Clear roles reduce panic, interference and bad decisions
Let’s clear something up right away:
Most board members want the organization to succeed.
They just don’t always understand how marketing actually works, especially in the arts.
This is not a moral failing. It’s a role confusion problem.
Why boards fixate on marketing
Marketing is visible.
Marketing feels actionable.
Marketing looks like something you can add more of when things feel shaky.
So when ticket sales stall, boards often jump to:
- “We need more promotion.”
- “We should be on TikTok.”
- “Why aren’t posters everywhere?”
This isn’t interference—it’s anxiety.
The real disconnect
Boards tend to think in outputs:
- number of ads
- number of posts
- number of posters
Marketing teams think in systems:
- audience pathways
- timing
- message alignment
- capacity
When those two perspectives don’t meet, frustration follows.
- clear definitions of success
- agreed-upon priorities
- shared language around audiences
- realistic capacity conversations
What helps (and what doesn’t)
Helpful:
Not helpful:
- “trust us, we’re the experts”
- dumping analytics without context
- arguing tactics instead of goals
A practical reframe
Instead of asking boards to approve tactics, invite them into questions:
- Who are we really trying to reach?
- What do we want them to feel more confident about?
- What are we willing not to do this year?
Boards don’t need to pick the font.
They do need to understand the strategy.
That’s where alignment happens.