This week, AD Lubow media strategist, Cynthia Lugo, talks about the marketing potential of a new website by ALLLANCE FOR THE ARTS.

We at AD Lubow are always interested in how cultural consumers find out about what’s going on in the city, and have long wished for a comprehensive online database of all the city has to offer. A new site called NYC-ARTS.org has the potential to fill that void. Launched by Alliance for the Arts, the goal of the website is to bring together the myriad of cultural options available—from art museums to zoos—and present them in a single, easy-to-navigate format. An online guidebook of sorts, the website’s clean and compelling design combined with an impressive roster of participants—currently over 800 organizations are listed—make NYC-ARTS.org a potential go-to source for New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers alike.

We met with the folks behind the website and were excited to hear of its plans to expand their sponsorship opportunities (both corporate and institutional opportunities are available) and that each organization actually manages their own information. As of now, the website functions more as a repository for cultural institutions, and it would be great if more comprehensive events coverage were somehow integrated, making it a daily destination for patrons of the arts. (On a personal level, I was also thrilled that they had applied for a Google grant and had received it: this is a great way to increase website traffic for next-to-nothing.) If you’re an NYC-based arts organization, I urge you to contact Alliance for the Arts as part of your efforts to expand your online presence. NYC-ARTS.org has the potential to become an indispensable “one-stop shop” to everything arts-related in the city.