Do arts audiences act like consumers?

Abstract

This article investigates the extent to which arts audiences' behaviour conforms to the predictions of consumer behaviour theory. The discussion focuses on three established empirical ‘laws’ of consumer behaviour: repertoire buying, double jeopardy and duplication of purchase. Although these laws are well established, they have not previously been applied to arts audiences. All three of these patterns emerge from a national survey of arts participation in the UK; audiences do indeed behave like consumers. The results suggest that the arts audience is less segmented than might be expected and that every art form competes with every other art form for audiences.

Keywords:

• arts audiences
• consumer behaviour

Notes

‘Taking Part’ was sponsored by the DCMS, Arts Council England, English Heritage, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Sport England and undertaken by BMRB. The data are held at the UK Data Archive at the University of Essex under study number 5717. None of these organisations holds any responsibility for the analysis in this paper.