CI to Eye with Monica Holt

Marketing and development teams in arts and cultural organizations work toward the same goals: generating revenue, deepening relationships, and advancing the mission. But too often, they’re doing that work in silos—on separate timelines, using different tools, and speaking to the same audiences in different ways. The result? Missed opportunities and diminished impact.

In this episode, Cincinnati Shakespear...

Recent political developments in the U.S.—from executive orders to proposed agency closures and evolving federal funding guidelines—have placed cultural organizations at the center of a national conversation about how institutions uphold their values and navigate their role in a rapidly changing America. 

In this episode, Brett Egan of the DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management breaks down what...

Great experiences don’t happen by accident—they’re designed with intention. From the first click on a website to the moment a visitor steps through your door to engagement after they leave, every interaction shapes how people feel about an organization. So what does it take to create a truly exceptional guest experience?

Emily O’Hara, Senior Director of Guest Experience at the Detroit Zoological Society, t...

As we face growing political tensions in the U.S. and unprecedented government interference in arts and culture programming, sustaining our commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility (DEIBA) is more critical than ever. Recent executive actions have limited resources for our industry and further silenced historically excluded voices in our field. As these challenges mount, we must find new...

The end of the year is a busy time for arts administrators, packed with holiday campaigns and fundraising deadlines. With so much happening, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. So today we’re taking a moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with our “why.” 

In this episode, we revisit a popular Boot Camp 2024 conversation with CI President Priya Iyer Doshi and Terri Freeman, President of The Lew...

In today’s post-pandemic world, keeping our audiences engaged and organizations financially healthy can feel like an uphill battle. Changing audience behaviors have disrupted traditional marketing strategies, and high churn rates among first-time visitors, subscribers, and donors are slowing revenue growth. But what if there’s a way forward that breaks from the traditional playbook?

In this episode, CI Pre...

The world is full of injustice and inequity, and most arts organizations have the best of intentions to be responsive in thoughtful and meaningful ways. But it can be challenging–boards and long-time patrons can push back on programming and messaging that feels unfamiliar to them, and change can feel unbearably slow when your organization lacks the necessary connections or resources within its larger community.

A solid web analytics strategy gives the insight you need to better understand your audiences, optimize your campaigns, and ultimately, drive more ticket sales or donations. But for many arts marketers, justifying a greater investment of time and money in web analytics can feel like an uphill battle—especially when making the case to senior leaders who are farther removed from the digital weeds.

In this episode, we’ll help you brid...

Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent veto of over $30 million in arts and culture funding is more than just a financial blow to Florida arts organizations—it undermines the social and economic contributions our industry provides. How can we clearly communicate the vital role our organizations play to stakeholders and policymakers?

In this episode, CI’s VP, Managing Director Christopher Williams speaks with Chris ...

Social media is more than just a content dumping ground. It's where your organization makes its first impression on potential audiences and fosters relationships with existing fans. Press refresh on your paid and organic social strategies to tap new audiences, drive ticket sales, and cultivate brand loyalty in the season ahead.

Digital Download (2:10) - Dan sits down with CI Consultant Natalie Martinez to talk about ad...

A new cohort of inspiring and determined individuals has moved into leadership positions at cultural organizations—and they’re challenging traditional notions about what arts management should look like.

In this episode, CI’s VP, Managing Director Christopher Williams sits down with three young leaders to discuss generational shifts in leadership styles, navigating the complexities of people management, an...

What sets successful diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and access (DEIBA) initiatives apart? It's not about checking boxes; it's about prioritizing authenticity and thoughtfulness. 

Some of the most impactful DEIBA work in our industry begins with arts organizations fostering genuine community partnerships and engaging audiences in meaningful ways. In this episode, we discuss inspiring examples of h...

Audience behavior has changed significantly over the past few years, and pre-pandemic benchmarks are all but obsolete. If we want to adjust to the demands of today’s market, we need updated markers for success.

Enter: CI’s brand-new Cultural Compass study. We pulled from our own bank of campaign data that spans  over 150 client organizations to uncover the latest digital marketing benchmarks and emerging t...

Audience engagement is critical for attracting and retaining new attendees. But what exactly does it look like in practice? 

For Holly Mulcahy,  “audience engagement” isn’t just a marketing platitude—it’s a promise. In this episode, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster and Partner for Audience Engagement shares what wine-tasting and birdwatching have to do with orchestral music, and why deepening...

Across a variety of artistic genres, we see persistent gender imbalances among the creatives and leaders who make the art possible. That’s especially true for dance, where women continue to hold fewer artistic director positions and receive fewer choreographic opportunities than men despite making up a significant majority of the dance workforce overall. 

As full-blown data nerds here at CI, we believe you...

What do we do when “the classics”—those canonical treasures that embody the rich traditions of our genres—start to feel outdated for today’s audiences, or even at odds with our missions?

In today’s episode, we take a close look at celebrated works from the classical Western canon that include harmful portrayals of non-Western cultures, and hear how one artist is taking action to prune and preserve the art ...

Holding the artistic reins of an organization is no easy feat—especially when that organization has been around for generations and has a deep-rooted legacy. As a leader, how do you honor the rich history of your institution while effectively steering it into the future? 

As New York City Ballet celebrates its 75th anniversary season, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford reflects on the Company’s continued ...

The changing digital landscape might present challenges, but it also presents a great opportunity to reassess and refocus as we head into a new era of digital marketing. 

At CI, we pinpointed five key areas that will set arts and cultural institutions up for success in 2024. Catch up on the first two priorities in Part One, then delve into the final three priorities in today’s episode. You’ll get insights ...