As large budget performances such as Turandot and The Phantom of the Opera appear in the recent theater industry, the theaters compete each other with active marketing strategies to attract more spectators. However, the reality is that the theater spe...
As large budget performances such as Turandot and The Phantom of the Opera appear in the recent theater industry, the theaters compete each other with active marketing strategies to attract more spectators. However, the reality is that the theater spectators take only 1-2% of the consumers in Korea. It is very difficult to draw the excessively small audience so there need to be more active marketing.
For a successive performance, the artistic features should be considered first but in order to provide the performance information to potential consumers, and the words-of-mouth is recognized as an important marketing strategy. Although, it lacks attention and reliability in nature as media, the trust for the words-of-mouth from friends, family and co-workers is increasing. As for the theater consumers, good comments of people who have seen it first play an important role in the consumer's selecting a performance, and also the number of normal consumers that refer to advices and recommendations is increasing.
According to the verbal communication theory and the collective features, consumers show more sensitive reactions to words-of-mouth when purchasing goods. Therefore, based on these theories, the study first analyzed behaviors of theater consumers through media usage and spectating style depending on selection of the theater consumers. Second, the study looked into the flow of words-of-mouth information through inflow and route of words-of-mouth that affects the theater consumers when selecting a performance. Third, the study examined the routes and effects of words-of-mouth of different types of theater consumers. Fourth, effective marketing strategies were diagnosed through the theater consumers behaviors toward the words-of-mouth marketing.
The followings show results of the study.
First, it was investigated that most of the theater consumers were females and females get more affected by the words-of-mouth. Most of them select performances for leisure and hobby and they look at the artistic features when selecting a performance. The words-of-mouth is used as an important medium in every medium the consumers use and trust. Since the reliability level, purchase effects and intention for redelivering the message are high, the words-of-mouth can be considered as one of the most assurable marketing strategy.
Second, as for the route of words-of-mouth, most of them responded Through friends and they said they usually meet for the way of words-of-mouth. Due to the development of internet, many people said they get the information of words-of-mouth through websites. Most of them talk about the story, actors/actresses and experience of the performance. It was investigated that people show more interests when they first know hear about the performance and have interests in it through words-of-mouth.
Third, the investigation on the types of theater consumers shows that consumers with interests in the performance are affected the most and they have the most intention to tell others.
As for the study on each performance, Hedwig had a high rate of spectators in the 20s and 30s so many people showed much interest and intention to tell other about the performance, but Publikumsbeschimpfung had a high rate of spectators in the 20s and 30s, people who did not participate and have any interest so they showed low interests in words-of-mouth.
Fourth, the theater consumers showed the highest receptive behaviors toward recommendations and advices of friends, family and acquaintances. This shows that the words-of-mouth marketing can be an important element for the marketing of a performance.
The study results show that females in the 20s and 30s take a very important part in the theater consumers and they get affected the most by the words-of-mouth so there should be strategies for them.
Also, they trust the words-of-mouth more because they get more trust and reliability through nonprofit information delivery of friends and acquaintances. Also, the spreading speed and effects have a very close relationship with the success of a performance so the importance of words-of-mouth should be considered as an advertisement aid. It is necessary to lure more people as mass performances and we should not forget that better performances and concern for each spectator are the solutions for securing the spectators that have a deep love for theaters.