3.02. Studying Audience Behaviors to Adapt Communication

This sheet examines the principle of segmentation as a modality for effective marketing action, both in its results and in the way it mobilizes the human resources of your equipment.

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  The diversity of audiences is both a strength and an objective for any public performing arts cultural project. It is also a challenge when it comes to communicating appropriately with everyone. In a world where culture is consumed both online and in venues, and where individuals' attention is fiercely contested by numerous media, cultural, and leisure operators (see links to the sheets "Cultural practices increasingly digitalized?" and "What societal issues surround data?"), it is essential to understand the digital behaviors of your audiences in order to reach them - and to reach them in the most effective way.

By examining individuals' browsing and purchasing habits, cultural organizations can notably:

  • Adapt their communication to the specific expectations and habits of the audience, thus better considering them.
  • Send messages at the right moment, thereby increasing engagement and sales.
  • Plan their actions by better allocating time and human resources, thus more efficiently.

From this study will emerge audience or target segments, composed by grouping individuals sharing similar behaviors or attitudes toward the cultural project considered. Communication strategies will then rely on these segments to be as appropriate as possible. This principle also underlies the conversion funnels presented in another sheet (see the sheet titled "What are the different 'conversion funnels' in the context of cultural marketing?").  

We’re a 170-year-old organisation but before 2015 we knew very little about our audiences.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

What is audience segmentation and what is it based on?

To fully understand segmentation, we must view the cultural audience as a market. According to François Colbert, marketing professor at HEC Montréal and holder of the Carmelle and Rémi-Marcoux Arts Management Chair, "a market segment is a subgroup of consumers who share similar characteristics, express similar needs and desires, and respond to the same marketing strategy." Segmentation therefore involves "dividing" the audience to organize it according to similar behaviors or preferences. This allows a traditional company to design the product best suited to its target, responding to its tastes and behaviors.

In the cultural sector, one rather identifies within their audience, for example within their spectator database, the individuals most likely to be interested in the cultural offering proposed.

Important: when working with a spectator database, often only the buyers' data are available. To address this, nominative membership cards allow for a finer understanding of buyers (for example, within a household). Purchase-related data can also be supplemented by field surveys (on-site surveys, online questionnaires) to better understand non-buying spectators.  

The importance of audience segmentation

Market segmentation is probably one of the most powerful tools marketing teams have to define and implement their strategy. Not only does it provide a detailed understanding of the audience, but it also forces the institution to question the nature and needs of that audience. Segmentation allows communication to be tailored to the targeted publics. If cultural venues had unlimited money, time, and resources, they would address all audiences simultaneously, with personalized messages adapted to each group. In reality, human and material resources are very limited, so it is essential to find another way to proceed. By dividing audiences or consumers into groups of similar affinities or behaviors, segmentation offers, in a way, the possibility of "mass personalization," according to the consulting firm Morris Hargreaves McIntyre. Segmentation systems are now adopted by hundreds of artistic, cultural, heritage, and charitable organizations worldwide, just like the broader economic world, and are grouped into four subsets:

  • Socio-demographic criteria
  • Geographic criteria
  • Behavioral criteria
  • Psychographic criteria

    Segmentation criteria according to the optimization solution Kameleoon, May 2024.

    Rights reserved: site Appvizer (external link)

    This segmentation, when based on behavioral criteria, can consider the audiences' relationship to the institution:  

    Relation à l’établissementEnjeuObjectif à atteindreExemple d’actions envisageables
    Aucune connaissanceNotoriétéFaire connaître le projetCampagnes digitales ciblées, collaborations avec médias culturels, accueil d’évènements non culturels, portes ouvertes…
    Image négativeImage de marqueAméliorer la perceptionTémoignages, vidéos immersives des coulisses, mise en avant des dates complètes…
    Connaissance sans venuePassage à l’acteInciter à la première venueOffres découverte, mise en avant des critiques positives, envoi de code promo…
    Déjà venu∙eFidélisationEncourager les retoursCartes de fidélité, newsletters avec recommandations personnalisées
    Fréquentation régulièreAmbassadeursTransformer en prescripteursExpériences VIP, contenus exclusifs à partager, programme de mécénat individuel…

    These few examples illustrate how forms of address will differ depending on the type of audience targeted and the nature of their perception and attendance of the institution.

    Other behavioral segmentation criteria are possible and this time rely on individuals' preferences and booking behaviors:  

    CritèreForme d’expression du critèreExemple d’actions envisageables
    Préférences esthétiquesConsommation de pièces de répertoire, théâtre découverte, venue sur les spectacles les plus porteurs, le jeune public…Newsletters avec recommandations personnalisées, annonce exclusive de tel ou tel spectacle bientôt à l’affiche
    Comportements d’achatRéservation anticipée via l’abonnement, achat de dernière minute…Promotion adaptée aux comportements de la personne ciblée
    Modalités de fréquentationAchat en solo, toujours par deux places, pour la famille…Encouragement vers tel ou tel produit de fidélisation, contenu adapté

    Psychographic profiling: the case of "Cultural segments"

    Finally, regarding segmentation based on psychographic criteria, the consulting firm Morris Hargreaves McIntyre created a perfect example with its project titled Cultural Segments. Designed specifically to meet the needs of the international arts and culture sector, these audience profiles are not based on demographic data, age, or individual behavior but on their values. This classification system aims to understand individuals' motivations for engaging in cultural practices in order to better craft messages consistent with their mindset (references for this system are listed in the resources of this document).

    Focusing on audience behaviors through segmentation and personas allows for better communication, streamlining internal efforts, and optimizing sales. By defining precise audiences and tailoring marketing actions accordingly, cultural venues strengthen their connection with their publics and equip themselves to develop strategies adapted to their needs. The challenge is both strategic and human: better understanding to better unite.  

    The Use of Personas

    Segmentation work culminates in the creation of personas. A persona, within the framework of user-centered design for a digital service or marketing strategy implementation, is a fictional representation of a person with specific socio-demographic and psychological characteristics, intended to represent a precise segment of the clientele or audience.

    This method notably allows identifying users' needs and goals, as well as their objections and barriers, to better address them. Note: although fictional, these embodied personas are developed based on real information... More than stereotypes, personas are archetypes of your real or prospective audiences.

    The strength of your personas lies in the data on which they are based. This data must have been collected beforehand, during a user research phase, divided into two steps:

    • secondary research (benchmarking, reading studies on the investigated subject)
    • primary research (usually interviews and observations)

      To build a persona, it is necessary to interview at least 2 to 4 users per segment. Conducting a user interview also requires preparation and some experience, the goal being to collect "IPA" information, that is: informative, pertinent, and actionable.

      Ronan Le Guern,Designer de services publics numériques

      At the end of the primary research phase, the raw information is processed through a method aimed at isolating recurring behavioral patterns to form the foundation of each persona.

      The construction of personas thus depends on the quality of the institution's database and its ability to collect data from audiences (see the related sheet "How to Produce Data with Stakeholders?").

      From this gathered data, it is possible to identify homogeneous groups based on relevant criteria, such as: frequency of attendance, motivation, artistic sensitivity, preferred information channel, values.

      With these personas in mind, it becomes easier to personalize content creation and refine marketing actions, while improving the experience for audiences. This strategic approach benefits both the individuals attending the institution and the organization itself, as better understanding audiences leads to better organization of the teams' work.  

      To go further

      Rubriques

      Explorez le sujet en quatre grandes rubriques dédiées au spectacle vivant, depuis la compréhension des enjeux jusqu'au pilotage stratégique.

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