Over the past few decades there has been increased interest in the role of marketing within the arts sector. Since the 1970’s, the number of marketing articles has grown incrementally, showing an academic interest in the topic, leading to the present day in which arts marketing has become a standard operating procedure within the arts organisation (Rentschler 2002). This change in thinking has taken marketing from a transaction-based operation to a relationship between the organisation and patron. One common theme in arts marketing is the requirement for a holistic and strategic approach, taking into account the purposes of serving the community in which the organisation exists. Relationship marketing values the arts patron and views the marketing process as a mutually satisfying exchange between both parties (Hill, O’Sullivan & O’Sullivan 2011).
The introduction of digital technologies has enhanced opportunities for marketers to obtain the attention of their audience, build word of mouth promotion, engage with their audience, enrich the experience offered, connect multiple organisational platforms, add ease to the overall process and collect information about how to improve service to their audience (Australia Council for the Arts 2001). This case study examines how digital technologies influence arts marketing theory, with specific reference to the ‘e-marketing mix’ (Wymbs 2011).
This arts marketing theory will then be compared to the NGV Triennial exhibition, examining to what extent the National Gallery of Victoria’s (NGV) Promotion and Marketing team have or have not implemented the 7 P’s of the ‘e-marketing mix’ in their digital marketing practice.
Through comparison it is concluded that the NGV Triennial is a good example of digital arts marketing theory in practice. There is evidence of suitable execution of each element in the e-marketing mix, which has resulted in a successful exhibition marketing plan execution. It is noted that the NGV have precedence for implementing digital marketing strategies and utilising various digital technologies.
Case Study of Arts Marketing Practice
The National Gallery of Victoria was founded in 1861 and is the oldest gallery in Australia. It’s art collection holds more than 70,000 works which can be viewed across two locations: NGV International and NGV Australia. The NGV hosts a variety of exhibitions, programs and events, ranging from contemporary and historical art, fashion, design, sound, architecture and dance.
From 15 December 2017 to 15 April 2018, the NGV is hosting the NGV Triennial. The exhibition features work from over 100 artists and designers, and explores innovative technologies, architecture, animation, performance, film, painting, drawing, fashion design, tapestry and sculpture. In addition to physical work across 4 levels of the NGV International, there is an extensive online database of supplementary information and interactive features.
The exhibition required extensive collaboration between all departments of the NGV including the Promotion and Marketing team (National Gallery of Victoria 2018).
The NGV Triennial has received over 500,000 visitors since opening (Creative Victoria 2018) and Director Tony Ellwood states the exhibition aims to provide these arts patrons with a “truly unforgettable experience” through the “ambition, depth and diversity” of the artists and designers included (Creative Victoria 2017).
Overview of Arts Marketing Theory
The arts marketing landscape is constantly evolving, through new ways of approaching business in the sector and through technological developments. In response to the increasing view of the arts as a service, the traditional 4 P’s marketing mix of Product, Price, Place and Promotion has been extended to the 7 P’s of the ‘e-marketing mix’ by adding People, Physical Evidence and Process. The introduction of the Internet and digital communication capabilities, has resulted in the idea of digital marketing and has infiltrated the definition of each element in the marketing mix (Wymbs 2011).
Digital marketing can be defined as the use of digital technology in integrated, targeted and measurable communication to build relationships with new and existing patrons. This involves marketing directly to the patron as an individual with unique characteristics and behavioural tendencies, as well as interactive marketing, in which the organisation in return can collect data on interactions with and responses from individual patrons. The digital technologies used, including Internet, e-mail, mobile apps, podcasts etc., support the relational aim of marketing. By forming and understand relationships with patrons, marketers can provide increasingly improved and targeted service (Wymbs 2011).
Like the traditional marketing mix, the e-marketing mix elements are interconnected. Whilst traditional definitions have been altered by digital technologies, marketing plans affecting one element have influence on other elements in the mix. In addition, digital platforms, such as social media, can be utilised across multiple mix elements. For example social media can strengthen experience, promote organisation happenings, increase accessibility, is implemented by a team, using systems and plans - influencing the mix elements of product, promotion, place, people and processes (Chaffey & Smith 2013).
The following implications for the traditional mix definitions, as proposed by Chaffey and Smith (2013) are important considerations for arts marketers working within the digital field.
Product
Traditionally defined as either a tangible product or intangible service, idea or experience, digital technologies have introduced both digital products and online value propositions. These technologies provide unique opportunities for products including immediacy, convenience and interactivity. Traditional products can be extended and highlighted through digital platforms, creating added value.
Price
Digital technologies have challenged traditional pricing and buying models through greater pricing transparency and competition. In return, organisations can track patron purchasing patterns and responses to price with greater ease and use of Customer Relation Management applications.
Place
With the Internet, the place of purchase, distribution and service consumption has changed. Through multi-channel marketing, both on location and with websites and apps, organisations achieve higher representation and accessibility to products and content. The Internet provides a virtual place to connect with patrons on a global scale.
Promotion
Online promotion provides opportunity for creativity relevant to the organisations message, interaction with and collection of data from patrons, and access to the global community and international resources. Tools available to marketers include Search Engine Optimisation, e-mail lists, social media, web banners, digital PR, etc.
People
As the arts experience is reliant on service by staff and volunteers they are a crucial element of the mix. In addition to offline interaction, digital technologies provide opportunity to continue interacting with patrons online. There is also a need for trained teams to maintain, create and update online resources. Digital technologies can be used in turn to train staff within the organisation.
Physical Evidence
The tangible evidence of the service such as merchandise and presentation extend online to digital components such as the organisation website and mobile app. Patrons take cues from content, reviews, imagery and web navigation in assessing an organisation and return to a website when information is of high-quality, quick to download and frequently updated.
Process
Process encompasses all the procedures in which the transaction of experience takes place. Online this includes navigation and e-commerce optimisation, to follow up services of collecting feedback, and implementing improvement plans.
Through careful planning and implementing the 7 P’s of the e-marketing mix, arts marketers have the opportunity to build the mutually beneficial relationship with patrons. This includes receiving attention, engaging, connecting multiple organisational platforms, adding ease to the overall experience and collecting information about the audience which can be used to improve the organisation’s service (Australia Council for the Arts 2001).
Extent of Overlap Between Arts Marketing Theory and Practice
The NGV Annual Report for 2016/2017 shows the organisation has relied significantly on marketing for its previous exhibitions, with the promotion and marketing budget comprising 14% of the annual supplies and services budget (report). For exhibitions Degas: A New Vision, Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists, David Hockney: Current, and Van Gogh and the Seasons, marketing activity involved strategic social media campaigns, strategic digital activity, digital advertising, TV and cinema commercials, and paid social media advertising.
The NGV Goals and Strategies for 2016/2017 included bringing art works to life through harnessing digital technologies to reach wider audiences. Through the NGV ONLINE initiative an online database and the NGV Guide for personal mobile devices were continually updated with images and cataloguing details of works of art. The initiative has also seen the creation and distribution of interactive applications for NGV Kids exhibitions and video streaming of major programs providing broader accessibility (Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria 2017).
These findings enhance the analysis of the current NGV Triennial digital marketing activities, with an understanding of the NGV’s position on utilising digital marketing and digital technologies within the service provided to patrons. They show a precedence of successful digital marketing planning and implementation, and a positive outlook on the opportunities provided to the organisation by digital technologies.
The following analysis looks at the physical evidence in the NGV Triennial digital marketing activities for each of the 7 P’s.
Product
Offline digital products:
Interactive information screens with access to online database of works of art
Online product and service extensions:
Triennial Tuesdays, a free program for schools to view the NGV Triennial from their classroom via the Skype application.
Online database with images and cataloguing information about each work of art
NGV App with audio tours, images and cataloguing information about each work of art
NGV Digital Creatives, an technological education program to assist students to understand and respond to art
Online digital products:
Voices, a digital editorial including articles, podcasts and videos
(National Gallery of Victoria 2018)
The use of interactive information screens within the exhibition achieves the aim of enriching a patrons experience of the event. The screens are easy to navigate and provide additional information on ideas and works of art, used in integration with the traditional information provided on wall labels.
The extension of products into the online space has also achieved the aim of enriching an experience in addition to connecting the organisation platforms, and engaging the audience.
Remote exhibition viewing and the NGV app increase accessibility for a wider audience and the educational program enhances student understanding of the exhibition ideas and works of art.
Finally the inclusion of unique digital products also engages patrons and enriches the experience through additional information, high-quality content and the offer of alternative media to interact with.
Price
The NGV Triennial is free admission.
Extended online products and digital products associated with the NGV Triennial are free.
By providing a free exhibition the organisation removed the need for online ticketing services and increased accessibility to more patrons. This could be after research into pricing and buying models and data collected from previous exhibitions. Whilst admission is free, there is a significant time cost to attend the exhibition for the marketing department to consider.
Place
Digital marketing is found in the following distribution channels:
NGV website
NGV app
Triennial Tuesdays
The NGV Triennial has made use of existing digital channels to aid in the distribution and communication surrounding the exhibition. This has increased representation and improved accessibility for patrons on a global scale.
Promotion
The NGV Triennial promoted through the following digital platforms:
NGV website
NGV app
Social media accounts
Search Engine Optimisation
Online Public Relations (PR)
The NGV has executed highly integrated marketing across all platforms for the NGV Triennial. In addition to traditional PR marketing, the marketing department has utilised social media platforms to engage with patrons before, during and after exhibition visits. Behind the scenes videos were shared via social media prior to the exhibition opening to generate word of mouth interest and engagement.
(Guardian Australia 2017)
During the exhibition patrons are encouraged to share their experience via Instagram with over 31,000 entires under the #ngvtriennial hashtag on Instagram. This has been noticed by online articles describing the exhibition as providing “endless opportunities for Instagram” and the works of art as “Instagrammable” (Delaney 2017). After visiting the exhibition, patrons are encouraged to share a digital response to their experience via the NGV website’s Connect and Share submission form.
People
Through established digital platforms such as the NGV website and NGV social media accounts, NGV staff can communicate with patrons online. This achieves the aim of making the experience as easy as possible through providing required information in real time, and engaging with the audience. Audience contributions were also shared via Instagram and Twitter to encourage engagement and feedback. It is noted that there was little social media engagement beyond reposting content from the NGV.
Physical evidence
The organisation provided physical evidence through established digital platforms. This included the NGV app which uses Bluetooth to assist with navigation through the exhibition. Free wifi is also provided to mobile device users.
Process
The NGV digital platforms provide easy navigation, e-commerce optimisation for the physical NGV Design Store, and digital submission forms for feedback.
Through comparing the NGV Triennial with the 7 P’s of the ‘e-marketing mix’ it is demonstrated there is evidence of the suitable execution of each element. The NGV has used media to create a memorable and enticing experience for patrons. Social media has provided an opportunity for patrons to share their experience in real time, which in turn fuels the conversation surrounding the exhibition. The use of interactive screens and additional information online enriches the experience provided to patrons and the NGV app increases accessibility. The app, NGV website and online NGV Triennial information are integrated with cohesive imagery, information and message. Navigation through the online platforms is intuitive and the NGV app tours connect the online platform to the offline experience in the gallery space. There are multiple opportunities to interact with feedback and share content throughout the social media platforms and website, allowing the relationship between organisation and patron to continue after experiencing the exhibition.
The NGV is an established organisation with experience in implementing digital marketing strategies successfully. It is assumed that there are processes in place to ensure marketing activities are carried out correctly, which is evident in the marketing campaign for the NGV Triennial.
References
Australia Council for the Arts, 2001, Connecting Arts Audiences Online: Research Summary, retrieved 5 April 2018, <http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/workspace/uploads/files/research/connecting_arts-audiences-onli-54325bda24842.pdf>.
Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, 2017, Annual Report 2016/17, retireved 4 April 2018, <https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/NGV-ANNUAL-REPORT-2016_17.pdf>.
Creative Victoria, 2017, More than 60 artists from over 30 countries announced for NGV Triennial, retrieved 8 April 2018, <https://creative.vic.gov.au/news/2017/more-than-60-artists-from-over-30-countries-announced-for-ngv-triennial>.
Creative Victoria, 2018, More than half a million people visit NGV Triennial in opening weeks, retrieved 4 April 2018, <https://creative.vic.gov.au/news/2018/more-than-half-a-million-people-visit-ngv-triennial-in-opening-weeks>.
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Guardian Australia, 2017, Giant Buddha reclines with western statues in National Gallery of Victoria foyer, retrieved 4 April 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_A45hCNhiA>.
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