Communicating to culture audiences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide novel insights into arts consumption behaviour and patterns of communication displayed by arts consumers using Peterson’s theoretical framework, and to identify differences in the use of communication channels across arts segments. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted an a priori market segmentation study, with two variables serving as segmentation criteria, namely, the frequency of and the variety of arts events attended. The authors tested for differences in communication patterns. Findings – Four segments were created: low-frequency univores, low-frequency multivores, high-frequency multivores and high-frequency omnivores. They differ in their communication patterns and online behaviours, including their online activities before and after attending arts events. Printed materials and e-mail newsletters were the most effective communication channel for raising awareness of all arts consumers. Research limitations/implications – Understanding these communication patterns can help arts marketers to increase the attendance of low-frequency segments and broaden the variety of arts events attended by the univore and multivore segments. The generalisability of the findings is limited as the survey was conducted among online Australian arts consumers only. Originality/value – The paper adds the dimension of arts consumption frequency to the taxonomy of omnivores and univores proposed by Peterson, which is based on the variety of consumed arts only. The paper contributes to communication and arts marketing literature by identifying key differences in communication patterns across segments of arts consumers and the most promising communication channels to engage them.