What is the best way to market for a non profit organization?

Question

I work at an opera company and it is extremely hard to market...first of all nobody really seems to care about opera, second of all they are not aware that we are non profit.

We have tried demographic expansion, developmental plans, fund raiser and donation campaigns, we added youtube, myspace, and facebook pages, we send out newletters, flyers, promo items, we have commercials on tv and radio, and we put articles in the paper, magazines, and local write ups. I'm trying to make opera appeal to younger generations and give it a kind of "underground" vibe...we all know that classical music is the new underground...any advice or tips?

Answer 1

Opera isn't exactly a product that sells itself... the singing is brutal to the modern ears.  I don't think all the marketing in the world is going to get people interested.  Read "Tipping Point" by Malcom Gladwell... you'd need to get a few very hip and socially connected people into it.  People do stuff that the cool kids do, so if you can convince a few really frikkin cool kids that it's cool, they will provide all the marketing you need.

They won't get into something JUST cuz it's "underground."  It has to be underground AND spark their interest.  Opera is an 18th century media.  The presentation is outdated, the languages are never English, and the singing is way too different from what we like now.

That being said, maybe u just need to offer up some pizza?  Or wrap somethin else into it, like let ppl play Wii beforehand?  idk... i love classical music, but opera kills me... and most young ppl can't even get into any classical at all, nevermind the real vocal stuff.