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Data Management in Arts and Culture

June 2026

How do arts and culture organizations ensure they have an up-to-date repository of customer data that can inform business decisions?

This question prompted a research study examining how organizations collect and analyze customer data to inform decisions across marketing, fundraising, customer experience, education and programming. This research includes insights and case examples that illustrate how arts organizations collect and use customer data to enhance audience and visitor understanding, and the customer experience in real-time. The research also provides examples of the internal structures that arts organizations have established to enable and encourage data-driven decision-making.

Findings from the research include:

  • Organizations tend to adopt a center-led organizational structure. Most data-driven organizations have one or multiple individuals sitting centrally, with dotted line collaborations to specialists or analysts that sit within departments.

  • Leadership buy-in is critical. A training agenda and data communities can contribute to data-literacy, but ensuring a top-down understanding of the importance of data carries a lot of weight in cultivating a data-driven culture throughout the organization.

  • A data usage and literacy audit is a critical first step. Gaining a holistic view of how customer data is being used and staff's data literacy can inform the kinds of tools needed for data collection, visualization and reporting.

The full report is available to ABA members by clicking below.

This article is related to a recently completed custom research project conducted on behalf of an ABA 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.