Marketing the Arts
Whether we like it or not marketing is in nearly every facet of life, including the creative arts.
Often we are applying the major principles of marketing without necessarily being aware of it. In simply selecting a particular play for an audience or deciding a location for an exhibition we are executing key elements of a marketing programme or plan. Marketing is often misunderstood and thought to be simply advertising and promotion, which in reality is only one part of it.
Traditionally marketing has been broken down into four major areas - the 4 P's - Product, Price, Place, Promotion
In arts and culture terms these can be applied as follows...
Product
Ensuring that you match your audience or potential audience's needs and wants with a 'product' (eg. show, exhibition, workshop etc) that meets these current or perceived needs.
Price
Deciding a price that suits the value perceptions and budgets of your audiences as well as meeting your organisation's financial objectives.
Place
This refers to the accessibility and presentation of your product, including where it is staged and how one gains access through ticket purchasing or other admittance requirements.
Promotion
This includes making your prospective audience aware of the event, educating them on the specific genre or theme and creating desire and excitement that will result in the purchase decision being made. Tools available to successfully carry out these tasks include advertising, promotion and PR.
In practice, marketing has extended well beyond these concepts into such things as market research, branding strategy, marketing segmentation and competitor analysis. However in planning your creative arts activities for the year, considering the above items with reference to your organisation's goals and your particular market characteristics will be a very sound start to becoming a truly market driven and competitive arts marketing organisation.
If you would like to receive information about workshops or seminars that focus on marketing, promotion, pricing, strategy development, etc, then please contact us at Venture Southland