Editorial

What happens when organizations market bold, socially charged work like they’re nervous it exists? In this piece, Marketing Moments explores the difference between framing and defending through the lens of "Barbie", "The Woman King", and nonprofit arts marketing. Because audiences can handle honesty. What they struggle with is hesitation, vagueness, and organizations that soften their own point of view before the conversation even begins.

In large institutions, someone sets the strategy, and someone else implements it. In small and mid-sized arts organizations? You are interpreting everything.

The idea that Black stories don’t draw large audiences has never been true. It’s just been convenient.

In the nonprofit arts world, we love to believe we’re above the fray. We tell ourselves we’re “neutral,” “inclusive,” “about the work.” But in the era of cancel culture, conscientious consumerism, and identity politics, well everything becomes political. Every logo, every color palette, every casting decision, every donor thank-you note says something. Are you saying what you mean to say? Or are you speaking so broadly that you’ve ended up saying nothing at all?

If your arts organization refuses to consider discounting packages, pay-what-you-will nights, or affinity group ticketing strategies, let me say the quiet part out loud: you are upholding exclusionary systems rooted in white supremacist culture. Full stop.