I have read two truly life-changing books: Michael M. Kaiser’s The Art of the Turnaround and Magnus Still’s Effective Marketing by Classical Music Promoters. I am excited to hear that Magnus is writing a new book on subscriptions, his core area of competence.
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Rikkert Kremer
Former Manager Marketing & Communication
Former Manager General Affairs
The Residentie Orkest
Foreword by Robert C. Jones
Former CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Opera Pacific, Washington DC National Symphony Orchestra, and VP Music John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Introduction: The Traditional, Fixed Subscription Model Is Alive and Well
Chapter 1: My Own Journey Into The World Of Subscriptions– And Why They Are Important
Chapter 2: Is It Still Possible To Sell Subscriptions?
Chapter 3: The Audience Member Life Cycle
Chapter 4: Eight Different Kinds of Subscriptions
Chapter 5: Fundamentals for Success
Chapter 6: Five Practical Marketing Steps
Chapter 7: What Subscribers Say
Chapter 8: Can Everyone Run a Subscription Series?
Chapter 9: How to Manage the Downside
Chapter 10: The Big Picture 1: Balancing The Arts Management Mixing Board
Chapter 11: The Big Picture 2: Subscriptions Are About Much More Than Subscriptions
This book is dedicated to
all the hardworking people in the arts,
both on and off stage, and to the audiences we serve,
who give purpose and meaning to our work.
Magnus Still is the CEO and Head Project Manager of StillArt Limited, as well as Chairperson of StillArt’s Subscription Advisory Board. Founded in 1992, StillArt has worked continuously within various aspects of the performing arts industry, but now with a highly specialized focus on subscription growth. Utilizing StillArt’s proprietary Subscription Builder process, Magnus has built a solid track record of growing audience numbers across numerous organizations. Magnus is the author of the books Effective Marketing by Classical Music Promoters (2006) and Fill Every Seat – EVERY Week (2016).
Subscription Growth
Argovia Philharmonic, Switzerland
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Norway
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra - The National Orchestra of Sweden
Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Sweden
Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Sweden
Luleå House of Culture, Sweden
Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir
Tapiola Sinfonietta, Finland
The Residentie Orkest, The Netherlands
Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Germany
Vara Concert House, Sweden
TESTIMONIALS
“The work we have done with Magnus Still has been compelling across all Tonhalle departments. The system is logical, easy to understand and practically oriented, and the ongoing support of Magnus is very attentive and cooperative. The initial results of our subscription collaboration have already resulted in an increase of 70% in subscriptions and 35% in concert visits, which is immensely gratifying for all parties involved: the backstage crew, the artists and the finances.”
Michael Becker, Intendant Tonhalle Düsseldorf Düsseldorfer Symphoniker
“The StillArt approach is just what arts organizations need at this time. It’s pragmatic, innovative, trustworthy, and driven by a genuine desire to share the thrill of great performances with more people. And they produce the goods! With my personal experience of working with them, I am very happy to offer recommendation. Their work with the GSO encouraged us to think creatively, challenge our thinking, and dared us to do things differently.”
Ed Smith Managing and Artistic Director Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra CEO of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra CEO of Toronto Symphony
“I have read two truly life-changing books. The first was Michael M. Kaiser’s The Art of the Turnaround, the second Magnus Still’s Effective Marketing by Classical Music Promoters. I am very excited to learn that Magnus is writing a new book on his very special competence area of subscriptions.”
Rikkert Kremer Former Manager Marketing & Communication and Manager General Affairs, The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra
“The major benefit of having a lot of subscribers in the hall is (1) you can plan long term, (2) you don’t have to worry about sales figures for each individual concert, (3) the word of mouth subscribers spread. Well I could say 4, 5 etc … It gives us a very well planned marketing department. AND it also gets us good sleep at night.”
Urban Ward Communication Director Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
“I have followed Magnus Still’s work for many years and have collaborated with him on subscription growth on two big projects with different orchestras. The result has been above and beyond expectations. Still’s system is simple but well balanced and efficient. Just what we all need.”
Helena Wessman General Manager at Berwaldhallen – Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, Former CEO and Artistic Director at the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
“We are currently working our way through StillArt’s extensive mapping process. What gives me confidence that this collaboration will be of value is based not only on their clear competence, but also in their genuine interest in and understanding of how our organization actually works. Knowing that we will only compensate for actual results also makes me feel as if we are truly on the same team.”
Katrin Winkelmann Marketing, Finance and Communication, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
“After 36 plus years as a CEO and another 10 years as a COO to symphony orchestras and operas, my recommendation is to skip conferences and workshops for the next three years, and instead put the time and effort toward a StillArt collaboration.”
Robert C. Jones Former CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Opera Pacific, Washington DC National Symphony Orchestra, and VP Music John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, current StillArt Senior Advisor
READ THE INTRO
Bonus Materials
A SUCCESS STORY – FILLED WITH MARKETING TACTICS
Download the instructional six year long story of how Östgöta Wind Symphonics started a subscription series from scratch, sold out with 1,050 subscriptions in four years, started a new series with repeat concerts, and reached 1,800 subscriptions before the CEO moved on.
If you are thirsty for marketing tactics, this is a report you should read.
How Many Subscriptions do you need?
A core message of Fill Every Seat is to start with a clear and meaningful goal. We have learned that in the field of subscription marketing, this is very seldom done. The Ideal Subscription Level Calculator gives you very solid understanding of your ideal subscription level. A true eye opener for most people that have used it.