Some interesting things are going on at the House. First, to support Pride in London, Lauderdale House is conducting their 8th annual Pride in the House art competition. This allows professional artists in the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community to submit their collection, with the 'winner' chosen for a private exhibition in the coming months (Lauderdale House, 2010). Last year's winner Cos Ahmet (2009) praised the House, saying that "Being awarded the prize of a solo exhibition is an accolade. This is a great opportunity for artists in the LGBT community to show their depth and creativity to a wider audience. Lauderdale House is an inspiring building, and gave me the opportunity to exploit the new work in my solo exhibition within its surroundings, and was well received not only by those who attended my private view, but also from the broader general public who use the House". This gave a great review of the House, and is now being used in the press release publicizing the event. To expand publicity rather than only advertising to the LGBT community, press releases have been posted on websites focusing on the arts. This allows for the event to be more inclusive while reaching a greater audience (Ives, 2010), giving the House a greater reach in to diverse communities as suggested in my previous blogs for diversity.
Another exciting event will come in the form of an exhibition of a Brazillian artist. Through research of Brazillian publications in London for the purpose of advertising the event, I found that her showing will be in conjunction with the Southbank Brazillian Festival (Southbank Centre, 2010). Furthermore, the Brazillian Embassy in London supports the Brazillian community by publicizing events right on their website (Embassy of Brazil, 2010). Maybe it's just me, but it feels like a very exciting time for the House in terms of providing a more diverse program. Through this, Lauderdale House may be able to establish relationships with a more diverse range of communities (Vaux, 2006), possibly giving them a new target market, increasing their visibility, and more importantly, continuing to include a greater range of communities in the House.
Embassy of Brazil. 2010. Events in the UK.[Online] Available at: http://www.brazil.org.uk/events/index.html [Accessed 30 April 2010].
Ives, K., 2010. Pride in the House. [Discussion] (Personal Communication, 30 April 2010).
Southbank Centre, 2010. Festival Brazil. [Online] Available at: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/festivals-series/festival-brazil [Accessed 30 April 2010].
Vaux, S., 2006. It’s all about developing relationships. Journal of Arts Marketing. 21: p. 8-9.
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Wednesday 24 March 2010
What about the Youth?
I've talked about attracting diversity to the house; knocking down the stereotype of a "posh" and "middle class venue" that has been put on the House. However, when you think of diversity, what do you qualify under that word? Is it gender? Nationality? Race? Religion? How about heritage? Well, while diversity does have "diverse" meanings (yes, pun intended), I wanted to talk about the diversity of age. Recently, I attended the Design Museum in London. Expecting architecture and design, I was surprised to find a whole section dedicated to developing the idea of school kids (Design Museum, 2010). This was an interesting concept because while Lauderdale House looks primarily at art and culture, they still strongly encourage individual talent through the showing of diverse works and artists, including supporting the Pride in London in July (Lauderdale House, 2010). So, with the initiation and continuation of Myplace, a center for youth as an outlet for their ideas (DCSF, 2008), maybe Lauderdale House can add to its range of "diversity". Why not target school kids? They do so already with their outreach programs, but what about exhibiting their work, their talent, and their ideas? What about creating a space for them to get recognition and encouragement for their artistic expression while knocking down the stereotype placed on the House? It makes sense that the younger generation will be the ones aging and possibly becoming more of the target market for Lauderdale House in the future. By encouraging them to have interaction with the House and more so receive recognition by their community, the stereotype may then start to change. Furthermore, some publicity of Lauderdale House's efforts for the youth wouldn't hurt! Maybe we'll soon see an article on the House and an exhibition from a teenager from Highgate in the Design Museum. It is just one of the many activities the House can consider as an extension of their services rather than a far reach.
DCSF. 2008. Young People Have a 'Myplace' to Call Their Own. [Online] Available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2008_0065 [Accessed 23 March 2010].
Design Museum. 2010. Schools+Colleges. [Online] Available at: http://designmuseum.org/schools-and-colleges [Accessed 24 March 2010].
Lauderdale House. 2010. What's On. [Online] Available at: http://lauderdalehouse.co.uk/2968_apr-may-jun10.pdf [Accessed 23 March 2010].
DCSF. 2008. Young People Have a 'Myplace' to Call Their Own. [Online] Available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2008_0065 [Accessed 23 March 2010].
Design Museum. 2010. Schools+Colleges. [Online] Available at: http://designmuseum.org/schools-and-colleges [Accessed 24 March 2010].
Lauderdale House. 2010. What's On. [Online] Available at: http://lauderdalehouse.co.uk/2968_apr-may-jun10.pdf [Accessed 23 March 2010].
Tuesday 16 March 2010
The Curse of the Website
Almost 6 months later, and the final version of the website is...unfortunately not up and running. While the current website provides the basics, it does not contain any type of interactive options. As Heather Maltland (2007) suggests, e-mail campaigns are an effective and easy way to reach a target audience, and this cannot be more right for Lauderdale House. Everyday, the House receives numerous calls regarding event queries, bookings, and general information questions, all which can simply be answered with a click of a mouse. While this is all part of the plan, unfortunately it has not been implemented. However, another form of social media came to mind as the general manager was planning the menu. Coutts (2007) suggests that youtube can be a useful tool for reaching your audience and drawing attention to an organization's activities. Why didn't we think of this before? A "preview" of the House, a shot of their shows and events, and a "message from the director" can be just a few of the many things the House can utilize through this free and interactive channel. While this may take some time to start off, the House can see how effectively this mode of communication is and utilize the channel more or less accordingly. With youtube, the House can give more of a visual representation of its activities, giving the customer something extra and more stimulating than a brochure. So, while the website is still in the process of being developed, maybe a youtube channel can be involved to give a true modern feel to the House's marketing activities.
Coutts, J., 2007. A to Y (for Youtube). Journal of Arts Marketing, 27. p 6-7.
Maltland, H., 2007. Let's walk before we run.Journal of Arts Marketing, 27. p.4-5
Coutts, J., 2007. A to Y (for Youtube). Journal of Arts Marketing, 27. p 6-7.
Maltland, H., 2007. Let's walk before we run.Journal of Arts Marketing, 27. p.4-5
Wednesday 10 March 2010
The Distribution Factor
Or shall I say direct marketing? While Lauderdale House partakes actively distributing its information to a large number of individuals, their activities can actually be considered direct, or that the relationship with the customer is "individual and personal" (Journal of Arts Marketing, 2001). Furthermore, since the website is not yet active, direct mailing is the approach taken. The question to be asked, though, is how well it's done. To answer this, Judith Donovan's (2001) critique can be considered to evaluate the presentation of the direct mailings done by the House.
1) Corporate Branding and Positioning: When an envelope arrives, there might be some excitement from the recipient, but the question arises of who is this from? While the information inside the envelope is great, there is no return address or logo from the House on the envelope. This might seem suspicious (i.e. the U.S. Anthrax scare) or be seen as junk mail. While it may be a little more time consuming, a label or address can be considered to be stamped on the envelop to provide a distinguished image and clear brand recognition.
2) Envelope: Donovan (2001) suggests that the package should be personalized and for this, the organization gets a gold star. Every envelope that goes out always contains the name of the individual it is being sent to, creating an image of personability, making the recipient aware that they are remembered as a person rather than a number in a database.
3) Letter: While a letter is included with a brochure, it does contain an almost "Dear Anonymous" heading. This, however, might be the only way to communicate with an individual since when considering the number of envelopes stuffed and mailed, it would not be feasible for the House to address each letter by name.
4) Brochure: Again, another gold star. The Manager always believes in updated and on time information, therefore mailing those on the list with a seasonal brochure with "what's on" in the upcoming months. With information provided in a physical form, she believes participation is more likely to increase since some still prefer something they can hold rather than searching for it on the web (Ives, 2010).
5) Boosters: Since the organization is on a tight budget and is dependent on events for its source of income (Ives, 2010), it can be difficult to give up something for free. However, they may consider a loyalty card and provide a simple discount for those that attend regularly, providing them with a nice "thank you" in the form of a couple of pounds off an event.
6) Response Mechanism: No document for feedback or comments is currently included in the mailings done by the Lauderdale House. This could, however, be implemented and act as a great benefit for the organization. While a survey has been conducted before, mailing out a survey 1-2 times a year, either randomly or with every envelope, can give the House valid feedback from their target market. Unfortunately, this might involve a pre-paid envelope, increasing the spending of Lauderdale House.
By analyzing a simple and already conducted activity, it becomes apparent that some changes can be made if budget allows it. These suggestions can provide the House with valid tools for their future strategies as well as create a better relationship with its target market and attendees.
Donovan, J., 2001. Planning a Direct Marketing Campaign Using Direct Mail. Journal of Arts Marketing, 2, pp. 7-8.
Ives, K., 2010. Discussion about Distribution. [Discussion] (Personal Communication 8 March 2010).
Maitland, H., 2001. Q&A: Direct Marketing-The Theory. Journal of Arts Marketing, 2, pp. 6-7.
1) Corporate Branding and Positioning: When an envelope arrives, there might be some excitement from the recipient, but the question arises of who is this from? While the information inside the envelope is great, there is no return address or logo from the House on the envelope. This might seem suspicious (i.e. the U.S. Anthrax scare) or be seen as junk mail. While it may be a little more time consuming, a label or address can be considered to be stamped on the envelop to provide a distinguished image and clear brand recognition.
2) Envelope: Donovan (2001) suggests that the package should be personalized and for this, the organization gets a gold star. Every envelope that goes out always contains the name of the individual it is being sent to, creating an image of personability, making the recipient aware that they are remembered as a person rather than a number in a database.
3) Letter: While a letter is included with a brochure, it does contain an almost "Dear Anonymous" heading. This, however, might be the only way to communicate with an individual since when considering the number of envelopes stuffed and mailed, it would not be feasible for the House to address each letter by name.
4) Brochure: Again, another gold star. The Manager always believes in updated and on time information, therefore mailing those on the list with a seasonal brochure with "what's on" in the upcoming months. With information provided in a physical form, she believes participation is more likely to increase since some still prefer something they can hold rather than searching for it on the web (Ives, 2010).
5) Boosters: Since the organization is on a tight budget and is dependent on events for its source of income (Ives, 2010), it can be difficult to give up something for free. However, they may consider a loyalty card and provide a simple discount for those that attend regularly, providing them with a nice "thank you" in the form of a couple of pounds off an event.
6) Response Mechanism: No document for feedback or comments is currently included in the mailings done by the Lauderdale House. This could, however, be implemented and act as a great benefit for the organization. While a survey has been conducted before, mailing out a survey 1-2 times a year, either randomly or with every envelope, can give the House valid feedback from their target market. Unfortunately, this might involve a pre-paid envelope, increasing the spending of Lauderdale House.
By analyzing a simple and already conducted activity, it becomes apparent that some changes can be made if budget allows it. These suggestions can provide the House with valid tools for their future strategies as well as create a better relationship with its target market and attendees.
Donovan, J., 2001. Planning a Direct Marketing Campaign Using Direct Mail. Journal of Arts Marketing, 2, pp. 7-8.
Ives, K., 2010. Discussion about Distribution. [Discussion] (Personal Communication 8 March 2010).
Maitland, H., 2001. Q&A: Direct Marketing-The Theory. Journal of Arts Marketing, 2, pp. 6-7.
Monday 1 March 2010
The Proposal
So, after almost 6 months with the Lauderdale House, it's time for the proposal for the big final project. With some guidance from my supervisor and through observations of the House, the final paper will be based on evaluating Lauderdale House using the framework provided by Reid, Luxton & Mavondo (2005) as well as making recommendations supported by the Arts Marketing Association. Without boring you with the details of the methodology (which will be qualitative by the way) I will be examining the following:
According to Kerrigan, O'Reilly, and Vom Lehn (2009) “In many countries, cultural policy has moved from viewing the arts in terms of the funding and administration of certain kinds of artistic and heritage culture to viewing them as a tool for social inclusion, community development and urban regeneration”. The arts are becoming integrated and a significant part within societies and communities, therefore making it necessary to consider the social aspect of the sector. This is applicable in the case of Lauderdale House and their role as a charity, community center, and being actively involved in the arts sector.
The Arts and Cultural Sector
Butler (2000) suggests that the traditional concepts of marketing do not consider the “distinct characteristics” of the arts and therefore need to be context based strategies rather than general theories. While marketing is considered the most appropriate activity for the complex nature of the arts sector by the Arts Marketing Association (2010), marketing activities need to consider and be tailored to the unique aspects of the cultural organizations. Considering these factors, the marketing strategies developed for the Lauderdale House will need to take in to account the organization’s nature, activities, and values and use those aspects to approach is solely as part of the arts and culture sector rather than a general organization.
Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy, Brand Orientation, and Market Orientation
An integrated marketing strategy has been redefined as "an on-going, interactive, cross-functional process of brand communication planning, execution, and evaluation that integrates all parties in the exchange process in order to maximize mutual satisfaction of each other's wants and needs" (Duncan and Mulhern, 2004, p.9 as cited in Reid, Luxton & Mavondo, 2005). This definition encompasses more of a integrated role of individuals and resources of the company, focusing on strategy and results (Cornelissen, 2001 as cited in Reid, Luxton & Mavondo, 2005). When considering strategies appropriate for Lauderdale House, the following aspects will be examined: brand orientation, market orientation, an integrated marketing strategy, and their relationship to ensure effectiveness of the organization. The concept of branding, for example, holds a great importance since an organization needs to consider what exactly it is that they want to portray and what it will mean to the consumer or audience rather than just to the company (Schultz, 2009).
Through examining the concepts proposed, recommendations will be made accordingly. While I may not know the ins and outs of the organization, based on observations and interviews, strategies for the House will be developed and hopefully utilized by the general manager. Now it's just a matter of putting the theories on paper, and who doesn't like a nice, lengthy proposal?
Arts Marketing Association. 2010. History and Achievements. [Online].
Available at: http://www.a-m-a.org.uk/history.asp. [Accessed 12 March 2010].
Butler P. (2000). By Popular Demand: Marketing the Arts. Journal of Marketing Management. 16(4):343-364.
Kerrigan F, O'Reilly D, Vom Lehn D. (2009). Producing and consuming arts: A marketing perspective. Consumption, Markets & Culture . 12(3):203-207.
Reid M, Luxton S, Mavondo F. (2005). The Relationship Between Integrated Marketing Communication, Market Orientation, And Brand Orientation. Journal of Advertising. 34(4):11-23.
Schultz D.(2010). Transformational Branding. Marketing Management. 18(5):6-7.
According to Kerrigan, O'Reilly, and Vom Lehn (2009) “In many countries, cultural policy has moved from viewing the arts in terms of the funding and administration of certain kinds of artistic and heritage culture to viewing them as a tool for social inclusion, community development and urban regeneration”. The arts are becoming integrated and a significant part within societies and communities, therefore making it necessary to consider the social aspect of the sector. This is applicable in the case of Lauderdale House and their role as a charity, community center, and being actively involved in the arts sector.
The Arts and Cultural Sector
Butler (2000) suggests that the traditional concepts of marketing do not consider the “distinct characteristics” of the arts and therefore need to be context based strategies rather than general theories. While marketing is considered the most appropriate activity for the complex nature of the arts sector by the Arts Marketing Association (2010), marketing activities need to consider and be tailored to the unique aspects of the cultural organizations. Considering these factors, the marketing strategies developed for the Lauderdale House will need to take in to account the organization’s nature, activities, and values and use those aspects to approach is solely as part of the arts and culture sector rather than a general organization.
Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy, Brand Orientation, and Market Orientation
An integrated marketing strategy has been redefined as "an on-going, interactive, cross-functional process of brand communication planning, execution, and evaluation that integrates all parties in the exchange process in order to maximize mutual satisfaction of each other's wants and needs" (Duncan and Mulhern, 2004, p.9 as cited in Reid, Luxton & Mavondo, 2005). This definition encompasses more of a integrated role of individuals and resources of the company, focusing on strategy and results (Cornelissen, 2001 as cited in Reid, Luxton & Mavondo, 2005). When considering strategies appropriate for Lauderdale House, the following aspects will be examined: brand orientation, market orientation, an integrated marketing strategy, and their relationship to ensure effectiveness of the organization. The concept of branding, for example, holds a great importance since an organization needs to consider what exactly it is that they want to portray and what it will mean to the consumer or audience rather than just to the company (Schultz, 2009).
Through examining the concepts proposed, recommendations will be made accordingly. While I may not know the ins and outs of the organization, based on observations and interviews, strategies for the House will be developed and hopefully utilized by the general manager. Now it's just a matter of putting the theories on paper, and who doesn't like a nice, lengthy proposal?
Arts Marketing Association. 2010. History and Achievements. [Online].
Available at: http://www.a-m-a.org.uk/history.asp. [Accessed 12 March 2010].
Butler P. (2000). By Popular Demand: Marketing the Arts. Journal of Marketing Management. 16(4):343-364.
Kerrigan F, O'Reilly D, Vom Lehn D. (2009). Producing and consuming arts: A marketing perspective. Consumption, Markets & Culture . 12(3):203-207.
Reid M, Luxton S, Mavondo F. (2005). The Relationship Between Integrated Marketing Communication, Market Orientation, And Brand Orientation. Journal of Advertising. 34(4):11-23.
Schultz D.(2010). Transformational Branding. Marketing Management. 18(5):6-7.
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