Deployment Logistics

Required Preparation: 

Read the sampling plan, below, and query your database to see what counts you have for each of the three categories/samples. Once you’ve assessed your counts, complete the sampling form to report your counts to WolfBrown. We need this information to calculate response rates.   

Recommended Email Language:   

• Recommended language for the two outbound email messages may be found here.  

• Use your own branding and design. Of critical importance is using the correct survey hyperlink (provided by WolfBrown) for each of the three samples/lists.  

• Recommended language for an internal email messages to stakeholders can be found here. Participating orchestras are encouraged to notify internal stakeholders – staff, board members, and musicians – of their participation in the IDEA Study prior to the April 11 survey launch. 

Sampling Plan: 

Participating orchestras will send out email messages requesting cooperation with the survey using a stratified sampling approach described below. Each orchestra must advise WolfBrown as to their sampling plan (i.e., the number of email addresses within each of the three categories or “samples” to which they’ll send messages).    

• Sample 1: Diverse Programs  Individual ticket buyers to programs intended for culturally diverse audiences, typically featuring non-classical or hybrid musical styles or observing special events (e.g., jazz or gospel music concerts, Día de los Muertos concerts, Lunar New Year concerts)   

  • Quantity:  minimum count of 500 emails; no maximum   

• Sample 2: Diverse Artists/Composers  Individual ticket buyers to classical programs featuring diverse guest artists and/or conductors and/or repertoire; in this case the diversity should be a defining or primary feature of the program (e.g., a concert of works by Florence Price), on the theory that these programs might attract a somewhat more diverse audience  

  • Quantity:  minimum count of 500 emails; no maximum  

• Sample 3: General Programming  Natural mix of subscribers and individual ticket buyers to classical and pops concerts, randomly selected, then purged of Samples 1 and 2   

  • Quantity:  minimum of 1,000 and maximum of 10,000 (shoot for at least 3,000, if possible)  

Generally, we suggest a look-back period of transaction activity from 9/1/2021 to the present date. Smaller organizations might extend the look-back period to 9/1/2020. If you have more than 10,000 ticket buyers in that window, bring the look-back date forward in order to reduce the sample size and target more recent ticket buyers.

If you are unable to achieve the 500 minimum count of records for Sample 1, consolidate Sample 1 into Sample 2. If you are unable to achieve the 500 minimum count of records for Sample 2, consolidate all emails into Sample 3. Thus, some orchestras will only send messages to one or two samples/lists.  

WolfBrown will provide you with three different hyperlinks to the survey corresponding to each of the three samples, along with suggested language for the email messages. 

As a point of information, in our pilot test with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra response rates ranged from 5% to 10% across the three samples. Two emails were sent, an initial message and a second reminder message four days after the first one. The reminder message generated an additional 25% to 35% of all responses.