Introduction
Art performs an important role in human life: it is a powerful means to entertain and educate people at the same time. It is hard to image the world without art and the places where people may observe a number of works created by professionals. The Royal Opera House in London is one of the places where art is represented to public in a variety of ways.
There are three main products offered in the House: music, ballet, and opera. The point is that art is a very complex field that should be treated and developed carefully, and the administration of the Royal Opera House has to focus on the main aspects of marketing to promote its brand, the Royal Opera House, as well as its products in a perfect way.
This is why the idea of branding as the main strategic process used by the Royal Opera House to promote development should be evaluated. Randall (2000, p. 5) admits that brands may exist in any fields in a variety of ways.
The Royal Opera House tries to make use of different methods to promote its products and brand around the whole world: online ads, access to the services from different parts of the world, evaluation of current needs and economic condition, and attention to the fields which are interesting to public; the choice of the methods should be based on a number of factors which help to define what is expected from the organization.
Body
Main ideas of branding
Rosenbaum-Elliot et al. (2011) defines a number of socio-cultural perspectives to be analyzed in order to understand the essence of branding and its impact on the development of an organization. The main purpose of branding is to introduce a product and propel the chosen activities into people’s minds.
The world is constantly changing, it is very important to remember that marketing principles should be changed as well but be adapted to the innovated requirements and conditions. In other words, branding is a kind of a formula with its constants and variables. A brand in its turn has a number of definitions.
For example, Healey (2008, p. 6) defines a brand as a named product, a trademark, or even a customer’s belief about the chosen service of product. This is why it is wrong to connect a brand with one particular meaning because each field and sphere of business has its own definitions and features.
Talking about the methods used by the Royal Opera House to promote its brand, it is necessary to focus on the following aspects: brand proposition in the form of advertising, public relations, design, and successful sponsorship, brand equity that touches upon the outcomes of the chosen strategies, and the essence of its brand name, the Royal Opera House.
Products of the Royal Opera House
The status of the Royal Opera House has charitable nature and the main purpose of this organization is to provide people with a chance to get involved into the world of art, and to be more exact, to the world of music, ballet, and opera.
These are the three main products of the Royal Opera House which have been properly introduced and developed regardless any challenges which took place from 1734, when the first ballet was introduced to public. In fact, the history of the Royal Opera House is rich indeed.
As soon as the opera season was opened in 1735 for the first time, the administration of the opera house tries to evaluate various social, marketing, and financial aspects to promote the development of each product.
Some people may admit that a number of products is not as huge as it could be in one of the most popular opera houses in the whole world. On the one hand, it seems that ballet, opera, and music may become not the only products offered. On the other hand, the quality of the services and the products should be of high level, this is why it becomes rational to focus on these three products and improve its distribution.
People should have a chance to comprehend the essence of captivating music, true opera, and passionate ballet, and the Royal Opera House provides each visitor with a unique possibility to enjoy the beauty of the art touching human mind, soul, and heart.
Though such aspects are regarded as personal one, it is necessary to remember that opera or ballet should never be commercial and human emotions as well as needs should be considered.
Brand propositions used by the representatives of the Royal Opera House
Among a variety of marketing elements and branding techniques, Hankinson & Cowking (1993) define brand proposition as an important issue to analyze. As a rule, any brand proposition is an idea of what is promised within the brand and includes target audience as well as the benefits available for those who cooperate with the chosen brand.
In other words, brand proposition is all about how and what is offered to public in a particular format. There are four main details in proposition used by the Royal Opera House: advertising, public relations, sponsorship, and design.
Nowadays, there are a number of ideas to advertise a product, and the Royal Opera House chooses the most successful and up-to-date. First of all, the Internet is considered as the main source of information. The creation of the official site of the Royal Opera House provides more people with opportunities to learn about the current events in the opera house as well as to ask questions online and get immediate answers.
Many people cannot allow themselves visiting theatres or ballet just because of lack of time: they cannot go to the theatre and buy tickets, this is why the Royal Opera House introduces a new ability to book tickets online. It means that a person from any part of the world is free to buy a ticket and does not think about the ways of how visit the theatre until the day of performance comes.
Another successful attempt to promote the brand name of the Royal Opera House is an advertising campaign in the format of a reality TV show. Modern people are addicted to reality shows, this is why the Royal Opera House does not want to lose an opportunity and decides to attract more people to the world of art by means of the ads popular in society.
Sponsorship in the Royal Opera House is another important aspect of branding. The point is that the success of the Royal Opera House depends on the quality of sponsorship in some way. Brown (2009, p. 93) says that the role of government policy is huge indeed for such organizations like the Royal Opera House; however, state funding offered is not always enough for the development of appropriate services and products.
This is why the Royal Opera House Foundation develops an idea of financial support to improve the productions of the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet and focus on Royal Opera House Education.
Such kind of help is not obligatory; if people may allow themselves giving some money for the development of the art industry in London, they are welcome to join the Friends of Covert Garden program or even become a patron of Covert Garden. People who are interested in such types of donations are welcome to learn more on the official site of the Royal Opera House.
Design of the promotion chosen by the Royal Opera House is unique in its own way. The Royal Opera House Foundation does not find it obligatory to divide people into groups and make a decision to involve only some nations and some people into their project. The main goal of the theatre is to help any person to become closer to art.
Children should have a chance to get education in the sphere of art, and the Royal Opera House should become a reliable source of information for them. Adults should visit performances not at expense of their work or personal affairs, this is why they may use online services and save their time.
Finally, ideas offered by the Royal Opera House are now available in different formats: reviews, TV shows, Internet sources, etc. There is no need to create some boundaries and limit possibilities, and the Royal Opera House shows how its brand and its popularity may work.
Public relations issue is probably one of the main keys to success of the Royal Opera House. Though it is not always possible to pay attention to each visitor, the official site of the Royal Opera House is the source that may be used by any person any time he/she needs it.
Sometimes people want to know some details about the performance or ask about the dress code, and the Internet is where the answers may be found. Public relations are very important, and the Royal Opera House understands that the closer they are to ordinary people, the more successful their activities will be because art is made for and by people.
Essence of brand equity
Randall (2000, p.25) underlines that brand equity is the term that may be used in different ways as its main purpose is to prove that a brand has its own particular value. And Rosenbaum-Elliot et al. (2011) admit that brand equity should be considered from a financial and consumer aspect.
Consumers try to evaluate the brand of the product while making purchasing: if positive attitude to the brand is present, the decision to use the service of the brand will be made, and the company will achieve certain financial success.
This is why the Royal Opera House should promote its services and the idea to involve as many people as possible to the sphere of art in order to prove that its brand, Royal Opera House, deserves recognition in the world.
There are many people who want to influence the development of art in their lives, and it is necessary to show such people how important their cooperation may be. The current brand equity of the Royal Opera House is that art is available to all people, and it is always possible to consider the past in order to improve the present and future.
Brand Name
The investigations of the Oxford Business Group (2011) prove that the brand of the Royal Opera House becomes more popular. In addition to the theatre opened in London, people find it necessary to develop the same organization in different countries, and Muscat, Oman, is one of the cities where the Royal Opera House may be found in 2011.
Ballet, music, and opera are the three main products which will be offered to the visitors of the Royal Opera House.
As it has been already mentioned in the paper, the history of the Royal Opera House in London began in far 1734, and now, this opera theatre is one of the buildings that survived after the two huge fires and is still ready to accept more than 2,200 people. The brand Royal Opera House is characterized by free-will donations, human skills, talents, and the desire to be more involved in the world of art.
Conclusion
The Royal Opera House is the place where art is offered to people in a variety of forms. The analysis of marketing branding and the methods used by the Royal Opera House Foundation to promote its products helps to understand that the commercial side of art has to be identified.
Though many people do not agree to the fact that true art should have its price, the representatives of the Royal Opera House show how donations, personal interest in development of services, and governmental support may promote the brand Royal Opera House.
Of course, it is not always ethically correct to unite art, theatre, and music with the financial aspects, branding, and marketing. Still, it is necessary to comprehend that modern world is not perfect and in order to survive people should use all opportunities.
Reference List
Brown, RB 2009, Flagship Marketing. Taylor & Francis, New York.
Hankinson, G & Cowking, P 1993, Branding in Action: Cases and Strategies for Profitable Brand Management. McGraw-Hill, London.
Healey, M 2008, What Is Branding? RotoVision SA, Mies, Switzerland.
Oxford Business Group 2011, The Report: Oman 2011. Oxford Business Group, New York.
Randall, G 2000, Branding: A Practical Guide to Planning Your Strategy. Kogan Page Limited, Dover.
Rosenbaum-Elliot, R, Percy, L, & Pervan, S 2011, Strategic Brand Management. Oxford University Press, New York.