What is relationship marketing & how is it used in the arts?

Relationship marketing in the arts is a strategic approach that prioritizes long-term relationships with audiences, donors, and stakeholders, moving beyond one-time transactions to build loyalty, involvement, and advocacy (Rosewall 2014, 213).

It emerged in response to the limitations of traditional transactional marketing, emphasizing on processes over transactions (Christopher, Payne, and Ballantyne 2013, 36).

In the arts, where audience development and retention are critical, relationship marketing has become a cornerstone of successful marketing strategies and building sustainable relationships with audiences (Conway and Whitelock 2007).

It emphasizes on customer retention and loyalty, recognizing that it is more cost-effective to retain customers than to acquire new ones (Rentschler et al. 2002, 126).

Implementation of relationship marketing can develop more personalized and engaging experiences, leading to increased satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately advocacy.

In the upcoming posts, we will briefly examine the key tools used in relationship marketing.