In Tuesday’s (2/24) Philadelphia Inquirer, Christopher Wink writes about the ways Philadelphia arts organizations are deploying online social networking for marketing. “The Kimmel Center has a Flickr photostream. The Curtis Institute of Music is on LinkedIn. The Arden Theatre and the Franklin Institute use Twitter. The Philadelphia Orchestra has a MySpace page. The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and just about every other arts organization in the city has a Facebook page. … Among other initiatives to entice young listeners, the Philadelphia Orchestra promotes its EZSeatU, which offers open season tickets to college students for a one-time $25 fee. ‘Social media is the backbone,’ said J. Edward Cambron, the orchestra’s vice president for marketing. The orchestra hosts Facebook nights—$10 rush tickets to those who visit its Facebook page—that draw 50, 60 or more youthful takers. It is tinkering with its podcast—the Podchestra—and has invested in Facebook ads focusing on young Philadelphia college students, Cambron said. … In June, the League of American Orchestras will host its annual conference. While using social media isn’t on the agenda for the Chicago meeting yet, Cambron said his discussions with leaders of other big orchestras in places like New York, Chicago and Cleveland suggest that the trend could become a major theme.”
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