returned to the office at the same rates. This phenomenon has a whole host of implications: from more people living outside of downtown (where many cultural organizations are located) to an increase in crime-related safety perceptions in major cities. What does this mean for museums and performing arts organizations?
- Crime perceptions and implications for organizations (June 5) Crime perceptions are on the rise in metropolitan markets across America. Where is this perception the worst? Are these perceptions bigger barriers for exhibit-based or performing arts organizations? How big of a barrier are these perceptions overall? What can cultural organizations do about it and how might they approach this challenge?
- The unintended risks of targeting unlikely visitors before inactive visitors (June 19) At IMPACTS Experience, we talk a lot about active, inactive, unlikely, and non-visitors to cultural organizations. Inactive visitors are potential guests who have interest in visiting cultural organizations but do not attend. They are more diverse than active visitors, and they are our gateway to expanding audiences over time. But what happens if we skip the inactive visitors and allocate resources to targeting unlikely guests who don’t have interest in attending?
If you’re looking for even more detailed analysis as it relates to your own organization or type of entity or region, a Premium Membership or Premium Elite Partnership allows for ongoing communication and interaction, including specialized workshops and reports. We are so very grateful to work with cultural executives who are every bit as nerdy, curious, and passionate as we are. While we get to share the market research, we learn from these fantastic leaders every day.
We are looking forward to a great 2024, and we’re grateful to be by your sides as you do your important work.
Yours in expert analysis, real-time trends, and high-confidence research,
IMPACTS Experience
