“Staging the past, enacting the present”: Experiential marketing in the performing arts and heritage sectors

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate experiential marketing as a potential strategy for cultural attractions operating in a highly competitive leisure marketplace.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the relevance of the experiential approach for the UK arts and cultural sector with its multiple stakeholders and innate tensions between commercial objectives and curatorial/artistic goals, between visitor access and preservation and between scholarship and entertainment.

Findings

Experiential marketing is evaluated as a means by which organizations in the arts and cultural sector can capture uncontended market space while satisfying the wants and expectations of an increasingly discerning visitor. The analytical basis for the evaluation is provided through comparative case studies – one from the heritage sector and one from the performing arts.

Originality/value

The experiential approach is considered and the findings applied to a conceptual model, with a view to offering proposals for the dissemination of best practice and identifying directions for further research.

Citation

Conway, T. and Leighton, D. (2012), "“Staging the past, enacting the present”: Experiential marketing in the performing arts and heritage sectors", Arts Marketing: An International Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 35-51. https://doi.org/10.1108/20442081211233007