Senior Digital Marketing Officer

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Marketing will lead a department responsible for reaching a goal of 40% ticket revenue of Pennsylvania Ballet’s $15m annual budget. The Director will manage, recruit, and build an effective department of top-notch digital marketing and promotions, public relations and communications, and web designer marketing, audience engagement and patron services staff scaled to the needs of the Ballet. This staff is assisted by an array of contractors and vendors, with contract negotiation and compliance managed by the department. Budgeting and spending must be responsible, and it is critical that all strategies are sustainable, offer a positive return on financial investment and are consistent with the organization’s overall arts agenda and business objectives. The Marketing group’s prime goal is to maximize each source of earned revenue, while enabling the Ballet to cultivate the love of dance among new audience cohorts. Success advancing Pennsylvania Ballet’s brand and market position will be measured by a strong triple-bottom-line emphasis that: • Honors Pennsylvania Ballet’s artistic vision, excellence and innovation as defined by the Artistic Director; • Drives public and audience engagement as defined by attendance of different audience cohorts that are targeted in an overarching Marketing Plan, and • Achieves financial targets defined by earned income goals (net of marketing expense). In addition to the Executive Director, the Director of Marketing works closely with the Artistic Director, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the co-Chair of the Marketing Committee, and the Directors of: Finance, Development, the Pennsylvania Ballet School of Ballet, Community Engagement, the media, and others.
While much of the technical work of marketing and communications is outside of the purview of the Artistic Director (ticket sales & distribution, design of the website, etc.), These include all images and descriptive content relating to the art of the Company, its artists, performances, works, choreographers, costumes, etc. In areas where the Artistic Director has final say, the role of the Marketing group is to consult with the Artistic Director in the role of client. Marketing will develop alternative marketing approaches and scenarios, forecast impact on attendance and revenue anticipated from different audience cohorts, and develop solutions with trade-offs that all can embrace. however, it must remain clear that the Artistic Director will determine how the art of this renowned Ballet company is presented to the public. In short, the Marketing Director will be a hands-on and deeply involved marketing professional responsible for maximizing revenue and attendance within an arts context that is defined by the Artistic Director and his team. The Director of Marketing is a Senior Leadership Team member, and provides the leadership, management and coordination for: • all Ballet marketing, ticket sales (subscriptions, single and group), and all ticket distribution (through the box office, online, and other distribution channels); • all communication and media relations (including the website, apps, social media, digital and conventional media and public relations), and • the customer experience of patrons and ticket holders who form the audience.
The Director of Marketing will be expected to: • Rapidly acclimate to the organization; thoroughly know the history, culture, traditions and current and prospective audiences for Pennsylvania Ballet; know all marketing, outreach, box office, electronic ticketing, and conventional and e-marketing activities of the department; • Provide staff leadership to the Marketing Department in all respects, including hiring, day-to-day management and motivation of marketing staff and contractors, ensuring professional development and excellence; engage all members of the Pennsylvania Ballet family in the effort to maximize earned income, educating them on various marketing and sales challenges and techniques; • Manage all day-to-day marketing, sales, research and evaluation activities of the Marketing Department, including but not limited to: administration of the ticket department, the Tessitura system, and relationships with current and prospective ticketing outlets to maximize subscription sales as well as individual, group, corporate and young professional ticket sales; placement of print, media and digital advertising and social media outreach efforts; Implement programs that leverage data to increase earned revenue through increased attendance, new ticket sales and improve customer loyalty interactions with patrons and prospective patrons, with an eye to moving single-ticket buyers into subscription and group-sales relationships; improve the Ballet’s market position and visibility as a ticketed or sponsored experience in Pennsylvania’s business and tourism sectors, and within the region’s highly competitive arts and entertainment market; With the Board’s Marketing Co-Chair, stay informed on: new ticket distribution channels; the internet and digital and social media as tools for serving and informing customers and selling tickets; trends across the performing arts and entertainment field; and technology that might be adopted by Pennsylvania Ballet to advance its objective of maximizing earned income; • Develop the budget for the marketing department and upon approval, ensure adherence to its financial guidelines; ensure contract compliance for vendors and contractors; • With the Board’s Marketing Co-Chair, continually update the Marketing Plan with strategies that advance the Artistic Director’s artistic vision and the Ballet’s brand while driving attendance and ticket sales; with Pennsylvania Ballet’s Finance Director, update pricing strategies that, along with attendance volumes, enable Pennsylvania Ballet to meet earned income goals; with the Chief Development Officer, develop approaches that will unfold throughout each year to optimize total earned and contributed revenue from individuals, organizations, businesses and foundations (including by sharing data among departments, developing joint approaches to leaders in Philadelphia’s business and tourism industries, and through day to day coordination of various kinds of major solicitations and ticket sales initiatives).
Significant experience with maximizing ticket sales is a pre-requisite for success in this position, as is solid experience managing a marketing department with a substantial revenue budget; demonstrated hands-on experience managing direct sales organizations that distribute tickets directly and through third parties, via the web or through alliance partners, would be beneficial;
• Sophisticated marketing and branding experience, with a track record of conceiving and implementing successful, innovative marketing strategies, plans and programs for other arts organizations, or other ticket-selling/audience development organizations with a reputation for quality and excellence (e.g. for sporting events, popular concerts, public performances, amusement facilities, etc.);
• Demonstrated ability to gain the respect and support of board members, artists, education and public program professionals, development and finance staff, partner organizations, the media and other stakeholders; Excellent written and verbal communication and persuasion skills, with ability to present effectively internally and externally from Board level to peers and subordinates as well as patrons, donors and community business and government leaders;
• Bachelor’s degree with a major in business, marketing & sales, the performing arts or related disciplines; familiarity with technology and how different technologies can be used to improve awareness and brand loyalty, drive ticket sales, improve the customer service experience, track performance indicators and provide for a lean and effective department infrastructure.
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