Queen's Hall 2000
| Organisation |
Queen's Hall |
| Project |
A research and development project to create a marketing plan for the venue. |
| Artform |
Music |
| Location |
Edinburgh |
| Application type |
Project development |
| Date |
2000 |
| Status |
Completed |
| Grant |
£2,454 |
| Total project cost |
£3,272 |
The Queen’s Hall is a converted Georgian Church in central Edinburgh, which has operated as a medium-scale concert venue since 1979. Used primarily for music events, it is the Edinburgh performing base of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Scottish Ensemble. It is also a venue for a range of classical, jazz, traditional and folk concerts and light entertainment events, both professional and amateur, throughout the year. The Queen’s Hall is a key venue for the Edinburgh International and Fringe Festivals and the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival.
A reduction in public funding over the previous ten years has made the Queen’s Hall increasingly aware of the need to reconsider all aspects of its marketing activity. This project was to undertake primary research to enable the organisation to create a marketing plan which will inform a longer-term marketing/audience development campaign.
- To assess activities in the Hall to identify key products
- To review the advertising strategy and its effectiveness
- To undertake market research through audience questionnaires and telephone surveys
- To undertake a market segmentation analysis of the current and proposed future audience
- To draft a marketing strategy
Burt Greener Communications were appointed to undertake the research and preparation of a marketing strategy.
The following research methods were employed:
- Internal research through interviews with the venue’s board and management and a study of the marketing materials and recent media coverage
- External research with existing and potential promoters, previous sponsors, Scottish journalists and audience members. A comparative study of marketing materials and web facilities used by other UK venues.
- A study of comparable venue media coverage
- A study of the materials and methods used by comparable venues to market to promoters and the corporate sector
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Overall, the research showed that The Queen’s Hall is a highly regarded and well loved venue with the potential to attract many more people to its performances throughout the year, however a number of barriers prevent it from fulfilling its potential. As a prerequisite to all other marketing activity, the range of performances offered to audiences should be widened and the venue not restricted to usage by a handful of promoters. Relationships with promoters must be developed and existing relationships strengthened.
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Key areas which have been identified as a focus for the marketing strategy are:
Phase 1
- Internal communication
- Marketing: a campaign to attract new users
- Brand review: a new logo and inhouse signage
- Café: a new image
- Communicating with new technology: a website and e-mail database
Phase 2
- Marketing: campaigns aimed at the corporate sector and developing the audience
- Re-launching the venue
- An ongoing public relations campaign
Michael Dawson
Marketing Manager
The Queen’s Hall
Clerk Street
Edinburgh EH8 9JG
Tel: 0131 668 3456
Fax: 0131 668 2656
E-mail: michaeld@queenshalledinburgh.org
Web: www.thequeenshall.net
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