As the year 2023 draws to a close, it's a time for reflection, celebration, and appreciation of the incredible achievements and outstanding successes of our clients, who have not only met but often exceeded their goals in remarkable ways. From soaring ticket sales to innovative marketing strategies and record-breaking performances, each story is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and dedication of these teams.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra has witnessed a remarkable increase in both ticket sales and revenues. Their ticket sales soared by 302% and revenues by 105% compared to last year's Black Friday. This significant growth is attributed to a strategic expansion of their marketing efforts, which included postcard mailing and paid digital and social media advertisements, in addition to their traditional email and organic social media approach. The return on total investment this year was an impressive 177%. The Orchestra's recent "Home for the Holidays" program also performed exceptionally well, recording a 36% increase in revenue and a 20% increase in single ticket sales over the previous year. Key strategies that contributed to this success included a Christmas in July sale, the creation of short-form video content for social media, optimizing website copy, expanding digital advertising, and promoting a children's ticket program.
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has shown significant growth in its Holiday Pops program, with revenues up by 23% and unit sales by 8% compared to last year. Comparing to the pre-pandemic period of December 2019, revenues have increased by 25%, though unit sales saw only a modest increase of 0.5%. The revenue growth is largely credited to the implementation of a new pricing scale that better reflects demand patterns, alongside more marketing touchpoints and the introduction of dynamic pricing using an automated system. The TSO's strategic decision to layer in additional marketing efforts over the summer and fall has been crucial in driving the success of their Holiday Pops sales.
Charleston Symphony is on track to achieve at least a 29% increase in revenue and a 14% increase in units sold over last year for their holiday concerts. Since these programs typically sell at over 90% capacity, the focus has been on price optimization rather than unit growth. The marketing campaign began early in July, emphasizing early access without discounts due to consistent sell-outs. The Symphony's successful campaign strategies included reallocating spend from traditional media to digital platforms. Additionally, the introduction of a third holiday program post-pandemic, encouraged by TRG, has led to record holiday sales for Charleston Symphony.
Mānoa Valley Theatre, led by current Executive Director Kathleen Young and former Executive Director Kip Wilbourn, worked with TRG to change declining trends in ticket sales. By incorporating TRG’s subscription and single ticket best practices and completing a structural reorganization to add a full-time marketing team member, the modest team realized real results. As of early December, the team at MVT has achieved a 15% increase in their season subscriber base, sailing past goals for new full subscriber acquisition. With sales for the new, flexible, Pick Your Pack package still available through the spring, total subscription sales will continue to rise above these already impressive numbers.
The Minnesota Orchestra’s Black Friday Sale generated a significant increase in revenue, up by 34%, with tickets sales rising by 22% compared to last year’s sale. This growth is largely attributed to a streamlined sale timeline of one week compared to three weeks last year, and focusing messaging on single tickets specifically. Notably, classical single ticket sales specifically soared by 128% in revenue and 106% in ticket sales. Revenue from subscriptions also showed a robust increase. The Minnesota Orchestra's effective communication strategies and successful implementation of email and digital marketing played a crucial role in these impressive results.
The National Ballet of Canada, with a fundraising team led by Diana Reitberger, has revitalized its fiscal year-end fundraising campaign. By aligning with TRG's best practices, revising collateral, and implementing a detailed, multi-channel campaign plan, the National Ballet’s annual fund team soared to the end of the fiscal year. The acquisition campaign exceeded the unit goal by 31% and achieved 162% of the revenue goal. In addition, the refreshed campaign excited more than just new donors, bringing in 52% more in additional gifts from existing supporters than projected.
As the curtain falls on another incredible season, Pitlochry Festival Theatre is celebrating a monumental success! "Sunshine on Leith" wraps up its run as the highest-grossing winter season show in Pitlochry Festival Theatre's history, also hitting the second-best total of tickets sold, the best since 2018. What makes this even more extraordinary is that they presented the same show just last summer. Yet, in its 2023 winter encore, "Sunshine on Leith" achieved a 3% increase in average revenue per customer, and welcomed more new audience members than it did in 2022!
2023 has been nothing short of spectacular for our clients. The successes of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony, Mānoa Valley Theatre, Minnesota Orchestra, National Ballet of Canada, and Pitlochry Festival Theatre and more stand as shining examples of resilience, innovation, and excellence in the arts. Their achievements not only reflect their commitment to their craft but also their ability to adapt and thrive in changing landscapes. We are proud to have played a part in these incredible stories and look forward to seeing what new heights they will reach in the future. Here's to another year of remarkable accomplishments and continued success in 2024. 🎉🌟🚀🎭🎺🩰✨