Building & Empowering Buzz Groups for Boston Lyric Opera’s Family Performances

The idea: Recruit parents in Metro Boston to spread the word The challenge: Build audiences for BLO’s Family Performances in new suburban venues The idea: Recruit parents in Metro Boston to spread the word The goal: Increase attendance by 25% per year over 5 year grant period

Year 1: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville Spring 2007 ● Created the “Barber Buzz Group” concept ● Staff reached out to personal connections ● Board member hosted coffee for interested parents ● Supplied buzz kits of posters and flyers (left) to 13 moms and dads ● Recruited parents to advise BLO on future programming based on responses to post-performance audience research (via Zoomerang): “Finally, Boston Lyric Opera may seek more in depth feedback about the audience experience at The Barber of Seville to help us plan for future productions and education programs. If you would be willing to be contacted by someone from the Company for this purpose, please provide your name, phone number and email here.” (28 responders)

Year 2: Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Spring 2008 ● Created “Hansel and Gretel Grapevine” ● Invited Barber Buzz Group members and research respondents to help ● Supplied Grapevine kits to 21 “Grapeviners” ● Recruited parents to advise BLO on future programming based on responses to post- performance audience research (35 responders)

Year 3: Mozart’s The Magic Flute Spring 2009 ● Created “Magic Flute Fans” ● Invited past participants and Board members ● Supplied kits to 12 “Fans” ● Sent super-sized kit to Director of Fine Arts in Melrose school system with materials for students to distribute to Melrose businesses ● Recruited parents to advise BLO on future programming based on responses to post- performance audience research (43 responders)

Year 4: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville Spring 2010 Invited past participants and Board members Supplied kits to 12 “Buzz Group” volunteers Added contacts for other performance venues in Weston and Dorchester as well as Melrose Recruited parents to advise BLO on future programming based on responses to post-performance audience research (64 responses)

Introductory materials in each Word of Mouth packet

In first 4 years of the effort Buzz Group Results In first 4 years of the effort ● Grew audience 420% between 2007 and 2009 ● 18% of survey respondents cited Word of Mouth as how they “first learned” about Family Performances in 2009 59%  65% of respondents reported being “extremely likely to recommend BLO to friends, relatives & co-workers”

“Buzz Group” Success Factors High quality productions Pre- and post-production audience participation Personal connections Highly engaged parents Excellent web content easily forwarded by parents

“Buzz Group” Challenges Personal touch is time-consuming Is not an effective tactic for diversifying audiences; better for broadening audiences