AT&T Performing Arts Center

We evolved the AT&T Performing Art Center brand by shifting from ‘about us’ to ‘for you’ to make it more welcoming to a broader audience, and by inviting discovery of all it has to offer the people of Dallas.

The Brand Challenge

In the words of the CEO, “I just wish more people knew about what makes our brand so great, and that I had better words to express it.” Many people Dallas did not think the AT&T Performing Arts Center was a brand for them, even though they offer family-friendly events, arts and education programs for underserved parts of the community, and support for emerging artists, in addition to black-tie performances. One cause we identified was that brand tagline, “Staging the Amazing,” sent marketing down the path of saying how amazing everything is, from beautiful buildings to sought after performances. In doing so, it left many non-wealthy people wondering if was a brand for them. Additionally, the visual identity was inconsistent with many unrelated program logos and incoming poster art for performances, leading to a lack of brand credit for the diversity of performances and activities that they bring to their stages.

Limbic Sparks® Insights

By hearing from people in all parts of Dallas who had been to the AT&T PAC, we discovered that, while many people were unaware of what goes on inside, those who have attended a performance or event found it to be warm and welcoming. The challenge was not with the brand experience or all it has to offer. It’s that marketing was skewed to attract only a portion of the audience that this nonprofit is for. Once people experienced the brand, they’s say it’s the best thing Dallas has to offer, and that they had no idea there was so much to experience. The Brand’s Shared Emotional Motivation with Audiences: Passion for Entertaining Experiences, and it needed to do a better job of inviting people in to explore the passion and all there is enjoy.

The Brand Evolution

We evolved the brand positioning from the inwardly-focused “Staging the Amazing” to a welcoming invitation, “Yours to Discover”, along with an evolved visual identity that went from corporate and high-end, to warm and inviting. This evolution completely re-oriented marketing from talking about how amazing everything is, to inviting discovery of all the programming that people can experience. It helped the brand become better understood for all it has to offer, and appealing and attended by a broader audience of people from all over Dallas.

Mission & Values • Brand Strategy • Messaging • Visual Identity • Portfolio Architecture / Programs • Fundraising Strategy

This brand evolution launched in 2020. The brand strategy and tagline still guide the brand today. A deeper dive of behind-the-scenes details can be found in BRAND DESIRE, Chapter 2 - “Shifting from About Us to For You: AT&T Performing Arts Center Case Study”

The Evolved Brand