Emily J PayneFebruary 11, 2015

AAD 610 – M|M|CLexicon Essay/Marketing Plan

Identification & Exploration:

The marketing strategy I will explore is the use of subscription based or membership based plans

used by non-profit organizations. Examples of these organizations that currently implementing

this strategy are Oregon Public Broadcasting, Seattle Opera, LA Opera, Oregon Zoo, and the

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. In examining this strategy, my hope is to see what are the

immediate pros and cons of utilizing this format for these organizations to market their products.

Subscriptions & Memberships:

In defining the difference between subscriptions based and membership based marketing, we see

there is a level of exclusivity that appears to be linked to an organization or business. While we

associate a subscription to magazines or newspapers, the use of subscriptions are changing to

resemble more of what are the consumer wants and needs. A great example of an evolved

subscription marketing tool is in use of subscription boxes. Companies like Birch Box, Loot

Crate, and Ipsy provide a supply of products once a month at a designated rate. With this type of

subscription, the recipient is likely to not know what they are going to receive. With the

performing arts, a subscription locks you into a series of dances, operas, or plays that may not

allow for flexibility in decision making process, the decision is made for you.

Another form of subscription marketing is paying a fee and being able to try something

out and then return it, creating a sustainable and minimalist consumer. Specific examples are

GwynnieBee, Bombfell, and Fabletics (co-founded by Kate Hudson). The consumer is able to

enter in their size information and style preferences and then a “fashion consultant” can pick the

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clothing out for you, Bombfell, or you can choose from options available in your size, preferred

colors, or on the season of the year, GwynnieBee. These tailored or curated subscription sites

allow for the consumer to experience shopping without having to leave their house or do much of

the choosing as someone else can do it for you. To find a robust list of other subscription box

style business, see the website My Subscription Addition (dot) com.

So if subscription based marketing is a “buy in” style of marketing, then is membership

marketing the same? By definition, membership marketing is the “acquiring, engaging,

upgrading, and renewing [of] members – is the cornerstone of associations and

relationship driven organizations” (Rossell, 2009). Many will think of membership

marketing examples like gyms, country or golf clubs, or supermarkets, as there is the

intention by becoming a “member” you get special perks. With this strategy, there may be

little to no tailoring or curation for the consumer to experience. Having exclusive

opportunities to go back stage before the show, have drinks with conductor, or get priority

booking of tickets before the general public appear to be the one of the big differences

between a subscription and a membership marketing strategy.

A comparison between Oregon Zoo’s basic membership and Seattle Opera’s

subscription plans:

OregonZoo

Free Admit

Benefitsto other zoos

Early access to concerts

Disc on food/bev

Disc onCamps

Personalized card

SeattleOpera

FreeParking

PaymentPlans

SeatingUpgrades

SavingsOptions

TicketExchange

AppreciationEvents

The comparison shows very drastic benefits but these may have been designed in such a

way based on the resources available to the organization. There is the likelihood that

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Oregon Zoo has a far greater parking capacity than Seattle Opera or that the cost of parking

is much lower to the consumer at the Zoo than the Opera. But let’s look:

So having a subscription to the Seattle Opera may pay for itself in parking alone! The cost to

subscribe to the Seattle Opera can start at little as $225.00 up to $3,915.00. Just pick a day of the

week you want to attend to narrow down the type of subscription you want. Here the consumer

is able to tailor based on their wants and needs but with a caveat of there predetermined shows

associated with that day. The Oregon Zoo membership cost ranges from $69.00 to $1,000.00,

though this is a far more affordable option, the benefits are predominately set for you but you do

get the luxury of attending whenever you want.

Lexicon Terms to Support Marketing Strategy: (Terms defined by Dictionary.com are in italics)

Should the opportunity arise where I may be able to present to an organization the avenue to

promote the product or services by way of a subscription based or membership based marketing

strategy, my keywords would be: process, quality, connections, participatory, atmosphere, and

choice. I will discuss a little later on how I see these terms relate to this particular form of

marketing and how they relate to each other.

Process: a physical or psychological series of actions. A system of actions to complete an end

product contains a beginning, middle, and end. An opportunity to gain knowledge or experience

(Payne, 2014).

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OregonZoo

$1.60/hr or$6.40/day

SeattleOpera

$12.00 to$20.00/event

“1. a systematic series of actions directed to some end: to devise a process for homogenizing milk.2. a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner: the process of decay.”

Quality: varying levels of satisfaction, from poor to great. Quality can be in the time spent in

developing a service or good or it can be the general appearance/creation of an object. Food,

medical/hospitality care, customer service, cars, clothing, etc. each have a relative quality to

themselves and each person my have a different level of satisfaction associated with that good or

service. A restaurant may get a review from someone saying the food was cold and unflavored

where another person may review and say their food was hot and delicious. Controlling the

quality of an output means being observant in your task and ensuring if any process or system is

not working, correctly, in order to provide a desired level of quality for both the producer and the

consumer (Payne, 2014).

“Noun: 1. an essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute: the chemical

qualities of alcohol2. character or nature, as belonging to or distinguishing a thing: the quality of a

sound 3. character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence: food of poor quality;

silks of fine quality4. high grade; superiority; excellence: wood grain of quality5. a personality or character trait: kindness is one of her many good qualities6. native excellence or superiority 7. an accomplishment or attainment Adjective: 16. of or having superior quality: quality paper17. producing or providing products or services of high quality or merit: a quality

publisher18. of or occupying high social status: a quality family.19. marked by a concentrated expenditure of involvement, concern, or

commitment: ‘Counselors are urging that working parents try to spend more quality time with their children.’”

Connections: the bond one makes with another person, object, or experience (Payne, 2014).

“1. the act or state of connecting.

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2. the state of being connected : the connection between cause and effect.3. anything that connects; connecting part; link; bond: an electrical connection.4. association; relationship: the connection between crime and poverty; no

connection with any other firm of the same name.5. a circle of friends or associates or a member of such a circle.6. association with or development of something observed, imagined, discussed,

etc.: to make a connection between the smell of smoke and the presence of fire; I have a few thoughts in connection with your last remarks.

7. contextual relation; context, as of a word.”

Participatory: the act or function of participating. When an event or action allows for

involvement. When I think of this word, I think of TV actors doing Live Tweeting during their

shows to connect with fans (Payne, 2014).

“verb (used without object), participated, participating. 1. to take or have a part or share, as with others; partake; share (usually

followed by in): to participate in profits; to participate in a play.

verb (used with object), participated, participating. 2. Archaic. to take or have a part or share in; partake in; share.”

Atmosphere: ambience or physical/psychological space around a person or object. Atmosphere

can be described in both positive and negative adjectives. The physical representation of

atmosphere is the ozone layer around the Earth. Some atmospheres enable creativity and

participation in the arts, some atmospheres can do the opposite but still be the same physical

location, it just depends on the individual (Payne, 2014).

“Noun 1. the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth; the air. 2. this medium at a given place. 3. Astronomy. the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body. 4. Chemistry. any gaseous envelope or medium. 5. a conventional unit of pressure, the normal pressure of the air at sea level, about 14.7 pounds per square inch (101.3 kilopascals), equal to the pressure exerted by a column of mercury 29.92 inches (760 mm) high. Abbreviation: atm. 6. a surrounding or pervading mood, environment, or influence: an atmosphere of impending war; a very tense atmosphere.

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7. the dominant mood or emotional tone of a work of art, as of a play or novel: ‘the chilly atmosphere of a ghost story.’”

Choice: ability to select one option over another. Outcome of a decision making process through

thoughtful evaluation or instinctual sense. Being able to decide what a product or service does

for you by visually seeing, hearing, or feeling the product or service. The choice to either attend

a theatre production versus a film may depend on factors as, “I love this playwright,” “My friend

is in the show,” or “nothing looks good at the cinema” (Payne, 2014).

“noun 1. an act or instance of choosing; selection: Her choice of a computer was made after months of research. His parents were not happy with his choice of friends.2. the right, power, or opportunity to choose; option: The child had no choice about going to school.3. the person or thing chosen or eligible to be chosen : This book is my choice. He is one of many choices for the award.4. an alternative: There is another choice.5. an abundance or variety from which to choose : a wide choice of candidates.6. something that is preferred or preferable to others; the best part of something: Mare's Nest is the choice in the sixth race.7. a carefully selected supply: This restaurant has a fine choice of wines.

adjective, choicer, choicest. 9. worthy of being chosen; excellent; superior. 10. carefully selected: choice words.11. (in the grading of beef in the U.S.) rated between prime and good.”

Relationship to Each Other:

How terms like process, quality, connections, participatory, atmosphere, and choice all relate to

one another has to do with creating or providing an experience for the consumer. Bernstein

mentions that “the basic premise of the marketing concept is that a company should determine

what consumers need and want, and try to satisfy those needs and wants,” (2014). Based on this

statement, subscription based and membership based marketing is a prime example of an

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organization striving to meet the needs and wants of the consumer. Bernstein also points out that

research has demonstrated “that people want to choose exactly which performances to attend and

are typically willing to pay to have the best possible experience” (2014).

Here is where incorporating terms like choice, quality, and process have the strongest

relationship to each as the consumer holds the most power and an organization must strive to

provide the kinds of programming and ticket pricing that emulate these terms. Programming by

the organization should also have the connectivity to its audience base and provide an

atmosphere which enables the participant to have “the best possible experience.”

Terms to illuminate the use of Subscription/Membership Marketing:

By giving options or perks, increases the likelihood of the consumer, or the participant, having a

positive interaction which connects them with the organization. Deciding what level you want to

give based on dates, choice of shows, access to other parts of the facility, or having other

expenditures like parking, food, and merchandise offset with discounts advocates for a

participatory relationship with an organization and consumer. Some of the organization websites

have subscriptions under a “Box Office” or “Tickets” tab, with others list memberships under

“Get Involved” (see Images 1, 2, and 3).

Image 1

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Image 2

Image 3

How a participant may view a subscription versus a membership is the level of personal

involment you will have with in the organziation, the quality of the services or products, the

choices offered, the process involved to join, and the atmosphere of the organization based on

mission, values, or culture. From the organization’s point of view, this differaition between

subscription and membership marketing may inform them on the direction they may want to go

in marketing their product.

Strategy & Terms in Conjunction w/ Readings/Resources:

A resource that has been resonating with me during the first six weeks of this course has been a

text book from my Performing Arts Management class with Dr. Patricia Lambert. The text is

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called Standing Room Only: Marketing insights for engaging performing arts audiences by

Joanne Scheff Bernstein and much of what we have been focusing on, as we work on marketing

plans and strategies for our individual plans and for Oregon Contemporary Theatre, is explained

in more detail. The readings we have gone over in this course have not impacted my perceptions

or understanding of marketing as much as Standing Room Only has this term. This text is

becoming more and more instrumental for me and I highly encourage for it to be used by

others in our class that are looking to market a theatre, opera, dance, or music venue who

may not be in Dr. Lambert’s class with me already.

I will add that I am drawn to the concept of membership marketing as I could

foresee this as an avenue for Free Shakespeare in the Park. An example would be members

get to come backstage before show opening, priority seating in the shade, post-show drinks

with the cast and crew, and a free t-shirt as one of several perks for supporting the

company by way of membership. A level of exclusivity is implied and may not fall in line

with FSitP’s mission and values but it could open up a revenue stream that they are sorely

lacking throughout the year. Further exploration will be necessary to make this an actual

working strategy for FSitP.

Biblography:

Bernstein, J. S. (2014). Standing room only: Marketing insights for engaging performing arts audiences, 2nd edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Kindle e-reader edition.

Payne, E. (2014, October 9). Lexicon. Retrieved from http://blogs.uoregon.edu/emilyjpayne/cirriculum-2/fall-2014/aad-610_14/lexicon/

Rossnell, T. (2014, February 11) Membership marketing blog. Retrieved from http://membershipmarketing.blogspot.com/

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Reference Websites:

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://jsma.uoregon.edu/membership

http://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/

http://www.oregonzoo.org/get-involved/membership

http://www.seattleopera.org/subscription/

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