What do undergraduate students need from their local theatre

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• What do undergraduate students need from their
  local theatre?
• Marketing to your local higher education
  community
• Tim Friesner
• Chris Grover
• Dr. Paul Sheeran

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Business plan - Theatre Royal Winchester 2001

• Strategic Objectives
• fulfil its potential as the leading middle scale
  presenting theatre in the region
• placing education, participation and community
  partnership at the centre of its activities
• be welcoming and accessible to all members of its
  community
• exploit commercial opportunities, and operate
  efficiently with the highest standard of customer
  service to maximise benefits to its community and
  funding partners.

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Research objectives

• To measure the leisure behaviour of King Alfreds
  students
• To measure their awareness of Winchester-based
  leisure activities
• To understand King Alfreds Students perceptions
  of Theatre Royal Winchester
• To establish the needs of King Alfreds students
  for Winchester-based local theatre

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Research methodology

• Target population
• Students following a 3 year degree programme but
  excluding those studying English, Drama or Media
  Film Studies as a single subject
• Different students were used for each stage of
  the research
• Emphasis on International Students on last focus
  group
• Timing
• October 2001 - February 2002
• Theatre Royal re-opened its doors after a 6 year
  closure in October

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Structure of research

• Stage 1 A large focus group to generate themes
  for further research
• Perceptions of students towards the theatre
• Opinion on publicity and brochure for Theatre
  Royals first season
• Stage 2 Questionnaire filled in by 153 students
  from across disciplines
• Students leisure time activity and interests
• Awareness and use of local arts venues
• Marketing issues - promotion and booking
• Stage 3 Small focus groups examined students
  relationship with the theatre
• Interest and demand for the theatre and other
  arts provision
• Knowledge and perception of the Theatre Royal
• Marketing issues - price, availability of tickets
  

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Top three preferences from fifteen
Bottom three preferences from fifteen
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Marketing to Higher Education Community

• Price
• E.g last minute booking rates for students
• Place
• E.g Introduce late night minibus to student
  villages
• E.g CRM/Back office systems for online bookings
• Promotion
• Brochure with section for youth/student segment
• Product
• Product development 85 of students are aware of
  Theatre Royal but do not pay to visit it