Alison French

How Do You Become a Cultural Phenomenon? (from Arts Watch)

Posted by Alison French, Sep 22, 2010 0 comments


Alison French

Alison Schwartz

I wonder what makes a product, a store, an experience, an artwork a HIT. I am particularly curious about how certain products make it big when they aren’t playing by the rules.

Why is Target a beloved low-price big box store when most big box retailers are demonized for displacing the business of mom-and-pop shops?

Why is In-N-Out Burger a revered fast-food chain when fast food is unhealthy?

How is Blue Man Group still selling out performances with anonymous performers who don’t talk? Without a celebrity to anchor the show (such as Tony winners Scarlett Johansson and Denzel Washington), why should anyone pay attention?

While I am no branding expert, here are a few possible answers.

  1. Keep it simple. In-and-Out Burger has only four items on its menu – hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. They haven’t tried to also make salads, chicken tenders, fish sandwiches, coffee lattes, or apple pie. They don’t have a breakfast menu. They limit their grocery list so they can always have the best ingredients from local suppliers. Their cooks only need to know how to make four items, thus simplifying training. They may not provide the largest menu of options, but they offer the tastiest four selections.*
  2. Create a private club. If you are a regular of In-and-Out, you know there is a secret menu (thus the asterisk above). If you are “in the know” you know that you can also order a grilled cheese sandwich or an “animal style” burger. Blue Man Group has a loyal fan club that gets special access to performers and the creative team via an active chat forum and special fan meets at their productions. You may think that the Blue Men are anonymous, but ask any fan which silent blue guy is hitting the big drum, and she will be able to tell you his name, his dog’s name, where he went on his honeymoon, and what food he likes to eat after the show.  She is part of the family, and she even knows a family secret or two.
  3. Be inviting and welcoming. Target stores on the outside look like big, foreboding warehouses. Especially Target Greatlands. But inside it is bright and colorful. The products it sells are current, eye-catchy, and welcoming. I have fun when I shop at Target.  When they unveiled the Liberty line of products, I couldn’t wait to see all the dresses, picture frames, pillows, and binders. And my friends reacted the same way.  We were bonding over mass-marketed fabrics.

How does this apply to arts organizations? Focus on key services and experiences that you do best and stick with them. Give folks a behind the scenes glance at what you are creating, and let them know it is a special window into your world. Welcome your patrons like you would your friends, and make it fun.

Arts Watch is a weekly cultural policy publication of Americans for the Arts that covers news in a variety of categories related to cultural policy including Culture and Communities, Arts Education and the Creative Workforce, Public Investment in Culture and Creativity, and Philanthropy and the Private Sector. The newsletter also features an Arts Watch Spotlight item and Arts Canvas – News from the Field, a short piece written by a different Americans for the Arts staffer each week.

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