Local program production is too difficult and expensive to be allowed to fail. But, the truth is very few local programs deliver a sustainable return on investment: Audience 2010 said “the audience outcomes of local production are often cruel, and the economics are always brutal.”
The answer is:
Get it right!
Design a program strategically as well as creatively.
Design it to succeed!
This may sound obvious, even foolish. Of course, we all want to “Get it right.” But, by creating an intersection of creativity and strategy, we actually can get it right most of the time.