The use of marketing and public relations by performing arts presenters

Although Arts Organisations are often said to be poorly developed in marketing areas, it is unclear whether this is a response to the atypical environment they exist in, or simply due to limited skills and resources. This paper looks at Performing Arts Presenters (PAPs), profiling what they do in the way of marketing, how sophisticated they are, and the reasons they behave they way they do. In-depth interviews with marketing managers indicated that PAPs are confused about the role of marketing, relying mainly on Public Relations instead. While it was widely acknowledged that marketing would be beneficial, the marketing that is executed is generally ad-hoc and basic. This lack of marketing action is due primarily to a lack of skills and resources and a historical preference for PR, not as a considered response to the Arts environment.