The Art of Relationships

The Australian Arts industry is a vibrant and dynamic sector of the economy. It encompasses both visual and performing arts. This paper is part of a wider study into marketing communications, branding and relationships in this industry. It is unique in that it reports the findings of a research study into relationships in the Australian Arts industry. The study is a qualitative study, focussing on a number of visual arts organisations in Sydney, Australia, selected to provide a varied cross-section of organisations. In carrying out this research, data from various sources was utilised. The prime source of data was personal interviews with key marketing personnel from the art galleries and performing arts organisations. Additional data was gathered through examination of annual reports, Subscription Brochures, Programmes and the website of the companies, as well as information from reports and websites from relevant Government organisations. The results presented in this paper consist of a summary of the case studies conducted, which highlight the importance and complexity of relationships in this industry especially in relation to building brand equity. Issues addressed include motivation, loyalty and image, cooperation as well as power and dependency, additionally information was obtained on evaluation of the relationships discussed. This paper, as a result of these findings, makes an interesting contribution to theory in that it shows the importance of relationships in helping these organisation increase brand equity while allowing them to remain competitive in a challenging industry