At last month’s Classical:NEXT George Percy, Head of Digital at WildKat, was part of the panel discussion Data: The New Gold. He shares his conference experience and demystifies the world of data for the classical music sector
May 2024 marked the 11th edition of Classical:NEXT, with classical art and music professionals descending on Berlin after the event’s one-year hiatus. This marked my second conference, having attended the Rotterdam event in 2017 as Label Manager for Nonclassical, and I was excited to participate in the panel Data: The New Gold, alongside Kat Alder (Founding Director of WildKat) and Sebastian Kahlich (Commercial Director at myticket.de).
Having attended quite a few conferences, I find that the most beneficial insights are found through speaking with people on the ground and listening to their situations, needs and issues – a sentiment shared by many colleagues and peers. The sheer diversity of different artists, institutions and companies at Classical:NEXT allows for a wide-ranging perspective on the state of the industry and the challenges at each level.
Common problems – tailored solutions
As an agency professional, my primary goal is to solve clients’ problems and achieve specific outcomes. Conversations at this year’s Classical:NEXT reinforced that there is no one-size-fits-all solution: tailored approaches are essential.
Audience development and digital infrastructure featured heavily across discussions, with recurring concerns around partners gatekeeping crucial data from organisations and artists. This included venues not sharing first-party purchaser data as it “wasn’t doable”, despite its importance for future engagement and revenue generation.
People often adopt an either/or mindset when it comes to strategies, locking themselves into unproductive partnerships. My advice, which I also shared during the panel’s Q&A, is to find ways to invite your audience into direct communication.
Initiatives at your events can help transfer this engagement, allowing you to speak to your audience directly in the future: seeing where your audience is coming from and what they are interested in, and having the ability to speak to them directly is key to unlocking revenue.
What is data and why is it the new gold?
In my role as Head of Digital at WildKat, I help cultural organisations set up effective data and digital marketing infrastructures. Many people switch off at the mention of data, assuming it’s just “a lot of numbers”. However, data is simply “information, especially facts or numbers, collected to be examined and considered and used to help with making decisions.” (Cambridge Dictionary)
This information is the raw material for developing strategies and plans. Without it, you’re building on shaky ground. For those interested in delving deeper, I recommend the work of Dr Sarah Price, who has extensively researched audience development and qualitative data in classical music.
Humanising data: The handkerchief analogy
Data is often depicted as cold and mechanical, represented by arrows between a person and a server. This view needs to be challenged, especially in the emotionally rich world of culture and the arts. Data should be reframed to be viewed as a conversation between people.
To illustrate this, during the panel discussion I invited four audience members on stage to act out the three types of data (first party, second party and third party) using handkerchiefs. Each volunteer chose a coloured handkerchief which best represented them, symbolising their personal data.
- First party data: A direct exchange of data, like a conversation, which offers a more personalised experience. To illustrate this, I spoke to Amy Nelson (from Pentatone) and offered to give them a more individual and relevant experience if they gave me their handkerchief.
- Second party data: Data exchanged through a partnership, where another person had the first-party data conversation and then gave me the handkerchief.
- Third party data: Data collected by a business without direct links to your business or audience. This has a broader scope than the first two examples and was represented by Chris Lloyd (from 1871 Collective) sneaking around and snatching handkerchiefs from people, which I then “purchased”.
The digital world emphasises first party data as crucial for generating revenue and personalising communications. It allows you to build direct relationships with your audience.
The importance of personalisation
Personalisation refers to tailoring messages and content to individual preferences and behaviours. In recent years, consumers have come to expect relevant and timely communications. For the classical music industry, personalisation enhances audience engagement and loyalty, and according to the global management consulting company McKinsey, a data strategy can increase revenue for the sector by up to 25%. (Next in Personalization 2021 Report).
Historically, classical music marketing relied on broad, one-size-fits-all strategies. The shift to digital platforms offers new opportunities for personalised engagement, which is now an audience expectation. Competing for attention in today’s digital age is fierce, not just within the cultural sector but against all online businesses. Irrelevant engagement requests can quickly turn your audience away.
Culture has a unique advantage: an emotional connection. Art speaks to the soul, evoking deep, personal responses. This emotional resonance is a gift and must be carefully managed. A hard sell isn’t always effective; fostering a genuine emotional bond can have a more lasting impact.
Integrating emotional intelligence into your marketing strategies is essential. Emotional intelligence involves understanding and managing your audience’s emotions to create meaningful connections. When combined with data insights, it allows for a nuanced approach to personalisation that respects and engages the audience on a deeper level. This fusion can make your marketing efforts more empathetic and impactful, leading to more loyal and engaged audiences.
Achieving digital maturity
The journey towards effective digital and personalised marketing is filled with opportunities and challenges. This path will continually evolve, influenced by changes from major players like META, Google and Apple. This journey is unavoidable, and your digital presence is constantly being judged.
Google and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have developed a “Digital Maturity Test” for companies to assess their data-driven marketing and identify areas for improvement. As part of the panel, we created a condensed version of this test to help attendees gauge their digital maturity. You can take the test yourself using the QR code below.
By embracing personalisation and leveraging first-party data insights, you can navigate this evolving landscape, create meaningful connections with your audience, and drive long-term success in the classical music industry.
George Percy is the Head of Digital at WildKat having joined in 2019. With over 13 years of experience, he is a proven marketing and communications leader skilled in developing and implementing effective data-led omnichannel marketing strategies that have supported international companies, institutions and artists.
As an expert in Google and META tools and advertising platforms, Percy leverages his expertise in digital strategy, content creation, targeting, PPC, CRM, CMS and data analytics to lead his teams. Under his leadership, his teams have generated over €1m in revenue within the last five years.