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McB Smith

McB Smith is the Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Des Moines Opera. Christina Blodgett is the Director of Client Services & Consulting at Patron Technology.

E-Harmony: Developing, Nurturing, and Expanding Your Connection with Patrons
by Christina Blodgett with McB Smith

Maria Callas once described opera as beginning "long before the curtain goes up and end[ing] long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I've left the opera house." For McB Smith, the Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO), Callas’s words have become part of her philosophy to develop meaningful connections with patrons through e-mail, and to nurture and expand these connections from season to season.

Since the DMMO’s e-marketing program began three years ago, McB has used e-newsletters to capture the essence and the magic of opera, personalizing the performance long before patrons even enter the theatre. By asking for e-mails each time patrons order tickets or attend events, the DMMO’s e-mail list has nearly doubled. This enthusiasm and loyalty from patrons also translates to bigger sales; in 2007, the subscriber renewal rate was 75.3 percent, and 95-100 percent of all available tickets for each performance were sold...

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In last month's poll, we asked: "What percentage of your marketing budget do you spend on e-marketing (e-mail and your Web site)?"

The results show a relatively small investment so far. 53 percent of responders said they spend less than 5 percent on e-marketing, and 29 percent said less than 3 percent.

This month's question:
What percentage of people on your direct-mail list
are also on your e-mail list?

Click here to answer & see results

Here are a few recent posts from Gene Carr's Patron Technology blog. If you would like to receive updates as they are posted, click here to subscribe.









Learning From the Democrats: Raising Money Online
The non-profit world can learn a lot from watching the approach to fundraising taken by the primary candidates... In this post, Gene dissects the strategy and design of a fundraising e-mail.

TiVo and the Future of Advertising - The revolution is coming, slowly but surely
Many years ago, well before the general public had ever heard of TiVo, there was a cover story in The New York Times Magazine about how TiVo and other similar technologies were going to allow consumers to "time-shift" their TV-watching, and in doing so completely revolutionize the advertising industry.



Click here to read the blog, and submit your e-mail address in the upper left-hand corner to subscribe to e-mail updates.

THURSDAY, APRIL 17th 10AM-1PM
Los Angeles, CA
Presenter: Eugene Carr
Presented in conjunction with LA Stage Alliance and the National Arts Marketing Project.

The New Frontier: E-mail Marketing Essentials and Web Techniques

Catch up in the e-marketing race with the five basic steps and five top tips for success!
Take an in-depth look at design and editorial choices that increase e-effectiveness!

Click here to register and for more information

This spring, we are planning seminars in Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, New Orleans, Toronto, and more. We'll update you as these sessions are confirmed.