The Evolution of Arts Marketing

Arts marketing encompasses the application of marketing principles to arts organizations, aiming to attract audiences to performances.

Within the literature on arts marketing, there are six widely accepted strategies: Relationship marketing, Experiential marketing, Web marketing, Audience development, Direct marketing, and Innovation (O’Reilly 2011, 32).

The application of marketing to the non-profit sector was initially proposed by Levy and Kotler in the late 1960s (Walmsley 2019, 143).

However, this view has evolved, with marketing now recognized as a 'management philosophy,' highlighting differences between the customer-focused approach of marketing and the Romantic perspective of artistic creation (Lee 2005, 1).

The evolution of arts marketing strategies has been marked by a transition from the traditional 4Ps (product, place, price, promotion) to the more nuanced 7P model (services marketing mix), and subsequently to the customer-centric 4Cs (customer value, customer costs, communication, convenience) and experiential 4Es (engagement, environment, exchange, experience).

These progressive models not only underscore a shift towards prioritizing customer needs and perceptions but also emphasize the creation of immersive and meaningful experiences for audiences (Walmsley 2019, 148).