Culture Consultants Ltd

In October 2021 Culture Consultants were engaged by Bristol Old Vic to create a new membership scheme. This was to replace a previous scheme which had struggled to gain traction and was dependent on offering considerable ticket discounts. In devising a new scheme there was a strong emphasis on developing the supporter journey so that membership was a part of the broader programme of Individual Giving schemes. This would help the Theatre to become less dependent on ticket sales and more able to plan confidently for a future with assured philanthropic income. A key objective was to devise ways that Members could become more engaged with the Theatre’s programmes, food and beverage and retail offers, and to become advocates for the Theatre. Via a combination of audience research, data analysis, staff engagement and industry benchmarking, a solution was devised which created three new tiers of membership, priced to be accessible yet also to create higher levels of income. These all contained elements not hitherto offered to Members and were kept simple, so that each had three principal benefits. Discounts offered were greatly reduced and the messages around support and sustainability given a central role. Additional advice was provided about effective staff sales training, marketing collateral and retention activities. The new scheme is due to go live in Spring 2022.