The thoughts of a data geek

Adam Buss, Chief Executive Officer of QUAD, has always been passionate about data (he is a self-confessed data geek) and the use of it to drive decision-making – not always on its own as data mixed with instinct can be a powerful force too. Having previously worked in commercial marketing, he knows how powerful data is for income generation and product development. This is something he wanted to embed within QUAD in Derby.

When QUAD opened in 2008 it faced a significant challenge in regards to audience development, as for many of its services it was starting largely from an audience of zero. Data was scarce and expensive and it went through a period of synergising existing desk research, some of which was out of date (census data), and most of which was non-specific to its aims and objectives. Adam commissioned new qualitative and quantitative data surveys to gain a broad but detailed analysis of the audience opportunity. He also took part in a number of cross-venue audience research projects, including work with comparative venues at the Broadway in Nottingham and the Phoenix in Leicester. These gave valuable insights into audiences, but also flagged up that their audiences had significant nuances and very little crossover.

Data insights are used in internal team meetings, board meeting stakeholder discussions and to help with fundraising and sponsorship opportunities

Adam says that Audience Finder is an exciting and potentially powerful force in arts marketing as we live in a world of big data that is sometimes used as much to frighten as it is to develop. He said: “Previously the arts have sat outside this world while commercial entities have driven forward. Our audiences are, and always will be, our most powerful asset and without them we are nothing. Audience Finder has given us the power to understand and reach them in ways we hadn’t previously understood.”

He also told me that before Audience Finder data was often hidden, only to be revealed once a year when surveys were collated and analysed. Now, through live box office data analysis, he can view anonymised audience data at any time throughout the year. This enables QUAD to be fleet of foot when it comes to opportunities – in conversations with stakeholders he can call up and interpret the data. To him, the fact that this service is free is even more impressive. The robustness of the data is crucial when he makes data-driven decisions. These are many and varied and are used in the context of board discussions, development of strategy and for making the case to funders and sponsors.

QUAD uses Audience Finder in a number of ways, starting with the annual survey, which has replaced its in-house survey, and informs its strategy going forwards. This enables it to make best use of the dashboard, primarily through the marketing team. Adam says that he personally accesses it fairly regularly to refresh his knowledge and help illustrate discussion points. Data insights are used in internal team meetings, board meeting stakeholder discussions and to help with fundraising and sponsorship opportunities.

Audience Finder has reinforced his belief that data can support and inform all decision-making at all levels of the organisation. The findings of the annual survey are presented to the wider staff team to ensure that everyone knows where they are heading in regards to audience development objectives. This data is also shared with board members and has become richer every year as they compare like-for-like data. The data has highlighted some interesting challenges in regards to benchmarks and potential future partners, which has led QUAD to look further outside its region to seek new partners.

Adam says that he is always learning how best to maximise the data – and this will never end. He has some key tips for anyone using Audience Finder for the first time, or those who are new to data analysis:

• Consider your data collection methodology. It may be that if you only collect at one time of the year in one way, the data may not be representative of your whole audience. This is particularly so if you are a multi-artform, multi-event venue with pockets of niche audiences.
• Find ways of creating a narrative around data. Huge amounts of data can be difficult to navigate so try and find a way of creating a narrative to describe the trends and audiences. Use quotes to illustrate broad points and refer to customers so the data doesn’t seem abstract.
• Ensure that everyone in your organisation is engaged in the process of analysing and interpreting the data. This may be as simple as getting heads of department to share key findings or by making it a standing agenda point at board meetings.
• Manage your resources appropriately. Data collection and entry can be a laborious task so make sure that everyone knows what is expected of them and put reasonable timeframes in place. A big box of surveys shouldn’t be anyone’s first involvement in the process.

As the Audience Finder ‘family’ of organisations develops, Adam can see the development of cross-regional partnerships where geography is not the defining factor on why organisations work together. Through greater understanding of audiences and trends, they can better shape our product campaigns.

Adam is excited by the possibility of identifying partners in other areas of the country, which have similar audience development challenges to his so that together they can find ways of sharing best practice. As QUAD moves forward into an ever-changing investment landscape with greater diversification in all fields of its operations, it is crucial to work together to use data to support each other and develop the sector as a whole.

Katie Flaherty is Regional Manager, East Midlands at The Audience Agency.
www.theaudienceagency.org