Why Arts Experiences Are Difficult To Market
A thoughtful look at how arts organizations can reduce uncertainty and communicate value before the experience.
Many arts experiences are what economists call experience or credence goods — where the value isn’t fully known until after the moment itself. Selling the Unknowable, a piece from ArtsManaged Field Notes, explores how arts marketers can think differently about audience uncertainty and evidence, moving beyond price and promises toward clarity, trust, and better communication. This perspective resonates with the way we think about marketing and decision-making in the arts — practical, grounded, and rooted in real organizational contexts.
Read the full article: Selling the Unknowable (ArtsManaged)
What I appreciate most about this piece is how clearly it names the gap between what arts organizations are asked to sell and what audiences can reasonably know in advance. It’s a useful reminder that marketing in the arts isn’t about over-promising or simplifying the work — it’s about reducing uncertainty, building trust, and helping people feel oriented enough to say yes. That framing sits at the heart of good planning and facilitation, and it’s worth returning to as we think about how we talk about our work.
Thanks, Andrew!
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