Arts Marketing (MMK792), 2017 Assignment Two: Strategic arts marketing plan Weighting: 40% Length: 4,000 words Due Date: Monday 29 May, 2017 (11.59 pm EAST) (NB: late penalties will apply) Format: Report Format (Harvard style) Submission: CloudDeakin dropbox (no cover sheet required) (NB: make sure your NAME is on the front page of your assignment) Updates: Updates and more information on assignment requirements will be posted on CloudDeakin
Background Marketing literature identifies two approaches to marketing: ‘Product-led’ marketing makes a product first and then finds the audiences that are interested in it; ‘Target-led’ marketing identifies the potential audience and attempts to offer an art product to them. A ‘product led’ approach is common in art organisations where independent producers or artists create artistic works before marketing practice begins. ‘Target led’ marketing produces artworks that appeal to audiences, but is seen to run the risk of compromising artistic integrity and the ‘edginess’ of works. A more recent tactic (Hill, O'Sullivan & O'Sullivan 2003) aims to reconcile the two approaches, arguing that while artistic planning cannot be dominated by market forces, marketing needs to be an integral part of the process of artistic planning.
Topic Design a new arts or cultural product (this could be a production, performance, exhibition, festival, public program, arts service etc) and prepare a strategic marketing plan for this product. (NB: your strategic marketing plan will be for a specific project or product, not the overall organisation). Your approach to this marketing planning exercise should reflect the following arts marketing definition: ‘an integrated management process which sees mutually satisfying exchange relationships with customers as the route to achieving organisational and artistic objectives.’ (Hill, O'Sullivan & O'Sullivan 2003 p.1)
Expectations Your marketing plan should be no more than 4,000 words. The plan should be written in a report format (i.e. it is not an essay). The assignment is to be submitted via the CloudDeakin dropbox.
Suggested Report Format • Short description and rationale of the artistic product (suggest no more than 300 words) • Short overview of the arts organisation that is managing the project and will be implementing the strategic marketing plan • Situation analysis: o Indication of how the product links to the organisation’s mission or vision; o Internal situation (strengthens and weaknesses) and its impact on the product; o External situation (opportunities and threats, including a SPET analysis or its equivalent) and its impact on the product; o Description and analysis of your target markets; and o Competition analysis. • Marketing goals, objectives/strategies and actions: o Presented with reference to the Market Mix (the seven ‘P’s); o Specification of timelines, resources, responsibilities of strategies or actions o Within the marketing mix, include use of the ‘marketing aspects’ e.g. market segmentation, audience development, e-marketing; and o Performance measures or indicators (how you will measure the success or outcome of your marketing work) • Bibliography (sources you have used to determine the structure and layout of your marketing plan as well as data you have drawn on to develop the situation analysis) (NB: in a document prepared for a workplace this section wouldn’t be required, but for the purpose of this assignment is used to determine the research you have undertaken)
Assessment criteria Your strategic marketing plans will be assessed according to the following criteria (see the marking rubric on CloudDeakin for more details):
Criteria Graduate Learning Outcomes (DGLOs)
Max. Points
Justify the rational for the artistic product/ cultural offering
(i.e. artistic product is relevant to arts organisation and demonstrates reconciliation of ‘product’ and ‘target’ led marketing)
GLO4: Critical thinking 5
Decide the marketing strategy needed to support your artistic product or cultural offering
(i.e. clear planning of the marketing work that will be done under each of the Marketing ‘P’s, and evidence of the need for this work in the situation analysis)
GLO1: Discipline specific knowledge GLO4: Critical thinking
10
Determine the use of arts marketing aspects within the marketing strategy
(i.e. evidence of the use of market segmentation, audience development, pricing, branding, promotion and/ or emarketing within the marketing strategy)
GLO1: Discipline specific knowledge GLO4: Critical thinking
10
Write the marketing plan in a way that communicates the required actions and enables its implementation
GLO2: Communication 10
Compile information required by the task, including: a) data and information collected in order to undertake the situation analysis, and b) research into different strategic marketing planning tools and techniques
GLO1: Discipline specific knowledge
5
Total / 40 marks
Useful references and resources In addition to your Study Guide and Readings, the following are useful texts to get you started:
Cashman, Stephen 2010, Thinking Big: A guide to strategic marketing planning for arts organisations, Arts Marketing Association, Cambridge, retrieved 20 February, 2017, < http://www.culturehive.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2012/11/Guide_-_Thinking_Big_-_Stephen_Cashman__2010-2.pdf >
Dickman, Sharron 2000, What’s my plan? A guide to developing arts marketing plans, Australia Council for the Arts, Strawberry Hill retrieved 19 February 2016< http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/workspace/uploads/files/research/entir e_document-5445e93ed8638.pdf >
Griffin, Caroline 2007, This Way Up: A flatpack guide to marketing the arts, AMA and Arts Council England, London, retrieved 20 February 2017, < http://www.culturehive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/This-WayUp2.pdf >.
Americans for the Arts 2010, The Experts’ Guide to Marketing the Arts, Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, retrieved 20 February 2017, < http://artsmarketing.artsusa.org/resources/practicallessons/practical-lessons >
Australia Council for the Arts 2015, Business Plan Framework for Arts Organisations, retrieved 20 February, 2017 [This strategic plan format can be adapted for your strategic marketing plan. However keep in mind that not all sections in this template will be relevant or necessary for a marketing plan].
Additional Information and Tips: • Remember that the strategic marketing plan is an ACTION document—it should identify and plan for the marketing work that is going to be undertaken. It is NOT an essay. • Develop the strategic marketing plan with an actual arts organisation in mind. It is much easier to work within the structure and constraints of an existing organisation. • The marketing plan should be for a new product, or the relaunch of a product in some different form. (i.e. the strategic marketing plan is specific to this product/ project—not an overall marketing plan for an entire arts organisation). • Explain the rationale for providing your chosen product. Develop the product and the marketing plan with both the audience and organisational/ artistic goals in mind (i.e. aim for a marketing plan that fits with Hill, O’Sullivan and O’Sullivan’s arts marketing definition). • There is no one way to structure or present a strategic marketing plan. A number of the references and textbooks you’ve been given include worksheets and practical examples of the presentation of information in a strategic marketing plan. Where appropriate, these can be included in the body of your plan. Part of your research and decision making for this assignment is the use of strategic marketing tools and techniques, the presentation of these in a report. • The organisation managing the project does not have to be large—a one person business is not uncommon in the arts and entertainment industry. • Only summary budget information is required. You do not need to get detailed quotes or present complex budget information. • Consider aspects of good report format and structure, for example page numbers; use of bullet points, tables, graphs and diagrams; table of contents. • References should be included, even though this might not be part of a strategic marketing plan you would produce for your workplace. References will provide an indication of how widely you’ve read and conducted research into o different approaches and techniques for the marketing planning process; o factors and issues affecting the external and internal environment which your strategic marketing plan responds to (i.e. the situation analysis).