Murray Paterson Marketing Group

01/24/2025

We asked three prominent arts journalists what catches their eye when sorting through the hundreds of story pitches they receive from arts organizations and publicists in any given week.

Here are their top takeaways:

📚 Put the emphasis on "story" - Janet Smith, Co-Founder & Editorial Director, Stir Vancouver
🤝 It's always about human connections. People relate to people, not to abstractions - Michael Crabb, Arts Writer, The Toronto Star
🖊 Subject lines with clear calls to action help to grab attention - Aleesha Harris, Arts + Lifestyle Editor, The Vancouver Sun + The Province

Read more on what elements contribute to an attention-grabbing story pitch: https://mpmgarts.com/inquire-experts-talk-story-pitches/

01/15/2025

Recently, MPMG Partner Brian Paterson had the experience of traveling to NYC to participate in Capacity Interactive - Digital Marketing Consulting for the Arts' Bootcamp: A geekfest dedicated to digital marketing for arts + culture!

Over two jam-packed days, he heard case studies from colleagues around the globe, cutting-edge insights from high-ups at Google + Meta, and inspiring keynotes from a host of brilliant minds.

Here are Brian's top three takeaways:

🥂 Unreasonable Hospitality
💻 AI has A-rrived
🎥 Content Remains King

Read Brian's full recap at https://mpmgarts.com/learn-dispatches-from-bootcamp-2024/

01/09/2025

At MPMG, we don't just say we love the arts; the arts are part of our DNA. We actually love them. Like, a lot.

We thought it would be fun to analyze the data from our team's arts attendance in 2024, which covered everything from musicals, theatre, dance + visual arts to festivals, galas, live music + comedy.

In short, we saw a little bit of everything that the arts scenes in Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto + Kelowna had to offer, and we are feeling grateful + inspired by what's ahead in 2025 💙

What was your favourite arts experience last year?

12/18/2024

Wishing you and yours a peaceful holiday season filled with love, joy, and wonder 💙🎄

12/02/2024

Don't miss the next issue of our company newsletter, 'Muse + Marrow,' coming out on Wednesday! It's full of relevant resources and insider tips, so make sure to sign up to our mailing list at mpmgarts.com

Our Winter 2024/25 issue will include Partner Brian Paterson's review of Capacity Interactive - Digital Marketing Consulting for the Arts , Founding Partner Laura Murray's tips for a well-planned media call, our team's favourite newsletters, and more!

📷: A collection of goodies from in NYC this fall.

11/28/2024

Taking advantage of a break in the rain for a refreshing autumnal walk 🌧 🍂

MPMG Partners Brian Paterson and Laura Murray capped off their 2nd annual corporate retreat on the Sunshine Coast with a weekend of rest and relaxation with longtime friend (and MPMG accountant!) Sylvia and her partner, Ted 💙

11/21/2024

It doesn't get much better than cosmic bowling + pizza on a Tuesday after work with the best team in the biz! 🍕🎳

11/12/2024

The next deadline for Canada Council's Professional Development for Arts Professionals falls on December 3! 🤓 Arts administrators can apply for a wide variety of activities, including Training + Mentorship.

Drop us a line if you want to hone your publicity, digital marketing, or general communications skills. We love sharing knowledge and will happily provide quotes for your applications!

Program Details in comments.

11/07/2024

Wishing Urban Ink a smashing success on their 5th TRANSFORM Festival, which is back on stage and in-person Nov 6-9 for the first time since 2019! Presented in collaboration with The Cultch, the cabaret-style festival features an all-star lineup of Indigenous and non-Indigenous talents, including the first-ever Indigenous winner of Canada's Drag Race Season 4, VENUS. See the full lineup at transformfestival.ca

Venus joined us this week at CTV Morning Live Vancouver to share about the festival and vogue with host Keri Adams. 💙

11/04/2024

MPMG Partner Brian Paterson recently had the chance to fulfill a decade-long dream and is feeling grateful and inspired to have learned + connected with arts marketers from across North America at Capacity Interactive - Digital Marketing Consulting for the Arts' annual NYC-based conference 💙

10/26/2024

Another amazing night celebrating our longtime client, DanceHouse, at their 2024/25 season opener with the Vancouver premiere of Agustina Videla's 'Social Tango.'

Cheers to another exciting season of Canadian and international contemporary dance! 🥂

10/14/2024

Wishing everyone a Thanksgiving full of rest and rejuvenation with the ones you love, from all of us at MPMG... including our furry friends, Finnigan + Kingsley 💙

10/01/2024

The dream PR team at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival opening ✨

Feature films and special presentations are running at Vancouver venues across town until Oct 6! Check out what's on this week at viff.org.

09/05/2024

Congrats to all of the winners in The Georgia Straight's Best of Vancouver series 🎉 We are endlessly inspired by our amazing clients. Those recognized in 2024 includes Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Chor Leoni, Vancouver International Film Festival, Vancouver Writers Fest, Museum of Anthropology + Bard on the Beach.

From art galleries to strip clubs.

08/29/2024

🍂 As the leaves start to fall, it’s time to be inspired, challenged + entertained by this fall's wide array of arts + culture offerings. Our MPMG clients are gearing up for a busy season brimming with festivals, performances + premieres that’ll make your autumn truly colourful. ✨

We’re thrilled to share with you the events taking place in Vancouver, Toronto, Kelowna + Victoria this fall. Check out the full list on our website at mpmgarts.com/discover-mpmg-fall-client-event-list!

08/22/2024

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” The savoured a stunning evening at this week, cherishing the last breaths of summer. We were absolutely enchanted by the inventive, witty, and hilarious ‘Twelfth Night’ on the BMO Mainstage. Bravo on another fabulous season!

Don’t miss your chance to experience a beloved Bard show—get your tickets before September 21!

08/09/2024

📚Happy National Book Lovers Day to everyone who finds joy in the turn of a page! Summer is in full swing, and there is no better way to enjoy a sunny beach day than with a good book. 🌞🌊 The MPMG team has compiled our favourite beach reads to share with you. Visit our News page for reviews of each book, listed below.

What is your favourite beach read? Tell us in the comments!

Laura 📚 All Fours by Miranda July
Brian 📚 Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
Angela 📚 This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Sijia 📚 The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

07/31/2024

What's your favourite summer activity? ☀️ We checked in with our team this week to share some of our top picks during the warm weather months:

⛰ Laura: One of my favourite summer activities is long walks along the seawall or discovering new hikes with a pal.

⛺️ Brian: Pulling on the backpack and tromping off to some remote spot to set up camp.

🎾 Angela: Tennis is my new favourite outdoor activity – so accessible, such a good cardio workout, and so much fun.

🍦 Sijia: I've discovered a new hobby this summer – taking leisurely strolls through my neighbourhood community garden with a cup of coffee or ice cream in hand, surrounded by all the fragrant summer blooms and herbs.