A/B Testing Frameworks for Arts Marketing

October 2023

This article is related to a recently completed custom research project ABA conducted on behalf of a performing arts member. Our research team is always delighted to speak with members about tailoring research projects to your organization. To learn more or submit a custom research request, simply contact your member advisor or email us at info@advisoryarts.com. 

In a recent ABA Executive Benchmark, we learned that the most commonly used and successful audience retention tactics for performing arts organizations is offering discounts for future performances. If offering return promotions, however, arts institutions should consider this moment an opportunity to learn even more about their new attendees’ motivations through A/B testing.

Below, ABA members can download a short guide to A/B testing for arts marketing, which includes a template for determining the assumptions you will test and the experiments you will run to prove (or disprove) them. The report includes two sample experiments in a theater context — but the tool can be used across genres.