American Composers Forum
About
The American Composers Forum (ACF) enriches lives by nurturing the creative spirit of composers and communities. ACF, a national organization, provides new opportunities for composers and their music to flourish, and engages communities in the creation, performance, and enjoyment of new music.
Marketing Initiative
The American Composers Forum has served the field for 35 years with funding primarily from foundations and government agencies. The goal of its marketing plan, created in 2010, is to form and begin working on a strategy to increase support from individuals in the Twin Cities and other parts of the country. The marketing plan calls for development of an expanded, targeted database of prospects, along with communication strategies to engage and cultivate prospects on a sustained basis.
Highlights, 2010-2011
Over the past year, ACF clarified its unique position in the marketplace, which is at the heart of musical discovery. The positioning work ignited a change in ACF’s culture and crystallized a new direction. The organization not only continues to serve composers and communities, but now also seeks to more actively engage “curious listeners” and individual donors, using music to bring people together and nurture relationships. During year one, GdB, a branding firm, conducted market research and developed messaging, a new visual and identity system and corresponding website. ACF also created and filled a new staff position – Vice President of Development – whose efforts to enhance the individual giving program resulted in a 16% increase in the number of donors to the annual fund, among other positive outcomes.
Marketing Activities, Year Two
- Implement and evaluate the new visual and identity system, along with improved social media and materials, oriented toward individuals, assuring that current and potential stakeholders can easily understand the organization, what it does, and why its work is important.
- Develop a database of people in the Twin Cities and Chicago who may become new donors drawn by the idea of musical discovery.
- Implement and evaluate communication strategies and cultivation events for donors as spelled out in a new Advancement Plan.
