Case Studies  /  TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance and Culture
Case study · Arts & culture

Taking a cultural institution's story beyond its core audience

TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance and Culture was entering a critical growth phase. We built an integrated strategy to grow attendance for its annual Convening and strengthen year-round visibility, without losing the cultural depth at the heart of its work.

Client
TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance and Culture
Sector
Arts, culture & nonprofit
Engagement
Annual Convening campaign
Audiences
Arts lovers, educators, community leaders and partners
87.5M+
Earned media impressions
26
Media placements
4
New audience groups reached beyond dance
The challenge

Deep significance, made accessible.

TéMaTé aimed to increase attendance for its annual Convening while strengthening year-round visibility, institutional credibility and community engagement. The challenge was translating deep cultural significance into accessible storytelling for a wider audience without losing integrity, while coordinating earned media, grassroots outreach and internal communications on a tight timeline.

Our approach

Community first, and built to convert.

We developed an integrated communications strategy combining:

  • Media relations and narrative framing
  • Grassroots and community-based outreach
  • Internal messaging alignment for staff, board, funders and partners
  • Conversion-focused audience engagement tactics

A community-first approach kept the cultural depth intact while expanding reach beyond traditional arts audiences.

What we delivered

Every channel working toward the Convening.

Media messaging frameworkPlus press releases and an updated media kit
Landing page auditOptimized the event page for clarity and conversion
Targeted media pitchingLocal and regional outlets
Heroes WeekRecognition and special pricing for first responders and healthcare workers
Direct outreachNewsletter strategy, text messaging and event calendar submissions
Amplification toolsStaff and board outreach templates, plus influencer and partner activation

We also provided on-site media coordination and support during the Convening.

“From the beginning, Kiana took the time to truly listen and understand our values, goals, and the cultural context of our work before offering recommendations. As a small organization, we appreciated that she approached the partnership as a collaborator and thought partner, not just as a consultant completing a task. It genuinely felt like she was part of our team.”
Ajara Alghali, TéMaTé Institute
Impact

New audiences, and a stronger voice.

  • 26 media placements
  • 87,522,648 earned media impressions
  • Strong attendance driven by grassroots networks
  • Awareness beyond dance audiences, reaching arts and culture enthusiasts, educators, community leaders and institutional partners
  • TéMaTé's role as a cultural authority in Detroit reinforced
Services
Public relationsMessaging strategyMedia relationsCommunity outreachInternal communicationsConversion strategyOn-site support
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