Dunedin Consort is one of the world’s leading Baroque ensembles, based in Scotland. As for many arts organisations, audiences have been challenging since the Covid-19 pandemic and the team at Dunedin needed to understand more about their audiences: who was still coming, who might return, and what insights could inform an audience development strategy to plan for future growth.
Indigo brought together all the data sources available to build up a picture of Dunedin Consort audiences. Because they are a touring ensemble, Dunedin Consort don’t have direct access to most of their customer data, so we liaised with their host venues and funder reporting portals to gather box office data on sales, audience geography and audience behaviour. We then carried out an online survey and targeted both Dunedin Consort’s own audience database and those audiences captured by the venues. We also extended the survey to a relevant panel of non-attenders to understand broader awareness and perceptions.
Using Indigo’s Total Insight model, we developed a portrait of Dunedin Consort attenders in terms of their profile, behaviour and attitudes, and worked out what really mattered to audiences. This led to recommendations on pricing, positioning and scheduling in order to maximise their reach and impact.
The Dunedin Consort team are using this deep understanding of their audiences to change communication to audiences and to plan future scheduling. The insight they gained gave them confidence to lean into audience perceptions of quality, authenticity and intimacy.
"We were impressed by Indigo’s approach from the very outset: their proposal showed the care, attention to detail and efficiency that characterised their work throughout the whole process. They were professional, responsive, and flexible to our needs, always taking on board any new ideas or questions we had along the way. The final report gave us new insights that will shape our work for years to come, with several of those ‘gold dust’ moments that every marketing team hopes to find. We would have no hesitation in recommending them to others, and look forward to working with them again in the future."
Jo Buckley, Chief Executive, Dunedin Consort