Rob Abelow, a recognised business developer from the music industry, delivered an inspiring keynote at Kulturkraft24 titled “Community over Everything.” With experience from collaborations with artists such as Taylor Swift and Fred Again, he shared strategies for how cultural institutions and brands can create long-lasting, meaningful relationships with their audiences through community-driven growth. Here are the key takeaways from his presentation, which can be broadly applied across the cultural sector.

• The traditional top-down approach no longer works: Classic strategies for building audiences through major gatekeepers - such as mass media and advertising - are becoming less effective. With content overload and more personalised experiences, cultural institutions need new ways to capture attention and create lasting growth.

• Community-driven growth is the key: Successful institutions today build their audiences from the ground up by focusing on direct engagement with their most dedicated supporters. These “superfans” or core users can become powerful ambassadors who drive organic growth and create long-term loyalty.

• Create a unique and immersive experience: To attract and retain audiences, institutions should develop a coherent, immersive world that reflects their unique identity. This gives audiences and supporters a sense of being active participants rather than passive spectators. Marketing, programming, and content should naturally emerge from this identity, making engagement more authentic.

• Empower your most engaged users: By identifying and supporting the most passionate supporters - through exclusive access, behind-the-scenes experiences, or participatory events - institutions can create deeper relationships. These ambassadors then help spread the message and expand the community in an authentic way.

• Authenticity over mass appeal: Rather than chasing broad, generic appeal, cultural institutions should focus on building strong, authentic relationships with niche communities. By making these communities central players in the institution’s world, they will be more likely to share their experiences and help grow the audience organically.

Koda at Kulturkraft24: New Solutions to Poor Wellbeing and Inequality

Rob Abelow’s presentation was presented in collaboration with Koda and the Music Industry Partnership for Sustainable Development. In this video, Koda’s Chair, Loui Törnqvist, shares his perspective on why they participated in Kulturkraft.