The Tempest
Our market climate is stormy. Increased competition among theatres, decreasing public financial support, and changing audiences bring strong headwinds as we emerge from COVID-related lockdowns into a challenging economy. Digital media and technologies have accelerated change in consumer needs, expectations, and behaviours.
Economic Crises
The British theatre sector is experiencing a moment of great emergency. COVID and the cost of living crisis have decimated traditional theatre-going audiences, leaving venues across the country financially exposed and adrift from their communities.
Yet, British theatre is globally recognised for its quality. Creative innovation and artistic risk lie at the heart of producing great work, so it is essential we find new ways of building new, younger, and more diverse audiences. We need to create communities with a long-term commitment to and appetite for the most exciting, cutting-edge work theatres can produce.
Digitise or Die
Businesses across the economy have adapted and evolved as global and digital trade transform the way consumers engage with brands and purchase products.
Whilst theatres have invested in websites and online ticketing services, most have not derived the full value from these channels. They are generally seen as the online “marquee and box office” to promote productions and sell tickets and not as the valuable sales and engagement channels where data and insights can support the wider business of theatre.
In truth, theatres have been slow to adopt new tools and ways of working for a variety of reasons, including limited funding, lack of expertise, and / or a need to focus on other priorities.
Complex Resources
Theatres have come to rely on an increasingly complex network of technology vendors, service providers, and consultants to deliver marketing and sales activities. Whilst ticketing and digital platforms are specialised services that have emerged over the past two decades, traditional marketing and advertising agencies have developed new capabilities to support new digital and social channels.
Most partner relationships are managed at the functional level — programming, IT, marketing, membership, development, etc. Few are actively engaged by executive and artistic leadership, limiting the ability to strategically manage and leverage investments.
Executive and artistic directors can play an active role in leading digital transformation activities to create value for their theatres, recognising that data is a strategic asset, teams need upskilling, and investment in digital solutions provide critical future-proof marketing and sales channels.
