Marketing on the rocks

One of the high points of the Birmingham scene in 2005 was well-dressed YPs (that’s young professionals) sipping cocktails, snacking on fancy finger foods and admiring artwork. Art on the Rocks was the place to be, even if it was in, of all places, the city art museum.

Such success was surprising, probably even to the organizers, for the new monthly venture. And it was brilliant. Thousands of people actually paid $10 a head to visit a place they can see for free six days a week. Free food, cash bar, DJ, music act, craft activity and the most important ingredient, fun.

Can anyone, even the museum itself, match that initial success?

UAB’s Alys Stephens Center thinks so, and brought in an informal focus group to shape its plan. At stake, a piece of the growing YP entertainment market in Birmingham.

Center officials sent an evite to “young arts lovers,” promising free food and drink, along with a pair of tickets to a January performance. All for “a casual discussion about the arts in Birmingham and what you would like to see in a membership and discount ticket program for performances and events at the Alys Stephens Center.”

How could we refuse?

Around 30 participants arrived at 6 p.m. for tonight’s focus group. Leading the discussion were Jessica Simpson, marketing director, and Kimberly Kirklin, education and outreach director. We filled out questionnaires:

What have you seen at the Alys Stephens Center
What would you want in an art lovers group?
What would you pay for membership? tickets?
What do you spend on a night out?
What performers would you like to see?
And our favorite: Name this group. (Winning respondent receives a 2006-07 season subscription.)

The discussion was question and response, with many participants focused on money, such as membership fees and ticket discounts. We talked about after parties, artist meet-and-greets, educational components (yawn) and premiums (more yawn). Other topics included marketing, participation, frequency of events and more nagging questions.

It was a relatively inexpensive way to hold a 70-minute focus group: a few pizzas, a few beers and close to $1,000 worth of tickets. (That season ticket counts only if they actually pick one of our suggestions. Besides, who wants to see a bunch of shows by your lonesome, anyway?)

The museum’s overwhelming success (and profits) was too great to ignore, too seemingly easy to duplicate.

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is preparing to launch First Chair, as cleverly named as its singles group, Crescendo.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute launched Sixteenth and Sixth in 2005, which unfortunately fell on the same week as Art on the Rocks every month, creating unneccessary competition for the same YPs.
Even the museum is filling January through March with Dance with a Twist, featuring dance lessons in Cajun, Latin and disco, which is dead. (Let’s hope the lemon logo isn’t prophetic.)

This competition to provide entertainment options to younger patrons could lead to a stronger after-hours scene. One focus group participant argued that the quality of the acts mattered most, but the museum wasn’t selling Monet — it was selling martinis.

When one participant trotted out the tired complaint that “there’s nothing for us to do around here,” she was looking for fun. We don’t share her view. Birmingham has plenty to see and do, no matter your age or finances.

But if Alys Stephens wants to draw her business and others’, it needs to demonstrate that it can provide merriment for your money. The city has seen a few fads come and go, but we’ll always need places to meet, flirt and dream.

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What are you looking for in an arts group? Comments, please.