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New Orleans Ballet Association
& SMQ Consult

Optimizing New Orleans Ballet Association's Digital Presence and Selling Out Alvin Ailey with Comprehensive Digital Strategy

Contemporary dance performers in flowing white costumes against dramatic clouded sky backdrop showcasing athletic modern dance movements - New Orleans Ballet Association Alvin Ailey case study featuring SMQ Consulting digital strategy that sold out performances through multi-platform Facebook Instagram Google campaigns, advanced audience targeting, and holiday gift ticket promotions expanding beyond traditional ballet demographics

Key Results

Alvin Ailey performance sold out – a major achievement for the season finale

Multiple successful performances throughout the season exceeded sales expectations

Successful holiday campaign drove significant gift ticket sales

Demonstrated measurable audience expansion beyond traditional ballet demographics

About New Orleans Ballet Association

The New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) is a leading organization in the performing arts community, dedicated to showcasing world-renowned dance companies and offering extensive dance education programs. Through its accessible community initiatives, NOBA enriches the cultural vibrancy of New Orleans, fostering appreciation for the art of dance.

The Challenge

The New Orleans Ballet Association needed to drive ticket sales across their entire season of main stage dance productions. As a regional ballet company, they faced the challenge of reaching both traditional ballet audiences and expanding to new demographics who might appreciate world-class dance performances like Alvin Ailey.

Our Approach

1. Multi-Platform Campaign Strategy
  • Managed comprehensive digital advertising across Facebook, Instagram, Google Search, and Google Display
  • Developed platform-specific budget allocation based on performance data
  • Created audience targeting strategies tailored to each production’s unique appeal
2. Advanced Targeting & Testing
  • Implemented sophisticated A/B testing for both ad creative and audience segments
  • Executed precise geo-targeting, including targeting HBCUs, churches, and stadiums to reach Alvin Ailey audiences
  • Developed holiday-specific campaigns leading up to Christmas for gift ticket purchases

What Made This Work?

The success came from treating each production as a unique marketing challenge while maintaining consistent brand messaging. The innovative targeting strategies, like reaching football fans, HBCU’s and churches for Alvin Ailey, showed how data-driven creativity can expand traditional arts audiences.

Reviews of
SMQ Consulting

"Thanks to Steve, we have been successfully and cost-efficiently developing and implementing our digital marketing strategy for many world-acclaimed dance and theatre shows and tours produced and presented by Show One Productions. Strongly recommended, and I know that he always has time and passion for all of his Clients."
Natasha AbramovaAssociate Producer,
Show One Productions
"Steve was great to work with at Teatro ZinZanni. He provided detailed analysis of our digital presence, and managed our digital advertising like a pro! Steve had a substantial impact on our ticket sales. He is super detail oriented and is able to communicate his strategies clearly and effectively. Highly recommend him!"
Kerry SheehanGeneral Manager/Producer,
Teatro ZinZanni Chicago
"Working with Steve was an absolute pleasure. He was efficient, communicative, and delivered results. We had dynamically changing needs leading up to a concert tour, and Steve handled all the changes with expertise and professionalism. Would highly recommend him to other arts organizations!"
Alex OlsavskyExecutive Director,
Fifth House Ensemble
"Steve was instrumental in building our social media and digital advertising department from the ground up. He is self-motivated, hard-working and an honest, straightforward guy. He is great with clients and colleagues alike. I give Steve my highest recommendation."
Carol FoxPresident, CF&A
“Steve is exceptional. Steve used his expertise in digital strategy to build Learn to Live’s online community and social media presence into a core part of our business. His creativity and ability to think outside the box to address new challenges is exceptional. I give Steve my highest recommendation!”
Dale CookCEO, Learn to Live
"I have no idea what Steve did, and even if he told me I wouldn’t understand. All I know is that my digital media feeds started blowing up in ways I’d never seen before, and our launch was a huge success."
Taylor MaliPoet & Educator

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