In France, the culture and events sector represents 455,000 jobs and generates almost 65 billion turnover per year. It is also a field of activity that has undergone profound changes, especially during the pandemic and with the arrival of digital technology.
The arrival of VOD, for example, caused a drastic drop in movie theater attendance and even chain closures. In more general terms, it is crucial for cultural institutions and actors in reinvent yourself to attract a younger audiencebut also more demanding.
More interactivity, human contact and personalization: new visitors want discover culture in a different way than previous generations. To meet their expectations and create more immersive and impactful cultural experiences, here are 3 digital levers to boost cultural marketing.
Responding to the challenges of cultural marketing through digitalization
As we have seen, digitalization can represent both a challenge and a lever.innovation for cultural agents. The availability of numerous works online (but also their piracy) or the arrival of AI necessarily raise many questions for both institutions and artists.
But digital technology can also offer solutions for expand the dissemination of cultural projects and improve user experience. Therefore, cultural marketing can rely on digital tools to:
Attract new audiences
Digital marketing is a great way to reach a wider audience and therefore be visible to more (and younger) visitors. In July 2020, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, for example, registered an increase of 27% of its visitors under 25 years of age after collaborating with an influencer and spreading a campaign on social networks.
The virality of the Beyoncé and Jay-Z clip (especially online) also led to an increase in visits to the Louvre Museum in 2018. The Paris Philharmonic also leveraged the influence of popular content creators among young people to interest them in classical music. At the same time, the institution offered cheaper places for more accessible works that did not require appearing in costume.
democratize access to culture
Online marketing, whether through influencers or playable advertising formats, allows cultural actors capture the attention of the public until now little addressed by the sector.
Historical institutions, not used to communicating with young audiences, can through these channels adopt greater freedom of tone. Your communication also becomes more authentic and even more emotional. These channels can also be used to popularize culture and therefore reach people who until now have been very far from the artistic and cultural world.
federated communities
Today the words of the institutions and historical actors of culture have lost force. The one from an external source can have as much, if not more resonance (especially among the new generations).
Instead of controlling their reputation and blocking their image, cultural actors today It is encouraged to involve the public in its co-construction. Online tools, and more particularly social networks, have become true spaces for conversation, whose main objective is no longer so much the audience (or the number of subscribers) but rather their engagement (the number of interactions).
This closer relationship between cultural actors and the public helps build the latter’s loyalty. In multiplying points of contact (before, during and after a cultural experience), institutions encourage them to pay attention to their programming. And therefore return regularly, even to talk about it with them.
3 ideas to boost cultural marketing in the digital age
Therefore, to innovate, cultural marketing must adapt to the new uses that visitors make of digital technologies. here are 3 marketing ideas to explore to increase appeal cultural experiences.
1. Influencer marketing
Many renowned establishments (such as the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum or the Palais de Tokyo) already use influencer marketing to boost your marketing. The principle is simple: collaborate with content creators to recommend an experience or product to their community.
These influencers can be actors from the cultural world or creators who have specialized in a cultural niche. Its peculiarity is to have already brought together a large audience (generally young and therefore strategic in the marketing of culture). But, above all, influencers know how to talk to their subscribers, popularize art or history and make the cultural sector more attractive.
For cultural organizations, it is an excellent lever to gain visibility. But also increase your attendance rate by co-organizing social media contests to earn free seats for your subscribers.
2. Waiting Marketing (or Waiting Marketing)
Waiting marketing consists, as its name suggests, of take advantage of the wait of visitors to spread messages targeted advertising. In fact, it has been shown that wait marketing can improve the performance of a campaign. For example, register a 50% memorization ratecompared to the usual 15% of any other advertising format.
Because ? The message transmitted to the consumer in a waiting situation does not interrupt his activities. Even better, It entertains you for what may seem like a long time. In cultural marketing this practice is well known. Cinema has always taken advantage of this by airing advertisements and trailers before the start of each film.
Obviously the formats used and the messages disseminated must be adapted to the waiting place to allow more relevant affinity communication. Before an event begins, the organizer can organize a game to immerse participants in the heart of the experience. These interactive devices will make it possible to attract the public and attract qualified potential clients, in particular thanks to attractive prizes (gifts, free places, etc.)
3. Gamification (or playable marketing)
Gamification is also a great way to promote cultural marketing. Whether through a digital treasure hunt or an interactive visit, playable formats make it possible to enhance the attractiveness of cultural experiences, making them more immersive and fun.
Gamified animations, for example, invite visitors to interact with online games before, during and after visiting a place of physical interest. Using a smartphone, participants can, for example, take a quiz to test their knowledge. This type of interactive mechanism allows institutions to highlight a museum or a city from a more fun angle.
This type of interactive animation can also allow travelersAccumulate points and receive rewards. This will encourage them to return or share their experience with others, organically increasing the visibility of the place.
Cultural marketing can leverage the levers that digital offers to respond to the challenges it faces (decline in attendance, lack of appeal among younger generations). By focusing on gamification (whether through these formats or through collaborations with influencers), cultural organizations can increase their visibility, appeal and loyalty.
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