Segmenting the Performing Arts Markets: The Case of Czech National Theater Attenders’ Motivations

Zuzana Chytkova,Miroslav Karlicek,Jitka Cerna

doi:10.7441/joc.2012.03.07

Abstract

Strategic marketing instruments such as segmentation and targeting can benefit performing arts institutions and render their offer more competitive. To segment classical performing arts audi- ences, however, the traditionally used variable is social class. In this paper, it is argued that such often suggested traditional segmentation criteria can prove to be context-insensitive and as such cannot be applied invariably across different settings. Based on an analysis of Czech National Theater audiences and its motivations, we propose the sought benefit of the theater visit as an alternative segmentation basis that may prove to be more context-sensitive.

Highlights

MARKETING AND PERFORMING ARTSIt is a fairly widely accepted fact that the concept of marketing applies to all organizations with products and customers, to those strictly business oriented (Kotler & Levy, 1969; Andreasen, 2012)
The design of the product, becomes a rather intuitive exercise. This is clearly at odds with the traditional marketing concept that is based on the individuation of consumer needs and their subsequent satisfaction with the right marketing mix (e.g. Kotler & Armstrong, 2007). This situation may reflect considerations voiced by some scholars (Becker, 1978; Hirschman, 1983; Harrison, 2009) who argued that this traditional marketing process that takes its departure from the individuation of consumer needs, is not applicable in case of high artistic production, since artists are defined as those who create freely without primarily considering the needs they will satisfy
This view is based on the presumption that there is a division between high and low cultural production, where high culture is seen as art pursued for its own sake, while popular or low culture is defined as the kind of artistic production that primarily targets consumers (e.g. Holbrook, 1995)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

It is a fairly widely accepted fact that the concept of marketing applies to all organizations with products and customers, to those strictly business oriented (Kotler & Levy, 1969; Andreasen, 2012). Kotler & Armstrong, 2007) This situation may reflect considerations voiced by some scholars (Becker, 1978; Hirschman, 1983; Harrison, 2009) who argued that this traditional marketing process that takes its departure from the individuation of consumer needs, is not applicable in case of high artistic production, since artists are defined as those who create freely without primarily considering the needs they will satisfy. This view is based on the presumption that there is a division between high and low cultural production, where high culture is seen as art pursued for its own sake, while popular or low culture is defined as the kind of artistic production that primarily targets consumers While it is not the purpose of this paper to pursue such goal, it seeks to verify if the generally accepted criteria used to segment performing arts markets do apply in the Czech national context and to find alternatives that could prove to be more context sensitive

SEGMENTING CLASSICAL PERFORMING ARTS AUDIENCES

CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY

FINDINGS

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS