Question 1

Ballet

The UK's performing arts sector is vibrant, varied, and hugely successful. From community arts initiatives and festivals to commercial theatres, opera, ballet and live music, the performing arts are a major and crucial part of the creative and cultural industries in the UK. Even in a global recession, the performing arts in the UK have continued to attract audiences to ever more sophisticated productions.New technology has accelerated the pace of change not just in backstage practice, but in where and how the audience hears about performances and shares them with family and friends.

Growth in attendance at performing arts events in the last few years has been boosted by a trend towards escapism and stronger domestic and inbound tourism.Funding, however, is a major issue for production companies because of government budget cuts and difficulties in attracting corporate sponsorship and donations.

The internationally renowned Prima Ballet Company, based in London, is well aware of the problems and, with a view to increasing funding through audience revenues, the company has recently appointed its first marketing director.The Prima Ballet Company realises it needs to compete for its audience, not just with other ballet productions, but also stage musicals, theatrical productions, and even home entertainment.According to the new marketing director, a key future priority will be to improve relationships with its database members and also to develop new distribution channels to fill more seats as it tours venues throughout the UK next year.

Recent research has revealed, however, that, after several years of growth, there are now signs that the ballet market has matured. The research also reveals that frequent attendees to ballet productions are generally in the middle and upper middle social class groups and tend to be aged at least 45 years.Amongst the population as a whole, there is a perception that ballet is expensive and elitist.

Required:

How would you advise the new marketing director to proceed in developing a marketing strategy for the Prima Ballet Company? (Total 3