Market Research

Market research and marketing go hand in hand. As exhibition galleries develop closer relationships with their visitors, through audience development work, then the role of marketing develops in significance, and market research becomes an important tool to understand the market and to discover how better to communicate with it.

The more audience-focused a venue is, the more important market research becomes.

Market research is indispensable if a venue’s priorities include any of the following:

• Improving access
• Keeping existing visitors
• Attracting new visitors
• Maintaining visitor satisfaction
• Enhancing quality of experience
• Working with minority groups
• Developing education
• Building up shop sales
• Increasing income
• Battling for survival

For an organiser, defining the audience for an exhibition can inform who the exhibition is marketed to. For the venue, knowledge of the market for
an exhibition can inform programming, planning, publicity, information, events and interpretation. In addition, market research is the most direct means of evaluating visitor response to an exhibition.

When considering market research, remember that:

• It need not always involve additional time and money
• It can generally tell you more than you think you know
• It is the only way to explode myths and misconceptions about your visitors
• It need not take the form of streams of superfluous statistics
• It dispels uncertainty and offers the only valid alternative to guesswork
• A small amount of research is better than none at all

The three key steps in any market research project are:

1. Establish what the information is needed for
2. Identify the most appropriate method
3. Decide how to use the information and act on the results

The first steps in any market research project are to establish clear objectives, in terms of what information is needed, why it is needed and how we will use it.

Market research can be used to address any of the following issues:

• To justify a venue’s existence and activity, statistics concerning:
• Number of existing visits
• Number of existing visitors
• Size of the actual market
• Size of the potential market
• Number of people who regularly visit exhibitions in general
• Relative success of the venue in reaching the potential market

It will also help to justify the organisation, promote confidence, help to set strategic targets, and strengthen the venue’s position with funding bodies, collaborators and decision-makers. For example, an art gallery attracts about 80,000 visits a year. Research shows that people visit the gallery an average of twice a year, which makes an actual market size of 40,000. The town has a population of 190,000. ACE research shows that 21% of the population currently visit art galleries. Since the market size of 40,000 is very close to 21% of the town’s population, i.e. 39,900, the gallery feels that its programme is reaching a representative proportion of its local population. This helps to remind people of the gallery’s effectiveness and justify the programming policy.

• To identify the profile or character of the existing market. Knowing:
• Age of people who come
• Gender, ethnicity, socio-economic group
• Profession, and professional involvement with the subject
• Who they come with, and what motivates them to attend
• What they like about the venue and its services, and what they dislike
• How often they come, and what else they do in their leisure time
• Where they live and work, and· where they go for information about the arts and the heritage
• This helps to develop a portrait of visitors, explodes myths and identifies gaps. It helps the venue to communicate better with organisers of touring exhibitions and artists. It informs approaches to interpretation. It helps to identify potential visitors with similar characteristics.

It informs future planning decisions. Profile measurement also enables you to report against important performance indicators for funders. For example, a venue’s visitors are predominantly 25-44 years old, earn £15,000-£45,000 a year, and 56% are in professional employment. Three-quarters of them also go to the theatre. This contradicts the impression the venue had, that most of its visitors were students, and suggests that the venue could do more to attract younger visitors. This might influence programming decisions and the design and distribution of publicity material.

• To identify the needs, wants, attitudes and motivations of actual and potential visitors. For example, research shows that a venue’s visitors appreciate the exhibitions but require more information of a factual nature on the artists, their background and how they make their work. They complain that the interpretation that is offered is too academic and jargonistic. They also appreciate family guides which will help their children to enjoy the exhibits and assist parents to interpret the work for their children. Publicity material that includes information on the nature of the exhibition written in simple, everyday language will help to attract new visitors. This will help in the planning of information and interpretation.
• Asking people to talk about:
  – What they like about the venue, and what they dislike
  – What they might welcome by way of information and opportunities to find out more about the exhibits
  – New ideas that the venue would like to explore
  – The image that non-visitors might have of the venue or subject matter

This can help to make the most of good points and to overcome weaknesses.

• Identifying the size and character of the potential market can help in programming, setting attendance targets and designing information and interpretation. Knowing what information to request will help a tour organiser to identify appropriate venues, to note weaknesses in other venues, to identify the market for that venue and how to go about reaching it. For example, an exhibition gallery providing a programme for a town of 200,000 people will calculate that there are 42,000 potential visitors (21% of the population, see Example 1). 10% of the population of the town are people from the Asian sub-continent,of whom the largest majority are Pakistani Muslims. The gallery is addressing the cultural isolation of this percentage, partly through a policy of providing at least one exhibition a year which will appeal to Muslim people. Other under-represented groups are younger, lower-middle-class and working class families, teenagers and older people. The gallery is therefore developing children’s events and reminiscence sessions around its exhibitions. The research data is influencing programming, outreach and publicity decisions.
• To evaluate visitors’ reactions to exhibitions. Measuring:
  – Number of visitors
  – How long they stay
  – How they behave
  – How they use the space
  – How they use and respond to interpretation
  – Degree of engagement
  – How they respond to the exhibition
  – What they say about the exhibition
  – Outcomes of their visit

This will help to evaluate the exhibition against its objectives, find out more about visitor reactions and the learning and social outcomes of the exhibition and inform future planning.

The key to successful market research is identifying the most appropriate and cost-effective method for achieving the research objectives.

There are two different types of market research data:

• Quantitative data deals with statistics and data that can be analysed mathematically into percentages, columns, graphs, etc., to show trends and patterns
• Qualitative data deals with abstract findings concerning the reactions, motivations, thoughts, needs and wants, perceptions and beliefs that people hold

It is important to decide whether the information needed is of a quantitative or qualitative nature, as this informs the method of obtaining that information.

There are also two levels of research:

• Secondary data has already been collated for other purposes but is nevertheless useful. It is often known as desk research, as it can be carried out without moving very far, and it is generally less costly to gather than primary data. As a general rule, the researcher explores secondary sources before commissioning new research, in case the information required already exists.
• Primary research is that which an organisation commissions or carries out itself or in collaboration with a group of similar organisations.

Internal records can be a source of secondary data.

When analysed, a venue’s internal records can provide valuable information, from:

• Visitor books
• Admissions records
• Feedback from members of staff/volunteers
• Comments cards
• Suggestion boxes
• Sales records

A number of national bodies commission and publish research in relevant sectors, which are useful sources of secondary data:

• The Government’s publications can be searched by department (e.g. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) for reports, surveys and statistics relating to the sector. www.gov.uk/government/publications
  And Statistics/DCMS: www.gov.uk/government/statistics
• The former Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) commissioned statistical information and published reports and resources. Many of these can now be accessed through Arts Council England’s website (after ACE took over some of the responsibilities of the former MLA). See https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-approach-research/research-mla. More recent research and publications
  by ACE covering museums and libraries and well as arts and other cultural organisations, are also found on their website: www.artscouncil.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/research-and-data/
• The ACE Research Gateway also acts as a portal to other academic journals and research libraries which explore the value and impact of arts and culture to people and society: www.artscouncil.org.uk/useful-resources/academic- journals-and-resources
• Area Profile Reports (including ACORN and TGI data and Audience Spectrum profiling) provide numbers and profiles of arts attenders, and potential numbers of arts attenders within a defined driving time of a defined venue location. Reports can be commissioned from The Audience Agency (special rates may apply for Arts Council funded organisations): www.theaudienceagency.org/tools/area-profile-reports. Standard reports for major towns and cities may be available from ACE regional offices or relationship manager.
• Cultural Trends is a quarterly periodical that includes statistics on attendances at galleries and museums, as well as data and evidence about the wider cultural sector: www.tandfonline.com/toc/ccut20/current.
• The British Tourist Authority (working as VisitBritain) compiles annual reviews and summaries of attendances at heritage and visitor attractions: www.visitbritain.org/inbound-research-insights
• The Visitor Studies Group is a membership organisation to support and improve the work of people working to understand and improve the visitor experience: http://visitors.org.uk
• The Neighbourhood Statistics website is the best source of local population statistics, which will give overviews of relative wealth, cultural and demographic make-up, etc.: www.ons.gov.uk/help/localstatistics

New information can be gathered in a number of ways, not all of them expensive and time- consuming. Each of the following methods has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Some can be carried out on a shoe-string; others require professional involvement:

• Observation of visitors can be done cheaply and unobtrusively, to provide valuable information on the type of visitor, on approximate age, cultural background, numbers of families, how long visitors stay, how long they look at exhibits, the extent to which they engage with exhibits or interpretation, how they use the building, their reactions, and what they say to one another.
• Conversations with visitors can discover what they think of the venue and the exhibits, how they found out about the exhibition, whether they will tell their friends, what they would like to see, and other qualitative feedback.
• Interviewing visitors is a more formal approach, which takes them through a questionnaire to generate both quantitative and qualitative data; it gathers statistics on who the visitors are, as well as offering an opportunity to ask their opinions on various aspects of the venue or
  the exhibition. Catching people as they leave is therefore advisable.
• Self-completion questionnaires are an efficient and cost-effective method of establishing a profile of the general characteristics, habits and behaviour of visitors.
• Self-completion monitoring/comment cards are a shorter alternative to the long questionnaire, which can gain useful insights into visitors’ response to an exhibition, as well as monitoring where they came from, how they found out about the exhibition and important profile information.
• Focus groups entail inviting groups of actual or potential visitors to the venue to discuss their responses to it and its exhibitions, to explore what they like and dislike, and to discover their needs, wants and attitudes and probe issues.
• Focus groups should be facilitated by an experienced moderator to probe the issues. When conducted successfully, they provide
  a rich source of data. The participants are often difficult to recruit and must be offered incentives to attend. Focus groups are expensive to have conducted professionally.
• Visitor panels involve asking groups of actual or potential visitors to attend more regular meetings, to explore the potential of a number of proposals and to test their response to possible projects. This can build loyalty and goodwill as well as provide valuable feedback.

Many of the methods outlined on other pages in this topic lend themselves to DIY research.

Important points to remember are:

• Be clear about your research objectives
• Decide in advance how the data will be analysed
• Be clear on which part of the market you are researching
• Don’t try to collect too much information at once

If it is difficult to prioritise what information is needed, establish what the organisation will be able to act upon. If there is no possibility of the information influencing any aspect of the organisation, then save it for a subsequent project. A little but often is better than too much, too soon. Differentiate what you need to know from what it would be nice to know, and abandon the latter.

Decide on the method of analysis for the data before embarking on a DIY project. Computer analysis is preferable for quantitative data, as it offers more scope for cross-analysis of data. If the only option is manual analysis, then the questionnaire should be structured to take into account how the data is to be collated and by whom. Computer analysis can sometimes be obtained from local authority departments, colleges and university computing departments, and audience development agencies at reasonable cost.

When designing a questionnaire:

• Give it a title, and use a logo or letter-heading
• Provide an introduction on the reasons for the research
• Leave enough room for answers
• Use a clear, uncluttered layout
• Make sure there is a clear explanation to questions and clear instructions
• Keep to a maximum of two sides of A4. An alternative is to create an online survey using a service such as Snap Surveys or Survey Money, and invite people to complete them on iPads or collect email addresses and send people the link to the survey
• Instruct where to return the completed questionnaire
• Conclude by thanking the respondent and promising confidentiality
• Devising the questionnaire requires careful consideration. It is probably a good idea to look at other surveys to get ideas on how to structure your own.

For quantitative data, questions should:

• Be close-ended, i.e. requiring a specific answer
• Offer a multiple choice of answers, e.g. yes/no/ don’t know, poor/fair/good/excellent, agree/ disagree/don’t know
• Be easy to understand
• Not be open to misinterpretation
• Follow a logical sequence

Open-ended questions, seeking data of a more qualitative nature should be kept to a minimum
on self-completion questionnaires. Otherwise they become very difficult to analyse, and the results are laborious to represent.
Sampling is a complex area of market research. For DIY research, decide on the nature of the sample according to the information required, and whether the research is addressing existing, frequent, infrequent, potential or lapsed visitors or non- visitors.

For simple research, the following rules can help in obtaining a representative sample:

• Aim for a minimum sample of 150
• Do not analyse quantitatively any sample below 100
• If interviewing, ensure a random sample of people are surveyed, by approaching a new visitor as soon as the interview with the previous visitor is finished, or applying rules such as approaching every 5th (for example) person passing a representative point in the venue
• When handing out questionnaires, give only one copy to a party or group of visitors
• If handing out questionnaires, take up a central position or staff all entrances, and ask visitors to complete the questionnaire on their way out
• Provide seats, tables and pens and something to entertain children
• Allow for a varied mix of visitors by handing out questionnaires at different times of day, on weekdays as well as weekends, term-time as well as holidays, etc.

Arts Council England, Museums Association, Arts Marketing Association and Arts Consultants (www. arts-consultants.org.uk/index.asp) all maintain lists of individual consultants and commercial agencies. Professional services will regard as central to their role the selection of the most appropriate method for achieving the research objectives.

When commissioning research:

Write a brief, stating clearly the research objectives, the budget available, which segment of the market the research is addressing, and
how the organisation plans to use the research findings. Send the brief to a number of agencies/ consultancies, asking them to quote for the job by a specified date and to describe the method they would adopt.

Select the successful tender on the basis of that agency’s sensitivity to the organisation and its experience with similar organisations as well as value for money.

Be prepared to challenge, edit, or re-write certain parts of the questionnaire to ensure that it makes sense to those filling it in and that it correctly represents how respondents experience the organisation.

Ensure that the method will meet your objectives and that the questionnaire asks the questions you want answers to: if they do not, ask the agency how these questions will be answered. Remember that if you don’t get the answers, you haven’t asked the right questions!

Market research is the organisation’s way of establishing and maintaining a dialogue with its visitors. Listening to these visitors will help the organisation to become more effective. The findings of market research are an empowering tool, enabling an organisation not only to shape strategy, but to justify it and then evaluate its effectiveness.

Market research is worthless if the results sit as an indecipherable pile of statistics on a shelf. Time must be allowed for a full scrutiny and analysis
of the findings, to ensure that the full meaning and implications are drawn out. The results and implications should be written up into a report which should be then used to inform future decisions.

Highlighting the implications of the findings is the first step to taking action. Market research should provide one link in a continuous, circular process of analysis, planning and action, informing future activities and monitoring the effect of those activities.

Author: Rachel Escott (2015)