press communication at the centre for fine...
TRANSCRIPT
Universiteit Gent
Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte
Academiejaar 2006-2007
Press communication at the
Centre for Fine Arts
The Centre for Fine Arts,
marketing and PR of culture and arts
and work experience at the BOZAR press office
Scriptie ingediend tot
het behalen van
de graad van Master in de
Meertalige Bedrijfscommunicatie
Promotor: Prof. Dr. Geert Jacobs door Astrid Destoop
1
Word of Thanks
I could not have written this paper without the help and the support of a number of people at
BOZAR, at home and elsewhere.
I would like to thank the BOZAR press officers Canan, Eve-Marie and Leen for their
friendly welcome, their enthusiasm and their confidence in me. I have learned a lot from them and
they made this work experience a fantastic time. I want to thank Leen Gysen for the interview;
and thanks to everyone at the Marketing and Communication Department for seven great weeks.
I want to thank Luc De Bie and Professor Geert Jacobs for suggesting the theoretical
framework, and everyone involved in the MTB-programme for two interesting years, including the
work experience and a year abroad.
Thanks to Sigrid for the critical reading over and to my mum and dad for their help and
support.
And finally, thanks to my friends and family and everyone who supported me during the
MTB-years and especially during this busy summer.
2
Table of Contents
Word of Thanks..................................................................................................... 0
Table of Contents .................................................................................................. 2
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 4
1. The Centre for Fine Arts, its communication strategy and its Marketing &
Communication Department ................................................................................. 5
1.1 The Centre for Fine Arts (Paleis voor Schone Kunsten / Palais des Beaux Arts) ................ 5
1.1.1 Short history of the Centre for Fine Arts ........................................................................ 5
1.1.2 Company structure......................................................................................................... 6
1.1.3 Products and branding strategy ..................................................................................... 7
1.1.4 Competition .................................................................................................................... 9
1.2 Communication strategy at the Centre for Fine Arts............................................................. 9
1.2.1 The corporate identity .................................................................................................. 10
1.2.2 Target audiences ......................................................................................................... 10
1.2.3 The communication plan .............................................................................................. 11
1.3 The Marketing Communication and Sales Department ...................................................... 12
1.3.1 Mission ......................................................................................................................... 13
1.3.2 Organisation (BOZAR 2007a: 51-63) .......................................................................... 13
1.4 Interview with Leen Gysen, Director Marketing and Communication ................................. 16
1.5 SWOT-analysis and conclusion .......................................................................................... 19
1.5.1 Strengths and weaknesses for the BOZAR brand, opportunities and threats for the
cultural sector ........................................................................................................................ 19
1.5.2 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 20
2. Theoretical framework of marketing and public relations of culture and arts .. 21
2.1 Marketing of services .......................................................................................................... 21
2.1.1 Characteristics of service marketing and differences with traditional product marketing
.............................................................................................................................................. 21
2.1.2 Opportunities and threats of service marketing ........................................................... 23
2.1.3 Specific marketing of culture and arts .......................................................................... 24
2.2 Public relations and press relations .................................................................................... 25
2.2.1 Definition and characteristics of public relations .......................................................... 25
2.2.2 Marketing public relations (MPR) ................................................................................. 26
2.2.3 Media public relations .................................................................................................. 28
2.2.4 Measuring the results of public relations actions and efforts ....................................... 29
3
2.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 30
3. Overview of the tasks carried out during the work experience and their place in
the theoretical framework .................................................................................... 31
3.1 Overview of tasks ................................................................................................................ 31
3.2 Situating the tasks in the theoretical framework ................................................................. 32
3.2.1 Press files .................................................................................................................... 33
3.2.2 Press releases ............................................................................................................. 37
3.2.3 Updating the press database ....................................................................................... 40
3.2.4 Filing press cuttings ..................................................................................................... 40
3.2.5 Meetings ...................................................................................................................... 41
3.2.6 Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra ......................................... 41
3.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 42
4. Professional and personal evaluation of the work experience and feedback on
the MTB-programme ........................................................................................... 43
4.1 Professional evaluation ....................................................................................................... 43
4.1.1 The company and the department ............................................................................... 43
4.1.2 The job at the press office ........................................................................................... 44
4.1.3 What I learned professionally ...................................................................................... 45
4.2 Personal evaluation: what I learned about myself .............................................................. 45
4.3 Feedback on the MTB-programme ..................................................................................... 46
4.4 General conclusion.............................................................................................................. 46
References ......................................................................................................... 48
Appendix: table of contents ................................................................................. 49
4
Introduction
When I started thinking about my work experience in the autumn of 2006, I first considered the
possibility of doing the work experience abroad. I was doing my second MTB-year in Zürich
(Switzerland) at the time and I thought about trying to find a company in that city to do my work
experience there during the second semester. But as it turned out internships are extremely hard
to come by in Switzerland, some students make their applications up to two years in advance.
And apart from that there were the classes to attend, because unlike in Gent, I would not get time
off to do the work experience. So in the end I decided to wait and do the work experience in
Belgium during the summer. After Christmas I started writing application letters to a total of eight
companies. Some had sent offers to Luc De Bie, others I had picked out myself because I had
done a holiday job there or because they seemed like interesting companies. Two companies let
me know that the place was already taken, one said they did not take on trainees and one
company never answered my mail. Four companies invited me for an interview. I did those
interviews at the end of February, when I was in the country for a week. All interviews went well,
but I quickly narrowed down my options to two, the other two did not really offer what I had
expected. The ones left were Imperial Meat Products in Lovendegem and the Centre for Fine Arts
in Brussels. The people at Imperial Meat Products were enthusiastic, although they had never
had anyone do a work experience there before. They offered me a place at the Customer Service
department. At the Centre for Fine Arts they have trainees all year round. Their offer was a place
at the press office. In the end I choose the Centre for Fine Arts for several reasons. First of all
because the work at the press office really appealed to me, more than the tasks at the customer
service. I used to want to become a journalist and I have always enjoyed writing. The atmosphere
in both companies seemed really good, but the Centre for Fine Arts is a very big name in its
sector and then there was the convenience of the location, within walking distance from the
Central Railway station. So my decision was made before I returned to Zürich: I called the Centre
for Fine Arts to tell them I would take their offer and I let the other three know that I was grateful
for the opportunity but that I had to turn down their offer.
The first chapter of this paper will introduce the Centre for Fine Arts and the BOZAR brand. It will
explain the structure of the Centre for Fine Arts and its communication strategy and it will
dedicate special attention to the press office. The second chapter will provide a theoretical
framework on marketing of culture and arts and on press communication. The actual work
experience, the tasks at the press office and their relation to the theoretical framework will be
dealt with in the third chapter. The fourth and final chapter will include a professional and
personal evaluation of the work experience and feedback to the MTB-programme.
5
1. The Centre for Fine Arts, its communication strategy and its Marketing &
Communication Department
1.1 The Centre for Fine Arts (Paleis voor Schone Kunsten / Palais des Beaux Arts)
As stated in the Annual Report of 2006, the Centre for Fine Arts carries out two main missions:
“managing the more than 30,000 m2 building – a unique construction by Victor Horta – and
developing a multidisciplinary cultural policy worthy of Brussels and Europe, and with an
unmistakable international influence.” (BOZAR 2007a: 77) BOZAR is the brand name for all
cultural activities, the Centre for Fine Arts is the building in the heart of Brussels where the
BOZAR activities take place.
1.1.1 Short history of the Centre for Fine Arts
The Centre for Fine Arts was founded in 1922 as a non-profit organisation. In 1927 the building
by Victor Horta gave the organisation a suitable home. Situated in the heart of Brussels, close to
the royal palace and connecting the upper and lower parts of the city, the building became a
beacon in the museum quarter of the Belgian capital, also known as the Mountain of Arts
(Kunstberg / Mont des Arts). In 1984 the Centre for Fine Arts was converted to a public utility
institution, but that did not help to improve the appalling state of both the building and the
institution. The image was that of a conservative and bourgeois French speaking cultural
dinosaur. 2002 was the year of change: the public utility institution became a limited public law
company with a social purpose. (BOZAR 2007a: 77) The legal structure was adapted, as was the
management. (cf. 1.1.2) The restructuring brought with it the introduction of the cultural brand
BOZAR. A master plan was written for the renovation and restoration of the magnificent Horta
building. The start had been given even before the restructuring with the restoration of the Henry
Le Boeuf concert hall and a second phase, the renovation of the north side roofs and exhibition
rooms was completed in March 2007. (BOZAR 2007b: 5) In the 2005-2006 season the Centre for
Fine Arts reached the milestone of one million visitors in a year. In the next season, 2006-2007
they managed to do just as well, despite the major renovations.
6
1.1.2 Company structure
- legal organisation of the Centre for Fine Arts
The Centre for Fine Arts is one of three Federal Cultural Institutions. The other two are the
Belgian National Orchestra and the Koninkliijke Muntschouwburg / Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie.
Since 1 January 2002 the Centre is a limited public law company with a social purpose. The
company capital amounts to € 22.5 million, represented by 23,981 shares held by the Belgian
Federal State (73%) and the Federal Participation Company (27%). Because of the extraordinary
statute of the Centre for Fine Arts, the organisation of the management is somewhat different.
There is a Board of Directors, appointed by the King on six-year terms, a Director-General and an
Executive Committee, appointed by the Board of Directors, also for a period of six years, two
government commissioners (the Prime Minister and the Budget Minister), a college of auditors
and a joint employer-employee committee. All of these work under the management contract
between the Centre for Fine Arts and the Belgian State. (BOZAR 2007a: 77-81)
- day-to-day organisation of the Centre for Fine Arts (cf. Appendix 1: organisation chart)
The Centre for Fine Arts has a general management, which consists of the Director-General and
the Executive Committee, the heads of the departments. The current Director-General Paul
Dujardin has been appointed for a second term, starting in 2008. On the next level we find the
General Secretariat & Legal Affairs, the Human Resources department and International Affairs.
The third level has the departments Funding, Marketing, Communication & Sales, Finance,
Technics, Production, and Artistic Coordination where Exhibitions and Music take up a
department of their own. (BOZAR 2007a: 70, 77-81)
- Organisation of the artistic brand BOZAR
The artistic activities of BOZAR are divided in eight sub-brands, the seven fine arts the
educational department (in alphabetical order):
BOZAR ARCHITECTURE
BOZAR CINEMA
BOZAR DANCE
BOZAR EXPO
BOZAR LITERATURE
BOZAR MUSIC
7
BOZAR STUDIOS
BOZAR THEATRE
These eight sub-brands organise separate activities and events, but they often work together on
the occasion of BOZAR FESTIVALS. The names speak for themselves, only STUDIOS needs a
word of explanation. BOZAR STUDIOS is the educational department of BOZAR, which
organises workshops for children, activities on Sundays for families with children, but also
workshops and other activities for schools.
1.1.3 Products and branding strategy
With the restructuring in 2002, the Centre for Fine Arts introduced the BOZAR brand. This brand
represents the new corporate identity at the Centre for Fine Arts. The rebranding of the separate
products and activities of the Centre for Fine Arts into BOZAR was a way of uniting the different
arts, bringing them together under one strong brand name.
- Products
Because the Centre for Fine Arts is a cultural institution, it is hard to determine the exact product.
In an interview with Belgian magazine BIZZ in November 2006 Director Marketing and
Communication Leen Gysen says that “(…) in the cultural sector emotion is the product.”
(Debruyne 2006: 26) This is rephrased on the BOZAR website, which states that participating in
a cultural activity should be a “total experience”. We can distinguish several types of products.
The actual tangible products for sale are the tickets to the activities. There are the
traditional tickets for individual visitors, offers for groups and subscriptions (for BOZAR MUSIC or
a cross-over subscription for BOZAR THEATRE – DANCE – LITERATURE – CINEMA). Then
there are the special formulas MY BOZAR, which offers a 10% discount on all BOZAR
productions, BOZAR START for people under 26 (5 tickets for € 25,00) and BOZAR PASSPORT,
for children under 12 participating in the STUDIOS activities.
A second type of products are the locations that can be rented by third parties who want
to organise cultural or other activities in the Victor Horta building. There are the exhibition spaces,
the main concert hall Henry Le Boeuf, the Chamber Music Room, the Studio, the Little Theatre
and the new multi-purpose Terarken Rooms. Apart from that a number of salons and reception
areas can be used for smaller events. In August 2007 the Fortis shareholders meeting took place
in the Henry Le Boeuf Hall.
But what the Centre for Fine Arts is really about, are of course the artistic activities and
events. BOZAR organises a wide range of concerts, performances, exhibitions, films, theatre and
8
much more. All these could be considered more services than products. This asks for a specific
marketing approach, which will be discussed in 2.1.
- Branding
BOZAR is the corporate brand which includes not only the artistic activities, but also tickets, the
shop, all publications and so on. The idea is to have one strong brand name to include a range of
products. Each of the above mentioned products has its own brand name, which is a combination
of the corporate brand and of the specific products. Examples are BOZAR MUSIC, BOZAR
EXPO, BOZAR SHOP, BOZAR MAGAZINE, MY BOZAR, BOZAR STUDIOS …
The choice of the name did not come without controversy. As Gysen recalls in the BIZZ
interview: “We wanted a name that would catch on. A name which would not only work in Dutch
and French, but which would be comprehensible in all languages and would allow for a strong
logo.” (Debruyne 2006: 21) But when the name BOZAR was introduced in 2003, it received a lot
of criticism. Because it referred to the French name for the Centre for Fine Arts, Palais des
Beaux-Arts, Dutch speaking people complained that it sounded too French, and French speaking
people complained about the spelling. (Debruyne 2006: 22) But the name stayed and became a
success. Maybe just because of all the controversy and the media attention the name caught on
and stuck in people‟s mind.
The decision to work with a corporate brand and sub-brands was inspired by the need for
a concept to unite the different, multidisciplinary products and activities and at the same time to
take the differences in both products and audiences into account.
The logo had to be easily recognisable and also adaptable to the sub-brands. It is a very
simple logo at first sight, but it really draws attention because of the unusual image of the words.
The basic logo is this:
Figure 1: BOZAR logo
The logo‟s for the artistic sub-brands start from the basic logo and add the specific artistic
discipline in the trademark colour. (Appendix 2: Sub-brand logo‟s BOZAR)
9
1.1.4 Competition
Philip Kotler defines four levels of competition: brand competition, branch-of-industry competition,
form competition and generic competition. (Kotler 2004: 17) Brand competition does not apply
here, BOZAR is the only artistic brand to unite such a variety of activities and events in the
greater Brussels area, and even in Belgium.
Branch-of-industry competition is much more important. For each of the artistic sub-
brands there are a number of alternatives. Let us take a look at the competition in the Brussels
area. For BOZAR MUSIC that could be Muntschouwburg or Koninklijk Conservatorium, Ancienne
Belgique or Botanique, for BOZAR EXPO Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten, Musea voor
Kunst en Geschiedenis or Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen, for BOZAR THEATRE and
BOZAR DANCE Kaaitheater, KVS, Beursschouwburg or Hallen van Schaarbeek, for BOZAR
LITERATURE Passa Portafestival, Het Groot Beschrijf or Vlaams-Nederlands Huis deBuren, for
BOZAR Cinema Cinema Nova, Filmmuseum, Arenberg or Styx. (More on competition in the
interview with Leen Gysen in 1.4)
The form competition is even more extensive. As Leen Gysen said in the BIZZ interview:
“We cannot forget that we are in competition with Plopsaland and Kinepolis and everything that
lies in between.” (Debruyne 2006: 26) A cultural activity can be seen as a way of spending leisure
time, and then there is the competition of literally everything people could do during the weekend
or the holidays: travelling, watching television, surfing the Internet, visiting friends, going for a
walk, doing sports etc. It can also be considered as a way of learning, of enriching the mind and
then the competition could be: reading books, doing research on the Internet, watching a
documentary on television, going to a lecture, going to the cinema etc.
And then of course there is generic competition, which could be whatever people want to
spend money on.
1.2 Communication strategy at the Centre for Fine Arts
To develop a successful communication strategy it is crucial to be consistent with the corporate
identity. According to De Pelsmacker, Geuens and Van den Bergh “Corporate identity is the way
the company chooses to present itself to its relevant target audiences by means of symbolism,
communications and behaviour.” (De Pelsmacker 2001: 12) So before we can take a closer look
at the communication strategy at the Centre for Fine Arts, we must try and define its corporate
identity.
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1.2.1 The corporate identity
The BOZAR brand is based on the new corporate identity of a transparent, multidisciplinary
house of culture. The Centre for Fine Arts wants to offer a whole variety of cultural activities for a
whole variety of audiences. The Centre for Fine Arts and BOZAR stand for quality and reliability.
Apart from the preservation of the Horta building, the Centre for Fine Arts has as its mission to
develop a multidisciplinary cultural policy worthy of Brussels and Europe. (cf. 1.1) This cultural
mission is fourfold: the Centre for Fine Arts wants to be a meeting place for the arts, it wants to
open up to an as broad as possible audience, it wants to announce the cultural Europe of
tomorrow and it wants to offer a qualitative partnership. (Gysen 2005: 2)
1.2.2 Target audiences
The target of one million visitors was reached in the 2005-2006 season. The goal now is to
maintain that number. In fact, for the Centre for Fine Arts the entire general public is the target
audience. Market research has shown that only four percent of the Belgian population spend time
and money on culture. In fact, one third says their ideal night is spent at home. That leaves an
enormous potential audience to reach and to convince.
Within the Belgian general public there are three target groups for which the Centre for
Fine Arts makes an extra effort. The first group are families with young children. They lead such
busy lives that there is hardly any time left for culture. The Centre for Fine Arts tries to reach them
with the BOZAR SUNDAYS, a Sunday programme that starts with a breakfast for parents and
children, after which the parents get a guided tour through an exhibition and the children can take
part in a workshop. A second target audience are teenagers who the Centre for Fine Arts tries to
attract with for instance BOZAR podcasts. The young urban population are the third group for
which the Centre for Fine Arts makes a special effort. For them BOZAR developed the
BOZARSTART formula, where young people (under 26) can buy five tickets for € 25,00 (€ 5,00
per ticket).
Another specific target group are companies and businessmen. There is a range of
possibilities for advertising space, business seats, special visits or performances in exchange for
sponsorship.
And then there are the audiences abroad and the tourists. The BOZAR communication
towards the general public is not only in French and Dutch but also in English. The Centre for
Fine Arts works with Belgian tourist offices abroad to offer special packages to tourists travelling
to Brussels and Belgium.
11
An important tool in reaching the target audiences are partnerships. There are of course
the cultural partnerships or artistic co-productions. This means that BOZAR works together with
another cultural institution to organise a specific activity of event. Advantages are that the partner
brings in own capital and resources, but also that he brings in his own customer data base,
through which more people can be reached. Then there are the structural partnerships, which are
mainly for promotional and public relations purposes. The same goes for the media partnerships.
(Debruyne 2006: 22-27)
Partnerships Examples
Cultural partnerships Le Rideau de Bruxelles, Europalia, Jonge
Belgische Schilderkunst / Jeune Peinture
Belge, Nationaal Orkest van België / Orchestre
national de Belgique, European Concert Hall
Organisation, Koningin Elisabeth Wedstrijd /
Concours Reine Elisabeth
Structural partnerships Belgacom, Suez, BMW, Sony
Media partnerships De Morgen, Le Soir, Knack, Le Vif/L‟Express,
La Deux, TVBrussel
Table 1: BOZAR partnerships
1.2.3 The communication plan
The BOZAR communication plan sums up all publications, communication channels and
promotional activities for each season. Because it is very exhaustive and detailed, we will take a
look at the most significant annually returning features.
- Season‟s brochures
There are annual brochures containing the entire programme for the upcoming season. There is
a season brochure for BOZAR MUSIC, BOZAR EXPO, BOZAR Stage & Screen (including
BOZAR CINEMA, BOZAR DANCE, BOZAR THEATRE and BOZAR LITERATURE) and a
brochure for schools.
12
- BOZAR MAGAZINE
The BOZAR MAGAZINE is a monthly publication with articles and interviews concerning the
concerts, performances and events of the upcoming month.
- BOZAR.BE
The BOZAR website offers much more than just an overview of the cultural programme. There is
an ingenious filtering system which helps to find the appropriate and interesting activities for each
visitor. People can subscribe to a newsletter, renew their subscriptions and even listen to
podcasts about the ongoing exhibitions or festivals.
Other communication channels are specific brochures and flyers for one event, exhibition or
festival, radio and television spots, posters, ads in newspapers and magazines, stickers, banners
in the Central Station etc. All brochures and flyers are available at the Centre for Fine Arts, its
ticketing offices, and on displays in cultural centres throughout the country and tourist offices
across Europe.
1.3 The Marketing Communication and Sales Department
The Marketing Communication and Sales department is subdivided in Box Office, Press,
Publications, Audience Development and IT/ Ad Interim. The Restaurant and Shop are also part
of this department, although they are outsourced. The new BOZAR shop will be opening in the
beginning of November 2007 and there are plans for a new restaurant as well.
Of course the different subdivisions in the Marketing Communication and Sales
department have to work closely together. For example, Press would have nothing to send to the
media if they did not receive information from the people in Publication (and also, of course, from
those in Artistic Coordination). And if Press did not inform the media about upcoming events, or if
Audience Development did not do its job, Box Office would not sell any tickets. It is therefore a
good thing that the offices of the mentioned subdivisions are all situated on the same two floors.
This improves internal communication and encourages mutual consultation. It also makes for a
pleasant and creative working environment.
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1.3.1 Mission
The Department Marketing Communication and Sales is responsible for the communication of the
entire BOZAR artistic project, the product marketing and the promotion of all the products for the
public (tickets, catering, shop…). But it also plays a key role in positioning the institution as house
of the arts, in positioning the arts-brand BOZAR ( corporate communication) and in the reception
of the audiences and the public. Finally it promotes the building of the Centre for Fine Arts as a
piece of art by itself. The department works both on a national and an international level. (BOZAR
2007a: 51)
1.3.2 Organisation (BOZAR 2007a: 51-63)
Box Office (Sales) has its own organisation. There are four sales points: all products are sold at
the Ravenstein shop and through the call centre, exhibition tickets are additionally sold inside the
Centre for Fine Arts at both the Ravenstein and the Rue Royale entrances.
The department Marketing and Communication itself consists of five units: general
publications, music publications, press office, audience development and graphic studio and
webmaster. My work experience took place in the press office.
- General publications
An editorial team is responsible for the monthly BOZARMAGAZINE, the magazine that plays a
crucial role in establishing the BOZAR brand. BOZARMAGAZINE includes interviews with artists
and other cultural professionals, it announces events, highlights specials activities and has an
agenda for the upcoming month. The magazine is not just for the benefit of the potential visitor, it
is also a tool for convincing sponsors and opinion leaders of the important role BOZAR plays on
the Belgian cultural stage.
- Music publications
The music publication team produces programme brochures, mainly for concerts but also for
other events, such as dance and theatre performances. They write the texts for the annual
BOZAR MUSIC brochure, and also for the website and the BOZARMAGAZINE. Both General
and Music publications also write texts for the press office, for press files and sometimes even for
press releases.
14
- Audience development
The Audience development unit is the promotional unit of the Centre for Fine Arts. It is their
continuing mission to promote the brand BOZAR with its wide range of activities on offer. A
second and equally important task is prospecting towards the various target groups. The different
artistic departments require a specific communication strategy. BOZAR MUSIC and BOZAR
EXPO reach the largest audience groups. THEATRE, DANCE, LITERATURE and CINEMA are
brought together in the cross-disciplinary Stage and Screen brochure. As the target groups are
often quite similar, the aim is to reach a certain level of cross-selling. For BOZAR STUDIOS - the
artistic educational department - direct contact with schools and teachers is of great value. For
the Dutch-speaking teachers, there is an active collaboration with the teacher magazine Klasse.
For BOZARSUNDAYS the promotion is aimed specifically at families with young children. The
Gezinsbond / Ligue des Familles is an important partner in the communication. Media planning
and events is an additional unit created to coordinate all promotional activities at fairs and events
throughout the country and to distribute the publications to the appropriate target audiences.
- Graphic studio and webmaster
Thanks to the Organon database (launched in 2005) the efficiency of the graphic studio has
increased significantly. This database is the main information source for the various
communication channels, thereby decreasing the error margin. The website plays an active role
in promoting the BOZAR brand. The Graphic Studio designed the BOZAR logo (cf. 1.1.3) and the
logos for the sub-brands (cf. Appendix 2). The aim is to increase brand recognition and to make
all BOZAR communication uniform. The Graphic Studio designs flyers, brochures, poster etc. for
all the BOZAR events. The Graphic Studio also designs the templates for the press releases.
- Press office
The BOZAR press office consists of three full time press officers, and is often enforced by
trainees. The press office does a lot more than drawing up press releases and sending them out
to national and international media. There are the long term press files to be put together, press
conferences and press meetings to be organised, sometimes there are press trips or interviews
with artists, performers or BOZAR programmers to arrange. The approach depends on the nature
of the activity. There is a press officer MUSIC, a press officer EXPO and a press officer TDLC
(THEATRE, DANCE, LITERATURE, CINEMA). The activities of the STUDIOS are the
responsibility of the press officer for the related activity. For example, a musical atelier is for the
press officer MUSIC, a workshop within an exhibition for the press officer EXPO.
15
The general approach for MUSIC starts with an annual press conference in spring to
announce the new season. Every month of the season an agenda with all concerts for the next
month is drawn up and sent to the press. One to two weeks before a concert, a press release
reminds the music journalists of the upcoming event. For bigger or longer lasting events, a press
file is made. For every concert there are a number of places reserved for journalists. It is the
press officer MUSIC who decides who gets a place. Several factors influence that decision: how
likely is it that the journalist will write a review or an article on the concert, how significant is the
medium he or she works for, how many places are there for the concert, etc. The press officer
MUSIC also negotiates with the press secretary of the artists or the ensemble to make
arrangements for interviews.
The procedure for EXPO is quite different. There is a combined press conference EXPO
and TDLC in spring to announce the new season. About three months before the opening of an
exhibition a general press release is sent out to the long term press (quarterly or monthly). One
month before the opening an extensive and more detailed release is sent to the weekly press and
usually on the day before the public opening a press conference is organised for the Belgian and
international press. All journalists present, and those absent who ask for it receive a complete
press file. For exhibitions there is no fixed number of tickets for journalists, so those who want to
come and see the exhibition just have to give the press officer a call and she makes sure there
are tickets ready at the info desk. Journalists can buy the catalogue of the exhibition at a reduced
price, only really influential journalists get one for free. The press officer can also arrange
interviews with the curator or the artist. The press trips are a special feature in the press
communication for EXPO. Often an exhibition travels from one city to another and that is a good
opportunity for the journalists to see the exhibition before it comes to Brussels. That way they can
have an article ready for the time of the opening in Belgium. The press officer EXPO is also
responsible for ARCHITECTURE, because these activities are usually exhibitions. If there are
lectures with an architectural theme, the press officer TDLC will take care of the press
communication involved.
The process for the press officer for TDLC also starts with the annual press conference in
spring. The problem is that a lot of the TDLC activities are not yet decided at that moment. During
the summer press files for the new season are put together for LITERATURE and for THEATRE
and DANCE. Because of the limited number of CINEMA activities there is no press file for
CINEMA. The rest of the year the work is pretty similar to that of the press officer MUSIC, only on
a smaller scale. Because a lot of the TDLC performances are grouped around a theme or are part
of a cycle, most press releases talk about more than one performance. Again the press officer
can provide free tickets for journalists or arrange for an interview.
The number of activities at the Centre for Fine Arts is constantly increasing, and so is the
workload at the press office. Sometimes priorities have to be set if several larger activities
16
coincide. Although the press officers each have their own activities to take care of, there is a lot of
interaction between the three of them. They ask each other for advice, help out with a translation
or assist at press conferences.
1.4 Interview with Leen Gysen, Director Marketing and Communication
Leen Gysen has been Director Marketing and Communication at BOZAR since 2003. Before that
she was Corporate Marketing Communications Director at Telindus, an international ICT
corporation with Belgian roots. Despite her busy schedule, she made time for an interview about
the marketing and communication strategy at BOZAR, about brand identity and internal
communication and about the direction she would like to see BOZAR evolve in.
The following paragraphs are a synopsis of Leen Gysen‟s answers to my questions.
-The challenge of the unique selling proposition (USP): multidisciplinarity
The USP of BOZAR is the multidisciplinarity. The sub-brands each represent a different branch of
the arts and this separates BOZAR from the rest of the cultural market. BOZAR is not just a
concert hall, or an exhibition venue or a theatre, it is all these things combined, a „house of the
arts‟. This makes BOZAR unique in Belgium. It also means that with the restructuring in 2002,
there were little or no practical examples. Even abroad, the concept is not widely spread. The
Centre Pompidou in Paris is probably the best known example, but they work on a much larger
scale: approximately five million visitors a year, that is five times as much as BOZAR. Another
example is the South Bank Centre in London, which operates on about the same scale as
BOZAR.
A multidisciplinary house of arts was a more or less new concept for the Belgian market,
but research had shown that people who are interested in art are usually interested in more than
one artistic discipline. So the communication at the launch of the BOZAR brand focused on that
multidisciplinary story. But it soon became apparent that the public did not follow that
multidisciplinary or transversal approach. The combination and cross over of artistic disciplines
did not appeal to the public, but confused them. So the original “everything for everyone” concept
had to be adapted. Seven artistic sub-brands provided more clarity and brought balance into the
communication. If the research on artistic interests and preferences had shown one thing, it is
that people tend to lie about the frequency of their artistic activities and about the broadness of
their interest.
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- The BOZAR audience: as varied as the offer
First of all a distinction can be made between audiences during the day and at night. The day-
time audience (mainly visitors to the exhibitions) comes from all over the country, although there
are slightly more Flemish than Walloon visitors. International visitors are about 30% of the EXPO-
audience. The audience at night, for MUSIC and TDLC is predominantly French speaking and
comes from the greater Brussels area. What we see here is that the so-called 30 km rule
(audiences travel maximum 30 km to attend a cultural activity) applies to the TDLC and MUSIC
activities. The wide choice of cultural activities in Belgium, and especially in Flanders also plays a
significant role in the difference between day and night audiences. This 30 km rule does not apply
for EXPO, neither does it matter when international stars like Cecila Bartoli, the Wiener
Philharmoniker or Woody Allen come to the Centre for Fine Arts.
- Building a brand and internal communication: when everything has to be done at the same time
With the big changes starting in 2002, a whole lot of issues had to be tackled at more or less the
same time. The company structure of the Centre for Fine Arts changed from semi-public body
(“parastatale”) to limited public law company; a brand new management team was put together;
decisions about the budget had to be made; the brand BOZAR had to be promoted; the building
needed urgent restoration. In all of this the internal communication was a bit pushed aside. In
2007 an internal communication officer was appointed within the Human Resources department.
Internal communication is an important part of building a brand, but when the BOZAR brand was
introduced five years ago most efforts were put into external communication. Only recently have
there been more efforts to involve the employees in the BOZAR experience. In September there
is a back-to-work drink for all employees. There are special editions of the BOZAR SUNDAYS
(the family days with activities for parents and children) for the employees. Everyone has the
possibility to get two free tickets to the exhibitions, and for other activities there are the so-called
“servitudes”, a limited number of free tickets. All employees get a reduction on the ticket price and
in the BOZAR shop (opening in November). There are also plans for a welcome kit for new
employees.
- Being Belgian: the necessity of a federal character
As a federal cultural institution and a limited public law company with a social purpose, the Centre
for Fine Arts could be considered as one of the few truly Belgian institutions. Being federal is an
essential feature of the Centre for Fine Arts, it would not be viable as a purely Flemish, Brussels
or Walloon institution. It may seem a paradox, but the federal character also gives the Centre for
18
Fine Arts its much needed autonomy. As a federal institution the Centre falls directly under the
Prime Minister, and not under a communal Minister for Culture. But the Centre for Fine Arts has
had to work hard to earn this autonomy: years of breakeven provided it with the necessary trust
from the federal parliament. Now the organisation and the management of the Centre for Fine
Arts resembles that of a private company. This autonomy is essential to the independent and
progressive character of BOZAR. Therefore the outcome of the negotiations for a new federal
government are followed with more than the usual interest at the Centre for Fine Arts. After all,
the new Prime Minister will be the new „boss‟.
- Plans for the future: BOZAR goes international
With the new shop (autumn 2007) and the new restaurant (in 2008) BOZAR continues its efforts
to become an internationally renowned institution. At the moment that is not possible with just the
EXPO programme. A lot of exhibitions have become too expensive for the Belgian market. Again
with the example of the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the South Bank Centre in London, BOZAR
wants to offer more than purely cultural activities. At the moment the Centre for Fine Arts is too
quiet between 6 pm, when the exhibitions close and 7:30pm, when the people for the concerts
start to arrive. The purpose of the shop and the restaurant is to have a continuous stream of
visitors during the day and the evening. The shop will be open until 9:30 pm, so people will be
able to go and buy something during the break of a concert. The idea behind all this is to make
BOZAR and the Centre for Fine Arts a must-see in Brussels, no matter what exhibition is on show
or what performance or concert there is at night. The ultimate confirmation would be an entry in
the Rough Guide or the Lonely Planet.
On another front it would be a big step forwards if the different institutions of the Mountain
of Arts (Kunstberg / Mont des Arts) would develop a joint communication, not just nationally but
also towards an international public. The centre of Brussels is home to a number of interesting
and important museums and cultural institutions. It would be added value for all of them to adapt
a joint image as cultural heart of Brussels and Belgium.
Nationally BOZAR has to continue to work on its role as a valued party in the cultural
debate, but also as an opinion leader in the broader social and political context. Whether the topic
is corporate leadership, women breaking through the glass ceiling, communicating brand identity
or the challenges of the federal state, BOZAR can make valuable contributions to the debate.
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1.5 SWOT-analysis and conclusion
1.5.1 Strengths and weaknesses for the BOZAR brand, opportunities and threats for the cultural
sector
- Strengths
A name that rings a bell: in spite of, or indeed thanks to the commotion that surrounded the
launch of the BOZAR brand name in 2003, BOZAR is a very well known brand name in
Belgium.
A very unique USP: the multidisciplinarity at this scale is unique, not just in Brussels but in
the entire country.
Something for everyone: the artistic sub-brands give a clear overview of the BOZAR offer and
appeal to the different audiences.
Brand-new: the BOZAR brand was introduced in 2003, just four years ago. This means that
BOZAR has only just begun to develop its corporate and communication strategy and there is
a considerable growth margin.
A special case: the Centre for Fine Arts has a level of autonomy that is rare for a public
cultural institution. This autonomy on artistic and managerial level is enforced by the partial
financial autonomy, due to the ticket sales which allows the Centre for Fine Arts to reach
breakeven. The last two years BOZAR annually welcomed one million visitors.
In the heart of the capital: the Centre for Fine Arts, where all BOZAR artistic activities take
place, is situated in the centre of Brussels. The Horta building is well-known throughout the
country and lies within walking distance of the Central Station.
- Weaknesses
A USP that is too unique: multisdisciplinarity on this scale has no equivalents in Belgium. This
does not only make it hard for the public to understand the concept, it also makes it very
difficult for the communication department.
L’ embarras des choix: the multidisciplinarity and the sub-brands make the BOZAR offer very
broad, for some people too broad. The risk is that people will not understand what BOZAR
exactly stands for, which weakens the brand.
The burden of the past: the Centre for Fine Arts used to be a bourgeois, high-brow institution
for a French speaking audience. Although one of the purposes of the switch to BOZAR was
to get rid of that image, it still lives among the Dutch speaking population.
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- Opportunities:
A market waiting to be developed: research has shown that only four percent of the Belgian
population spend time and money on culture. In fact, one third says their ideal night is spent
at home. That leaves an enormous potential audience for the cultural sector to reach and to
convince.
Emotion is the key-word: culture marketing is largely influenced by emotion marketing. A
cultural event can become a real experience. This opens doors to activities on the side, like
shops, restaurants and workshops.
- Threats:
So much to do, so little time and money: the number of activities on offer to spend leisure
time is enormous. There are so many things people can do to learn something or simple
enjoy themselves, that there is little time left for cultural activities. It is even harder for young
families, also because cultural activities can be expensive.
Too exclusive for Mr and Mrs Average: a lot of people still consider culture as a privilege for
the elite. The reputation of modern art does not exactly help the cause. And again prices can
be too high for average families.
1.5.2 Conclusion
In this chapter we have taken a look at the Centre for Fine Arts and the BOZAR brand. We have
seen that the BOZAR brand is a very recent development in the eighty years of history of the
Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. BOZAR is a multidisciplinary cultural brand with a number of
sub-brands. The entire general public could be considered as its target audience, but there are
certain audience groups that get special attention. This is necessary because the branch-of-
industry competition and the form competition are huge. Because the BOZAR brand is relatively
new, the corporate identity is still a work in progress. As a federal cultural institution the Centre for
Fine Arts has a communications department that focuses on reaching as many people as
possible, by communicating in French, Dutch and English. The Marketing Communication
Department is well organised and encompasses a wide range of communication tools. The press
office plays a crucial part in the BOZAR communication policy.
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2. Theoretical framework of marketing and public relations of culture and
arts
The work experience took place in the Marketing Communications and Sales department of
BOZAR, more precisely in the press office. As the different offices in the Communication
department work closely together, the theoretical framework for the tasks discussed in chapter 3
is broader than just press or media relations. Although the activities in the cultural sector,
including cultural events as exhibitions, concerts, plays and performances cannot be considered
as products in a traditional marketing concept, there is a certain approach to marketing that is
quite applicable to them, the marketing of services. We will therefore start with a general
characterisation of the marketing of services, followed by a closer look at the opportunities and
threats involved and at the specific marketing of culture and arts. The second part of this chapter
will focus on the theoretical framework for the tasks carried out in the press office, once again in
relation to the rest of the Communication department. We will start with an overview of public
relations, followed by a closer look at marketing public relations, media public relations and their
effectiveness.
2.1 Marketing of services
Over the past decennia the service sector has gained ever more importance, in terms of
employment as much as in terms of marketing. Although service marketing may seem not all that
different from traditional product marketing, a closer look soon learns that services do need their
own kind of approach.
2.1.1 Characteristics of service marketing and differences with traditional product marketing
Services can be divided into different categories. There is the public sector, with hospitals, police
and education, the private not-for-profit sector with art galleries, churches and political parties,
and the commercial service industry, including airlines, banks, hotels and insurance companies.
A fourth category could be made up of production companies who offer certain additional
services, like a helpdesk or maintenance. Services, and consequently cultural activities have four
important characteristics which have a huge impact on marketing. They are intangible, which
means that they cannot be seen or felt or touched before purchase, although previews or trailers
can be seen of films, pictures can be seen of exhibitions etc. They are inseparable, meaning that
production and consumption usually occur at the same time, this is especially true for dance or
22
theatre, less so for film or architecture. They are differing in the sense that no two performances
can be exactly the same. And finally they are transitory, it is not possible to stock empty seats or
unsold tickets for an event that has already taken place. (Kotler 2004: 333-336) Another way of
defining services, which inevitably overlaps with Kotler, is by assigning the following three
characteristics: immateriality, which more or less coincides with intangibility; contact between the
organisation and the consumer; and consumer participation in the production of the service,
which overlaps with them being inseparable. (Van Hooland 2003: 204-205)
The traditional four P‟s in marketing are a familiar concept, even to those who have
hardly ever heard of marketing. In service marketing we might add three extra P‟s: Personnel,
Presentation and Processes. Services are generally provided by people, who need to be trained
and more importantly, motivated. Presentation helps in showing the quality of the service on offer.
And the processes -which may not be visible to the customer- still have an undeniable impact on
the customer‟s satisfaction. (Kotler 2004: 336-337) An alternative, and not entirely up-to-date
view to that matter is that of the four C‟s: Concession, Commerce, Compromise and
Consumption. (Ferrée 1983: 98) Ferrée states that services, and in particular the public and the
cultural sector, have to realise that they too can benefit from a commercial point of view. Although
this may have been a revolutionary view in the early 1980s, it is now a widely accepted fact that
services can and must use marketing concepts. Let us therefore concentrate on the three
additional P‟s in service marketing.
Apart from the traditional external marketing, this complex system also needs
internal and interactive marketing. As personnel is so important in the service sector, internal
marketing should aim to train and motivate the employees. Only if the employees are convinced
of the intrinsic value of the service, will they be able to transfer that conviction to the customer in
their presentation of the service. Interactive marketing means that the service on offer needs to
be both technically and functionally on a high level. Depending on the service, it can be difficult
for the customer to evaluate or appreciate technical qualities. Products have obvious
characteristics which the customer can evaluate before buying. But that is a lot harder for most
services. These are either appreciated through experience, or they just need high credibility, in
cases where the customer still has a hard time evaluating the service even after buying. This
makes the risk in buying a service higher than for a traditional, tangible product. Experiences
from others customers, the behaviour of the sales person and physical characteristics of the
services (if any), in short the entire process strongly influence the potential buyer. All of this leads
to three marketing challenges: news ways of differentiating, guaranteeing the quality of the
provided service and increasing productivity. (Kotler 2004: 336-339)
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2.1.2 Opportunities and threats of service marketing
The above mentioned marketing challenges hold both opportunities and threats for the marketing
of services. We will discuss each of the challenges separately.
- New ways of differentiating
As it is very hard to differentiate a service just on the level of pricing, other ways of differentiating
need to be found. The service provider can differentiate by adding extra levels of service to the
basic service. Or they can choose to differentiate in delivering the service: they can opt for
reliability, resilience or innovation. Reliability means delivering on time and as ordered, resilience
is important in times of crisis, product recalls and when answering questions (both from
customers and the press). Innovation is highly appreciated by customers who are always looking
for the latest and the newest. The danger here is that product innovations in services are easily
imitated. But a service provider who regularly innovates can become an „innovator‟ in the eyes of
the customer. Yet another option in differentiating is developing a particular image. Of course, not
all possible customers will like the chosen image, so this should not be done without extensive
research. (Kotler 2004: 339-340)
- Guaranteeing quality
The customer compares his or her expectations before purchasing the service with his or her
experience with the service after purchase. The expectations can originate in previous
experiences, or in stories heard from other people, or in promotion made for the service. The
difference between the expected service and the actual experience of it influences the perception
of the quality of the product. It is therefore essential for a service provider to make the gap
between the customer‟s expectations and their experience as small as possible. There are
several possible gaps:
between the management‟s view and the customer‟s expectations
between the management‟s view and the quality standards
between the quality standards and the actual service
between the delivered service and the external communication
between the delivered and the expected service
Closings these gaps requires the combined efforts of management and personnel to improve the
quality of the service, to evaluate results, to deal with complaints and to satisfy both customers
and employees. (Kotler 2004: 340-343)
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- Increasing productivity
A final challenge is increasing the productivity. There are several ways to do that, but they usually
include decreasing quality or customer satisfaction. Possible ways of increasing productivity are
employing qualified personnel, giving in on quality, automation, make the customer do more of
the work and so on. (Kotler 2004: 344-345)
2.1.3 Specific marketing of culture and arts
Up until now we have spoken about general service marketing. Let us now take a closer look at
marketing culture and arts.
A first characteristic of creative activities is that the demand is uncertain. Market research
and pre-testing can give an insight in the public‟s demand for creative products, but a creative
product seldom satisfies a pre-existing need. There is always a high risk involved in „producing‟
and marketing creative activities. (Caves 2000: 2-3)
A second problem to deal with is the high level of differentiation. No two creative products
or activities are identical. They can differ in quality, but also in more specific characteristics,
valued differently by each individual buyer. This is what Richard Caves calls “infinite variety”.
(Caves 2000: 6) This infinite variety makes it very hard for the consumer to choose. Because a
promotional campaign is usually conducted by the producers of the creative goods, this
information is biased. As a result of the lack of neutral information, the consumption of creative
goods suffers of what Caves calls “herd behaviour”. (Caves 2000: 178) People do not know a lot
about a certain creative good or they find the cost of finding out about it too high. In that case,
they look at what other people are doing and base their decision on other people‟s behaviour.
Herd behaviour in the creative industries is the result of the consumers‟ lack of information.
Because creative goods are “experience goods” it is impossible to know their full qualities before
consumption. So consumers go and look for other kinds of recommendations. They turn to critics
and other independent advisors or experts. Critics are presumed to be neutral and objective. But
they too can be biased, because of their personal taste, or because they are not entirely
independent. (Caves 2000: 173-180) Because critics are highly appreciated as third-party
sources, it is a logical consequence for a market for critical opinion to come about. (Caves 2000:
189-190)
Ferrée provides some concrete points of action in marketing and promoting cultural
events. Four goals can be set: (1) attracting new customers, (2) encourage existing customers to
come more often, (3) hold on to good customers and (4) prompt potential customers to undertake
immediate action. As mentioned before, price can play an important role in differentiating cultural
products. It can also help to encourage people to take the first step towards a cultural activity or
25
event through reductions or special offers. Another way of promoting culture is also well known in
traditional marketing: distributing free samples. Of course you cannot go handing out samples of
works of art, but a preview on radio or television can be just as effective. Prize contests and
competitions, handing out free gifts, these are all traditional marketing tools which, according to
Ferrée, work just as well in culture promotion. Ferrée also states that “character merchandising”,
promoting an event through one or more famous names or artists might well be one of the most
powerful tools in promoting arts and culture. Stunts and events, a specific image or “personality”,
season tickets and promotions in cooperation or co-production with other organisations, virtually
anything is possible in culture marketing. (Ferrée 1983: 98-112)
2.2 Public relations and press relations
We have discussed the marketing of services, and more specific of culture and arts. Now let us
take a closer look at public relations. We will discuss marketing public relations, media public
relations and how the results of the public relations efforts can be measured.
2.2.1 Definition and characteristics of public relations
Public relations is a widely used, and widely misused, term in marketing and corporate
communications. Over the years several definitions have been given to define public relations.
Public relations can be seen as a projection of the personality of the company, as the
management of its reputation, as the planned and combined efforts to close the gap between the
way the company wants to be perceived and how it is actually perceived by its target groups.
Public relations originated in the function of press agent. Originally intended to act as
intermediary between the company and the media, the press agent began to play an important
role in the company‟s communications. Press relations became public relations. (De Pelsmacker
2001: 247)
Five key terms are essential to the good functioning of public relations within a company:
analysis, advice, organisation, execution and evaluation. Public relations needs to analyse the
situation of both the company and the management carefully. Based on this analysis, public
relations advises a communication policy for internal and external communication. The policy
should aim for an organised, uniform total communication and presentation of the company and
for balance between identity and image. After drawing up a communication plan, public relations
is also responsible for the execution of all kinds of internal and external communication. And
finally public relations has to evaluate and if necessary adjust. (Bos & Mastenbroek 1998: 39-41)
26
Within public relations, several subdivisions can be distinguished. There is internal PR,
financial PR, marketing PR and media PR. (De Pelsmacker 2001: 252-256) In the following
paragraphs we take a closer look at those last two.
2.2.2 Marketing public relations (MPR)
Marketing public relations is the part of marketing communications related to selling products and
supporting brands. It is largely integrated with other parts of the communications mix, especially
corporate public relations. (De Pelsmacker 2001: 255)
- Definition
The term marketing public relations was introduced in the 1980s because of the need to make the
distinction between general public relations and the public relations techniques that support
marketing. A definition is hard to give, though in The marketer’s guide to public relations (1991)
Thomas Harris suggests the following working definition:
“Marketing public relations is the process of planning, executing and evaluating programs
that encourage purchase and consumer satisfaction through credible communication of
information and impressions that identify companies and their products with the needs,
wants, concerns and interests of consumers.” (p.12)
- MPR in the marketing plan
Harris also situates MPR in the four P‟s of marketing. The P that stands for promotion
encompasses advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, personal selling and marketing
public relations. (Harris 1991: 39) What differentiates MPR from advertising is that MPR should
be, or at least give the impression to be more credible than advertising. The aim in MPR is to
have a third party conveying your message, thus adding objectivity to it. This third party will
usually be the press or the media.
An essential condition to make MPR work, is that it should be integrated into the
marketing strategy and the marketing plan. MPR adds a number of advantages to the marketing
plan. While advertising costs are steadily increasing, the large number of newspapers,
magazines, television and radio programmes make it easier than ever to carry out other forms of
publicity. To use these opportunities to the maximum, communication strategies need to be
uniform and cohesive.
MPR is not an instrument that should be used in negative situations, when a product is
not selling well (enough) of when a crisis occurs. In fact, it is even more important to use MPR
27
when things are going well, and the management wants them to go even better. Of course, some
products are better suited for MPR than others. Harris calls “arts and entertainment” one of the
product categories where MPR really works. (Harris 1991: 44, 46-47, 54-56)
- The marketing public relations plan
Drawing up a MPR plan is essential to the success of MPR. The first condition is a clear
understanding of the company‟s mission. Apart from that, MPR should be involved in the
marketing plan from the start, so advertising, promotion and public relations can work together to
reach a common goal. The MPR process is not that different from a traditional PR process:
1. defining the problem
2. planning and programming
3. taking action and communicating
4. evaluating the programme.
But in addition to the traditional PR questions that need to be asked for each of these steps, there
are specific MPR questions. To make the MPR process work, research is needed. Data bases
play a particular role in that research. A data base can store articles or stories that have been
published about the company, but also names of experts in a specific area, who may be called
upon when a statement or more clarification is needed. Other areas of research involve the
consumer. Life-style research helps to understand the consumer, while psychographic research
provides insight in the behaviour of social groups. Psychographics can be used in strategic
planning, creative development and media planning. There is no point in putting so much effort
into MPR if the results cannot be measured or evaluated. Figures for circulation in print media, for
the number of clips on television and radio can be provided by specialised companies. (Harris
1991: 62-70) (more on measuring results in 2.2.4)
- MPR tactics
Harris talks about a number of tactics that can be employed in MPR. Let us have a look at the
ones that matter to marketing of culture and arts. Contests and competitions can attract new
consumers, who otherwise would not have been interested in attending a cultural event. Grand
openings are a certain way to attract media coverage, especially if the artist or the creative brain
behind the event are also present. Interviews with artists, cultural programmers, performers put
an extra spotlight on the event. Junkets, combined with a press conference and even a guided
tour encourage the media to come to the “story”. Newsletters or magazines keep existing
customers informed and attract new ones. Youth programmes lay the foundation for a next
generation of interested and faithful customers. (Harris 1991: 78-92)
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2.2.3 Media public relations
- Communicating with the media in general
Although the media are an intermediate public, the objectives to be met are the same as for an
end public. Media public relations should inform, gain trust and create goodwill, build a favourable
attitude with the target audience and of course ensure media coverage. Good media PR can
trigger a chain of publicity for the company‟s activities and events. Media attention can prove to
be more effective than advertising, but to reach that a company needs to strategically direct its
PR campaigns at the right media, or even at specialised press.
The main goals a company wants to achieve through media PR are: to draw media
attention and to generate publicity and so reach audiences that cannot be reached through
advertising or other branches of promotion. Media PR has the use of several instruments to
reach these goals. Best known are press releases and press kits or press files. A press release
contains information the company wants to see covered in the media and can be sent to
newspapers, television networks, magazines, all depending on the sort of message and the
desired effect. Sometimes a press file is sent along with a press release but more often press
files are handed out at press conferences. These press conferences are reserved for what the
company really sees as “news”, facts that are too important to just be put in a press release. The
danger here is that companies and the media have quite a different view on what is newsworthy.
To achieve and especially maintain good media relations some basic guidelines need to
be taken into account. A company should try and look at the information or event and see it from
the media point of view: is it really newsworthy? They should always make sure that the provided
story is accurate and that the facts are checked and double-checked. It is always useful to have a
high-ranked person say something about the event, so he or she can be cited in the reports.
Correct contact information is highly appreciated by journalists and reporters. And finally, a
company has to realise that they only provide the basic information about an event. The media
are still free to do what they want with it, to check with other sources, or even to write a more
critical article than intended by the company. (De Pelsmacker 2001: 255, 258-259)
- Communicating with the media about cultural events and activities
Although there is an ever increasing number of magazines, television and radio programmes, the
media attention for culture and arts has been declining over the past years. Coverage tends to be
less serious, less specialised as well. Topics like fashion, rock concerts or chick lit all find a place
in the cultural columns these days. That leaves little space and time for reviews of, or reports on
so-called higher culture. Nevertheless there are still plenty of critics and reporters who really want
29
to support cultural activities and announce them to the public. So the possibilities to achieve
publicity and support image building through press coverage are still there, they just ask for an
extra effort. (Weyns 2003: 8-9)
An important question in defining the press strategy is what kind of attention you want to
achieve: editorial attention or plain publicity. To achieve editorial attention a press release about
an upcoming event or an agenda of the new season are the appropriate courses of action. In
some cases additional action may be required: a press conference, an interview, a press meeting
etc. Whatever the course of action, it is still up to the journalists or reporters to decide whether or
not they will pay attention to it. If the aim is publicity, then journalists or reporters will have little or
nothing to do with it. Usually publicity will be paid for, in which case it becomes advertising, which
is a competence of the marketing department. The publicity can take different forms: a special
edition of a magazine, competitions to win tickets and so on. In some cases a partnership or
sponsorship can be negotiated with a newspaper, magazine, radio or television network. (Weyns
2003: 17-18)
If you have decided to aim for editorial attention, you have to try and convince the
journalist or the editors of the importance of your message. Two factors are decisive in choosing
course of action: the contents of the message and the available budget. Depending on these
factors you can choose to release a press statement, to organise a press conference, a press
meeting (less people, less formal) or a press trip. Another possibility is to take matters into your
own hands and propose an interview or an original point of view to a journalist. (Weyns 2003: 26-
29)
To be able to reach all the right journalists and media channels an up-to-date and
complete data base is essential. This data base should not only contain contact details of the
journalists, but also provide information about their specialised subjects, their personal
preferences, the target audience of the medium they work for and so on. It is the continuing
responsibility of the press office to work on the data base, but all the hard work on a good data
base will certainly pay off. (Weyns, 2003: 16)
2.2.4 Measuring the results of public relations actions and efforts
Just like with other communication instruments, results can only be measured when clear
objectives have been set. As evolution of sales and market share are usually not public relations
goals, these are not good indicators to measure the results of the public relations efforts.
Potential goals are raising awareness, change in opinion, attitude or goodwill. Specific media
public relations goals are to inform, gain trust and create goodwill, build a favourable attitude and
of course ensure media coverage. (cf. 2.2.3) Three kinds of indicators can help to determine
whether the PR efforts have been successful.
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Input indicators measure the effort, the actions that have been undertaken by the PR
department. Input indicators can be the number of press releases issued, the number of press
conferences held, the number of interviews given. These indicators can be useful to give a first
impression of how much effort has been made, but they are not sufficient to measure the
effectiveness of the PR.
Output indicators measure the media coverage as a result of the input. Output indicators
can be the number of articles published, the number of interviews printed, the amount of radio or
television time dedicated to the event or information. These indicators show whether the input
efforts have been successful, but again say nothing about whether actual goals have been
achieved. To measure that achievement we need to look at the achievement indicators.
Achievement indicators are similar to the indicators that are used to measure the
effectiveness of advertising efforts. They provide information and data about how accurately the
set objectives have been reached. Achievement indicators include the share of the target
audience that has been reached, evolution of the image and changes in attitude, opinion and
behaviour. (De Pelsmacker 2001: 261-262)
2.3 Conclusion
In this chapter we have tried to give a broad image of the marketing of culture in general and of
public and media relations in particular. We have treated cultural activities as a sort of service,
because they cannot be compared to tangible products. What we have seen is that a lot of the
traditional marketing and public relations concepts can be applied to the cultural sector as well.
But the unique nature of the cultural activities and events also ask for a specially adapted
approach.
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3. Overview of the tasks carried out during the work experience and their
place in the theoretical framework
Chapter 3 discusses the actual tasks carried out during the work experience at the BOZAR press
office. The first part is a general overview of the tasks. In the second part of the chapter the tasks
are described in detail, including a clear indication of my own contribution.
3.1 Overview of tasks
The work experience took place in summer, in July and August. As the BOZAR season ended in
June, and the first concert for the new season was on August 23, there was little short-term work
to be carried out. The main tasks all involved preparing the new 2007-2008 season. Most of the
time was devoted to drawing up press files for MUSIC, THEATRE, DANCE, LITERATURE and
EXPO. Another long-term job was updating and expanding the press contacts data base.
Throughout the work experience, meetings were held within the press office and with the
communications department. And then there were some one-off activities: attending a video
shoot, assisting at a press conference etc. A big event was the preparation for the opening
concert of the MUSIC season with Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
The table below provides an overview.
Nature of the task Short description of the task
Meetings Meetings with the press office:
discussing the agenda for the coming
week, dividing the work, long-term
planning
Meetings with the Communication
department: discussing the agenda,
adjust actions to general
communication policy
Meetings with representatives of the
media: presenting the new season,
discussing what they could use in their
programmes, what kind of information
they would need
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Meeting with the press secretary of
Daniel Barenboim
Preparing and/or announcing the new
season (2007-2008)
Press files: World Music, Theatre &
Dance, Literature, Expositions,
Barenboim (preparing, collecting
background information, collecting
practical information, writing,
translating, lay-out)
Press releases: Diamonds from Congo,
Jonge Filmfans, STUDIO EUROPA
(writing, translating, putting everything
into BOZAR templates)
Daily tasks Press cuttings
Updating the press data base: looking
for and adding new contacts, creating
new lists, adapting existing contacts
Answering requests for press files,
images, general information
One-off activities Attending video shoot in Henry Le
Boeuf Hall with Guido Belcanto and a
crew from VT4
Attending press conference Brussels
Summer Festival
Preparing and attending press
conference for opening concert of the
season + assisting press officer in
dealing with Belgian media
Table 2: Overview of tasks
3.2 Situating the tasks in the theoretical framework
Before I give a more detailed report on the tasks, I want to make a remark. A particularity of
writing texts for the BOZAR activities is connected to the fact that the Centre for Fine Arts is a
federal cultural institution. (cf. 1.1.2) Federal in Belgium always has the implication of bilingual
Dutch-French. For the Centre for Fine Arts this means that all publications and all communication
33
must be in both languages. For leaflets, brochures, press files EXPO and the website English is
added to French and Dutch. The order of the languages in the BOZAR publications changes
every year by Royal Decree. A consequence is that texts for publications and press
communication are written in either Dutch or French and then translated into the other languages.
The general policy is that people write in and translate into their native language.
3.2.1 Press files
To prepare and to write press files was my main task. As discussed in 2.2.3 press files are part of
the media public relations. They contain both practical and background information about an
event and should provide a journalist with sufficient material to write an article about the event.
BOZAR press files are either distributed at press conferences, or sent along with press releases
for smaller events. Press files are not made for every single activity at the Centre for Fine Arts.
Sometimes a press file is made for a single concert, but usually it provides information about a
series or several related activities. For example, there are press files for the programme for the
new season of LITERATURE, or THEATRE & DANCE, but also for the so-called FESTIVALS, or
for a string of MUSIC activities.
The drawing up of press files usually goes as follows: a press officer decides that a
certain press file should be drawn up. The timeframe is decided by the responsible press officer,
often in consultation with the other press officers. Then texts are gathered from the editors, the
people in General and Music Publications who write the brochures and the BOZAR MAGAZINE.
(cf. 1.3.2) Usually they have already done research about the event in question, or they have
received information from the artist‟s agent or from the programmers. All texts for the website, the
brochures and the magazine are available on a public server. Practical information is sometimes
already available on the website. When this is not the case, then the programmer of the event
can provide the information. If the exact date, time, place or price of an event is not yet known,
these spaces are left open in the file, or it says date / time / place / price to be fixed. Once all
available information has been put together, the press officer writes an introduction to the press
file. Usually each press officer draws up a press file in their native language, other versions are
either translated or at least checked by native speakers. And then there is lay-out to be taken
care of, for example a photo on the title page. The structure is as follows:
title page
table of contents
introduction
description of the event or events, with background information on the artist(s), the curator or
the co-producer.
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a chronological overview (when several events are mentioned) with practical information: title,
name of the artist(s), date, time, place, price
contact details of the press office
I worked on the following press files (they can all be found in the appendix):
- BOZAR Wereldmuziek 2007-2008 (Appendix 3)
Concept:
to provide an overview of the world music concerts in the 2007-2008 season
Briefing:
I was asked to compose an overview of the BOZAR world music season. 2007-2008 will be
the first season at the Centre for Fine Arts to pay such an extensive attention to world music.
I had to group the concerts according to the festival or event in connection with which they
are organised. The main chapters were to be: Portugal (all concerts connected to the
Portugal Festival), Congo (all concerts organised on the Diamonds from Congo day),
Moussem (all concerts connected to the Moussem Festival) and Flamenco (all concerts
connected to the Flamenco Festival Son del Sur). The texts about the concerts each had to
include a presentation of the concept and the performing artists, as well as the practical
information. As the chapters were built around the themes, the practical information had to be
repeated in a chronological overview at the end. Texts could be found on the publication and
the communication servers, practical information on the BOZAR-website. A press file of last
year could be used as example for lay-out. An introduction with some history and background
information had to be written for fado, moussem en flamenco, as well as a general
introduction about the world-music season. At the end there had to be a chronological
overview of the concerts with all the practical information. The final page had to include
contact details for the BOZAR press office. The front page had to have the BOZAR MUSIC
logo on it, a representative image and the address of the Centre for Fine Arts.
Working method:
I found some texts on the server, but because the file encompasses the entire season and
because some of the artists had never been to Belgium before, not a lot was already written
about it. After discussing this with my mentor, I did additional research on the Internet. I wrote
most of the texts myself, biographies of artists, short histories of bands, but also background
information on the Portugese fado, on the origins of the maghreb Moussem-festivals and on
flamenco. I received additional information on the Diamonds from Congo event from the
world-music programmer, who also send me the information about a Congo event organised
by BOZAR in 2005. All available practical information was incorporated into the file and into
the chronological overview, but some blanks remained. As the programme for the Moussem
and the Flamenco Festivals is still a work in progress, not a lot of practical information was
35
available. I also wrote a draft introduction, but as the file is not yet complete, neither is the
introduction. The contact-details page was copied from a previous press file and checked for
mistakes. The front page was also copied from a previous file, although no image was
selected yet, because the file was not yet complete.
Personal evaluation:
This was a very interesting press file to write. I had to do a lot of research, but this helped me
familiarise with the world-music programme at BOZAR. At first I had to ask a lot of questions,
also about layout, but after a couple of days I really worked independently on this file,
occasionally asking for extra information. The negative point was that I did not get the chance
to finish the file, due to the lack of information.
- BOZAR THEATRE & DANCE 2007-2008 (Appendix 4)
Concept:
to provide an overview of the theatre and dance performances at the Centre for Fine Arts
during the 2007-2008 season
Briefing:
I was asked to make a clearly structured overview of the THEATRE and DANCE season. The
Stage&Screen (TDLC) brochure for the new season was the starting point. Additional texts
could be found on the server, practical information on the website. Short introductions had to
be written about theatre and about dance. As in the World Music press file I had to include a
chronological overview, this time also per discipline and the contact details.
Working method:
I started with pasting all the texts from the season brochure into the file. Then I checked the
titles and the practical information on the website. Some adjustments to location, price or time
were made. I wrote an introduction about both the THEATRE and the DANCE programme,
referring to the respective festivals or events they fit into. On the front page I pasted an image
from the Stage&Screen brochure. The chronological overview was mere copy and paste, as
was the final page with the contact details.
Personal evaluation:
This was again an interesting file to get to know the programme, but apart from that it was
mainly assembling existing texts and information.
- BOZAR LITERATURE 2007-2008 (Appendix 5)
Concept:
to provide an overview of the 2007-2008 LITERATURE season at the Centre for Fine Arts
36
Briefing:
I was asked to make a clearly structured overview of the literature events in the new season.
Again the TDLC brochure was the starting point. Additional texts could be found on the
server, practical information on the website. An introduction to the entire file had to be written,
and also short presentations of the different concepts: “Literatuur op de Middag”, “Res
Publica Litterarum”, “In de plooien van het heden”, “De Portugeestalige wereld rond”,
“Crossmediale schrijvers uit IJsland”. Just like the other files, this one too had to include a
chronological overview and contact details.
Working method:
My working method was quite similar to the one for Theatre & Dance. In the introduction I
gave a short explanation of the literary events this season, mentioned in the briefing.
Chronological overview, title page, contact details, all had to be copied and pasted with minor
adjustments. There was no image inserted into the title page yet.
Personal evaluation:
I found this quite interesting because of the thematical working method. Writing the
introduction required some research, which helped me better understand the programme.
Again, there was not a lot of original writing, but that was quite all right because I found the
subject really interesting.
- BOZAR EXPO 2007-2008 (Appendix 6)
Concept:
To provide a brief synopsis of the upcoming exhibitions at the Centre for Fine Arts.
Briefing:
This press file did not have to contain a lot of in-depth information, it just had to provide a
clear overview of the planned exhibitions in the new season. Starting point was the BOZAR
EXPO 2007-2008 brochure. All texts could be found on the server. There was no need for an
introduction yet, as there was not enough information available.
Working method:
This was mostly a lay-out and copy-paste task. For every exhibition I looked up the available
information on the website and the server and then put it all in one document. I made this file
in Dutch, French and English. All texts were available in the three languages, so I did not
have to translate anything.
Personal evaluation:
This was a rather boring file to work at, no personal input was required. I was glad it took me
just an afternoon to put it together.
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- Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (Appendix 7)
Concept:
An extensive overview of the work of Daniel Barenboim and the Barenboim-Said Foundation
to add to the invitation for the press conference, and which could also be handed out at the
press conference, in an extended version
Briefing:
I received the text about the Israeli composer and his Foundation that was used the previous
year, along with a new text sent to the press officer for BOZAR MUSIC by the Barenboim
management. I was asked to compare the two and to write a synopsis of the events and
activities that had taken place since the last concert of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at
the Centre for Fine Arts. The rest of the press file would be similar to last year‟s, apart of
course from the concert programme. The biography of Daniel Barenboim and the information
about the orchestra was the same as last year.
Working method:
First I read both texts and highlighted the differences. Then I looked up additional information
about the Barenboim-Said Foundation and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra on the
respective websites. After I had done that, I wrote a text on the recent achievements. The
rest of the press file was drawn up accordingly to last year‟s. I was asked to check the Dutch
version and compare it to the French. Images, practical information and contact details were
again mainly copied and pasted, with some small changes.
Personal evaluation:
For the Barenboim press file I got to do additional research and I was asked to write an extra
text. That really made me a contributor to the press file, which was a rewarding feeling. On
top of that, I also helped preparing the press release for the Barenboim press conference, so
I was involved in several aspects of the project.
3.2.2 Press releases
Press releases are arguably the most well-known form of press communication. As mentioned in
2.2.3 press releases are an important feature in media public relations. Because press
conferences should be reserved for the really big events, a press release is a common means of
communicating with the press, or at least of spreading your information. When spreading a press
release, a company is actually asking the press to transfer their information to the public. In 2.2.3
it was also said that press releases are a way of aiming for editorial coverage. That coverage can
be either the announcement of an upcoming event or the review of something that already
happened. A good press release should contain all necessary, but no excessive information.
38
Press releases issued by BOZAR tend to differ from the traditional theory on press releases.
They are usually used to make an announcement, of the new season, of a concert, an exhibition
etc. Sometimes they are an invitation to a press conference, to a press event or to the opening of
an exhibition. They are seldom meant as a ready-made text for the journalists; they are more
background information to the concert, exhibition, performance etc they announce.
BOZAR has developed its own template to compose and send press releases. This
template is not so difficult to use and greatly improves the uniformity of the communication,
making it easy for journalists to recognise the BOZAR logo at once. The template also includes
the contact information for the competent press officer and a hyperlink to the press site, with
images that can be downloaded directly from the site.
As the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra opened the season on the 23 of August, there were not a
lot of press releases to write in the first weeks of my work experience. In total, I wrote three press
releases, but I did the template work on a lot more, for example for most of the press releases for
the “Klarafestival”. All mentioned press releases can be found in the appendix.
- Diamonds from Congo (Appendix 8)
Concept:
A first announcement of the Congo Day, to be organised in October to point out that one of
the bands that will be coming to the Centre for Fine Arts is playing at the “Sfinks Festival”.
Briefing:
I received the little information that was already available for the “Diamonds from Congo”
event. The programmer for world music gave me some links to websites where I could find
additional information. The press release was aimed at journalists going to and/or writing
about the “Sfinks Festival”. It was to be a first announcement of the Congo event, linked to
the concert of “Konono n°1” at the “Sfinks Festival”.
Working method:
I read the information I had received from the world music programmer and then I checked
several websites dedicated to contemporary Congolese music. I also listened to CDs of some
of the featured Congolese music bands. I drew up a first version of the text for the press
release and a chronological overview of the Congo day. Then I sat with the world music
programmer and we looked at my work together. He suggested some changes, which I then
made. I had originally included background information on the artists, but we agreed to save
that information for the press file on world music. I reworked the press releases, the press
officer and the music programmer went over it one more time and then it was sent to the
world music journalists.
39
Personal evaluation:
This was a really rewarding press release to write, because I had to start from scratch and wa
able to follow the process all the way to the actual mailing. The world music programmer was
really helpful and trusting, which gave me confidence.
- Jonge Filmfans / Jeunes fans de Ciné (Appendix 9)
Concept:
A press release announcing the series of films, and at the same time announcing the first film
Briefing:
I received the French version of the press officer TDLC (THEATRE, DANCE, LITERATURE,
CINEMA) and was asked to take care of the Dutch version.
Working method:
Once again, all texts were on the server, so I had to put everything together and compare
with the French version.
Personal evaluation:
Not much of a personal input.
- STUDIO EUROPA (Appendix 10)
Concept:
A presentation of the STUDIOS programme for the europalia.europa exhibition.
Briefing:
From the press officer for EXPO I received a text written by the people of the STUDIOS. As
this was a rather enthusiastic text, written for children and families , I was asked to rewrite it
for the press release. This included adapting the language to an adult reader and including all
sorts of practical information, which I also received from the STUDIOS.
Working method:
I imagined explaining the STUDIOS programme to a friend, and from that point on started to
write the “adult” text for the press release. I tried to make it less promotional, and more
informative, without losing too much of the enthusiasm. After I added the practical
information, the press officer EXPO reread the text and made some changes before sending
it.
Personal evaluation:
This was a challenging press release to write, because the text already existed, but had to be
adapted to another audience. It seemed a straightforward task, but it turned out to be harder
than it looked. Nevertheless, or just because of that, I was pleased with the result.
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I have added all relevant texts, press releases and press files in appendix but only in Dutch,
because the ones in French are identical and because I worked on the Dutch texts.
The press files and the press releases were the main tasks, but there were three more which also
very much fit into the theoretical framework. Updating the database and filing press cuttings were
two jobs to fill empty moments, but their role in the whole of the media communications is not to
be underestimated. Communication and press meetings were held on a weekly basis.
3.2.3 Updating the press database
Every day the press office receives new subscriptions from journalists who want to be added to
the mailing list. At the same time, every time a press release is sent, some mails return with a
non-existing address. One of my tasks was to keep an eye on these incoming messages and to
process the changes. Knowing who the competent journalists are, what they write about and what
information they want to (or should) receive is vital for successful media communications. (cf.
2.2.3) But the data base holds more than just the data of journalists. There are also names of
people who can be asked for advice, or who can provide background information on a certain
subject. As mentioned in 2.2.2, collecting that kind of data is part of the research in the marketing
public relations process.
For the upcoming EXPO events “Melting Ice” and “The Grand Atelier”, I started two new
distribution lists -Environment and History- in order to reach a public that is not the traditional
cultural exhibition public but that would be interested in a different kind of exhibitions. The
meetings I attended with journalists from the RTBF and ARTE Belgique, also fit into this. (cf.
3.2.5) The aim of these meetings was to find out what kind of events the audiovisual media are
interested in covering, and when they would like to receive information, press releases, the year
programme and so on.
3.2.4 Filing press cuttings
Measuring results is part of the final evaluation stage of the media communication process. (cf.
2.2.4) At the Centre for Fine Arts all three indicators -input, output and achievement- are
measured. At the press office it is mainly the output indicators that are considered. A media
monitoring service (Auxipress) collects everything that is published about the Centre for Fine Arts
and BOZAR in both national and international press. All articles and publications are then filed
according to the event about which they report. Input indicators are monitored by the
communication management and mentioned in the Annual Report (BOZAR 2007a: 52-53),
41
achievement indicators are measured through market research, which is carried out by an
external bureau, so they are not a responsibility of the press office.
3.2.5 Meetings
I attended several meetings with the press officers and with the other units in the communication
department. Internal communication is important in any business environment, but when it comes
to promotion and publicity it is absolutely crucial that everyone has a good view on what the
others are working on. This is vital to ensure a uniform and clear communication towards the
public. As pointed out in 2.1.1, services marketing can only be successful if employees are
convinced of the value of what they are trying to sell. The communication meetings are a great
help in achieving this.
A different kind of meeting were the meetings with representatives of the media. I
attended meetings with Philippe Dewolf, the musical programmer of Musiq 3, a French speaking
radio station and with Patrick Paulo, the artistic programmer of the Arte Belgique programme
Cinquante Degrés Nord. These meetings were set up to talk about the major BOZAR events in
the upcoming season and to see how these media could cover them. This was a good way to find
out what information they would like to receive from the press office, and how long in advance. As
pointed out in 2.2.3 media attention can prove to be more effective than advertising, so its
possibilities should be explored to the maximum.
During my time at the BOZAR press office there was one event that demanded extensive
preparation and which encompassed a whole range of communication and public relations
activities. That event was the concert of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel
Barenboim.
3.2.6 Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
On Thursday 23 August 2007, director Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
performed at the Henry Le Boeuf Concert Hall in the Centre for Fine Arts. The day before the
concert, on Wednesday 22 August 2007 there was a press conference with Maestro Barenboim
and some of his musicians, and of the day of the concert there was a rehearsal in the afternoon.
What makes the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra so unique, is that Israeli‟s and Arabs play in it
together. So the concert was not just a musical, but also a political event.
A press release announcing the concert had already been sent out before I started
working at BOZAR. As soon as the press officer MUSIC returned from vacation, we started
42
organising a press conference at Hotel Le Méridien in Brussels. This concert really was one of
the more important events that deserved a press conference. (cf. 2.2.3) We sent out the invitation
two weeks in advance to a very broad audience of journalists specialising in culture, music and
international politics. In the weeks leading up to the press conference we received a number of
requests for interviews with Barenboim from radio, television and newspaper journalists. The day
before the press conference we had a meeting with Barenboim‟s press secretary and we
discussed the requests. She told us what requests could be arranged and also what would not be
possible. We then contacted those journalists who had asked for an interview and told them
whether or not it would be possible. We told them that they could either do their interview after the
press conference (for radio and newspapers/magazines) or after the rehearsal (for television).
None of these interviews could be very long (max. five minutes). Barenboim especially asked for
a press conference to be organised, to avoid too much requests afterwards.
The week before the press conference the press officer MUSIC and I worked on the
press files. I printed and copied them on Wednesday morning. There were 40 copies, 20 in
French and 20 in Dutch. At the press conference on Wednesday at 5pm there were about 30
journalists and photographers present. There were no television crews there because it was too
late to make the evening news. A crew from Télé Bruxelles went to the airport on Wednesday
afternoon and did an interview there. Crews from TV Brussel and VRT came to the rehearsal on
Thursday, which was from 12 to 2 PM. The crews were allowed to film a part of the rehearsal and
afterwards they interviewed Barenboim and some of the musicians. My main contribution in all of
this was as intermediary between Barenboim‟s press secretary, who is German and also speaks
English, and the BOZAR press officer who is French speaking. This allowed me to be involved in
the whole chain of events on Wednesday and Thursday.
3.3 Conclusion
For most of the time I worked on press files and press releases, two main activities at the press
office and crucial in press communication. But some of the regular tasks were just as essential,
like updating the data base, or filing press cuttings. Meetings stressed the importance of both
internal (communication department) and external (media representatives) communication. The
Barenboim event brought the different steps in the press communication process together and
served as a good practice example.
43
4. Professional and personal evaluation of the work experience and
feedback on the MTB-programme
4.1 Professional evaluation
Doing my work experience at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels was a great opportunity. This
federal cultural institution is known throughout the country, and in many neighbouring countries
and its artistic programme and variety are unique in Belgium. On top of that the work experience
took place at the press office, which made it even better, because the MTB-programme had
increased my interest in media relations and journalism.
4.1.1 The company and the department
Working in a big company has a lot of advantages. A first important advantage is that there is
budget for marketing, which is not obvious in the cultural sector. A practical advantage is that the
equipment is up to date (computers, printers, copiers) and there is an IT-helpdesk in-house, so
computer questions or problems can be answered or solved fairly quickly. When you are on the
phone with a potentially interested journalist, the name Centre for Fine Arts and the BOZAR
brand help to speed things up a little, people are more easily interested in what you have to say.
And it works both ways: because you are a big name, you have more to offer to the journalists,
like an extensive press file, press images, perhaps an interview with an artist.
As a federal institution, the Centre for Fine Arts is a bilingual working environment. The
two languages, Dutch and French are really on an equal level. People communicate with each
other and with the outside world in both languages. Of course some people are better in speaking
the other language than others, but that is hardly ever a problem. The policy at the
communication department is that everyone writes in their own language, and native speakers of
the other language translate, or sometimes just check the translation. For me, the intensive use of
French was really useful. After a year of speaking mostly German and English, I could do with
some practice in French.
But of course there is a downside to the large scale as well. It can take quite a long time
before you get hold of the right person to answer your question, and there are a lot of people
involved in the decision-making process. And sometimes there are just so many activities to
promote that you do not know where to start. A down side to the bilingual factor is that sometimes
you get the feeling that there is a lot of double work to do. It is rarely the case that just one person
44
does the follow up on the communication of a certain activity, because all brochures, press
releases, press files etc. have to be issued and followed up in at least two languages, often even
in three.
4.1.2 The job at the press office
Working at the press office of the Centre for Fine Arts is definitely not a regular nine-to-five job.
As one of the press officers said during a particularly busy day: you never know what kind of day
you are going to have when you arrive in the morning. It is a job full of surprises, a lot of things
have to be done short term. Part of this is due to the nature of press communications, part of it is
also due to a certain lack of understanding between the press office and the other people in the
communications department, between the communications department and the planning and
between the communications department and the management. With “lack of understanding” I do
not mean lack of appreciation, because the press officers do get a lot of appreciation for their
hard work and efforts. The problem is sometimes that people in other departments do not look at
the media the way the press officers do. The press officers realise very well that journalists and
reporters have plenty of stories to choose from and to cover every day. Working at the press
office of the Centre for Fine Arts is already a great advantage, because people know the name
and are more willing to read your press release, to come to a press conference or to do an item
on an exhibition. But even then, the cultural offer in Belgium is so enormous and there are only so
many pages or minutes to fill, inevitably some activities will not receive the attention they deserve
(at least according to the artist, or the programmer).
The BOZAR press office is a real team, the three press officers each have their speciality
- MUSIC, EXPO or TDLC - but they help each other out with advice, useful contacts and more. I
really enjoyed working in a (small) team, especially because - as someone with no experience in
the field - I liked to ask their advice, what they thought about it or how they would deal with a
certain problem. I learned a lot from the others, and after a while I was able to work more
independently. What I really appreciated was that they valued my opinion as well.
A characteristic feature of working in a press office is that of lot of work comes with a
deadline. I was not really surprised that I enjoyed working against a (reasonable) deadline,
because I have done that before at university. But I was surprised at the satisfaction of making a
deadline, of having a text or a press file ready on time. That satisfaction is even greater if the next
day you can see the result of your efforts on the news, hear them on the radio or read about in
the papers, as was the case with the Barenboim event.
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4.1.3 What I learned professionally
I acquired some new skills during my work experience and I have improved some skills I already
had. For example I already know the basics of the Microsoft Outlook programme, but now I
learned how to work with the agenda and the contacts database, how to add, adapt or remove
contacts, how to make new mailing lists, update existing and create new ones. Also on the
computer front I learned how to work with the BOZAR templates.
At the start I considered myself reasonably fluent in French, but I soon came to realise
that working in a bilingual environment is quite something else. So I picked up on specialised
vocabulary, but also on a lot of colloquial French. Working against a deadline was not new to me,
but this time my work and my deadline had an influence on other people‟s work. I learned how to
manage my time and how to separate the important and urgent tasks from the less urgent ones.
This urged me to take initiative, to ask people for more information, to call or e-mail them, and to
give them an estimation of the time I would need to complete a task.
Writing a press release and composing a press file was also new to me. Of course I had
written a press release in the Business Communication in English course, but that was quite
different. At the time, the subject was crisis communication, while at the press office there are
press releases being sent out nearly every day. The aim is not to spread „news‟ but to announce
events, performances, concerts, exhibitions, press conferences and so on. So these press
releases had to be written in a different style. I learned how to write in a positive but certainly not
promotional style and I learned how to choose the right mailing lists.
By working closely together with the press officer MUSIC during the Barenboim-event I
learned how to organise a press conference, how to deal with requests from journalists for an
interview or a photo, how to host the ones that come to the press conference, how to try and keep
the timing under control (regarding this, I specifically learned that you are completely dependent
on the artist or speaker at the press conference!).
4.2 Personal evaluation: what I learned about myself
This work experience has been the final round-up of my education. After an exchange year in
Switzerland, this was my last step on the road towards my MTB-degree. The seven weeks at the
Centre for Fine Arts felt like the transition between student and professional life. I had my own
desk and computer, people asked for my opinion, trusted me with important tasks, in short I was
a real member of the press office. But on the other hand I had to write this paper when I came
home in the evening, so that was still very much student life.
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I was grateful that I was given responsibility right away. That gave me confidence and
helped me perform better. It was also a nice surprise to work in an all-women team. Although
there are a lot of prejudices about women working together (they gossip, go behind each other‟s
back) I did not see any of these confirmed. An interesting aspect of working in Brussels is that
French and Dutch speaking people work together all the time. Especially as there were the
negotiations for a new federal government during the summer, that was really enriching. During
my year in Switzerland I realised that I know so little about the French speaking part of the
country, and now was the opportunity to get to know them a little better. Occasionally reading Le
Soir, La Libre Belgique and Le Vif gave me a better insight in the ways the French speaking think
about the Dutch speaking and about Belgium. So I learned a lot about the „other‟ part of the
country.
I learned a thing or two about the way I like to work as well. I enjoyed the contact with the
other people in the office. I realised that it gives me great satisfaction to see immediate results of
my work and that I need a reasonable deadline as motivation.
4.3 Feedback on the MTB-programme
It is not easy for me to give feedback on the MTB-programme and relate it to my work
experience. I did the work experience after a year of study abroad, so my experiences in MTB
were already a year behind me. What I do know is that the French and English business
vocabulary I learned, both in Gent and in Zürich, was very useful at the press office. The
company visits in my first MTB-year have helped me to decide what kind of industry branch I
would like to do the work experience in, as did some of the guest speakers. Of course the team
work, the marketing communication plan and the report writing are all useful and valuable
experiences, since I worked in a team at the press office and had to do a lot of writing. The
courses in MTB, especially Marketing, Bedrijfscommunicatie in de Praktijk and Communicatie- en
Organisatiegedrag provided a useful background to the work at BOZAR. But what I came to
realise most of all, is that, no matter how well prepared and informed you are, you cannot know
what it is like to work in a certain company, until you have actually worked there.
4.4 General conclusion
The Centre for Fine Arts is a federal cultural institution and is well-known throughout the country.
The restructuring and the BOZAR-branding in 2002-2003 caused quite a stir, but this only
strengthened the BOZAR brand. The multidisciplinary character and the cross-over approach
make the Centre for Fine Arts quite unique in Belgium. The Marketing and Communication
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department is a crucial link in the BOZAR chain. As the target audience is immensely broad,
there is need for a wide range of communication tools. The press office deals with a specific
component of the communication strategy: making sure that the media write and talk about the
BOZAR events. The approach varies according to the kind of activity or event.
Marketing of culture and arts is a type of marketing of services. This implies an adapted
communication strategy. Press communication is not as simple as it may seem, you need a
thought-through strategy and a good database to reach the right journalists for an event.
My tasks at the press office were varied, but most of the time went to writing press files
and press releases. I learned a lot about the daily work at the press office and I got the
opportunity to help organising a press conference.
I consider my time at the BOZAR press office as a successful work experience.
Successful in a professional way because I learned a lot, gained some experience and now have
a fairly good idea of what press communication is. But also successful in a personal way,
because I got to know myself in a professional environment, learned what role I like to have in a
team and what work I like to do.
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References
BOZAR
2007a Annual Report 2006. Brussel, Centre for Fine Arts
2007b Un Palais sous Haute Protection. Het Paleis onder Dak. A Palace under a New Roof.
Brussel, Centre for Fine Arts
CAVES, Richard E.
2000 Creative Industries. Contracts between Art and Commerce. Cambridge (Ms.), Harvard
University Press.
DEBRUYNE, Benny
2006 “BOZAR verpakt klassieke kunsten in een trendy merk.” In: BIZZ, november 2006: 21-27
DE PELSMACKER, Patrick, Maggie Geuens & Joeri Van den Bergh
2001 Marketing Communications. Harlow, Pearson Education Limited.
FERRÉE, Hans
1983 Te Koop: Welzijn, Volksgezondheid en Cultuur. Een commerciële kijk op niet-
commerciële marketing, publiciteit en promotion. s.l. Uitgeverij Kluwer.
GYSEN, Leen
2005 De Paleisrevolutie. BOZAR, de geboorte van een cultuurmerk. s.l. , s.n.
HARRIS, Thomas L.
1991 The Marketer’s Guide to Public Relations. How today’s top companies are using the new
PR to gain a competitive edge. New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc.
KOTLER, Philip, Henry Robben & Maggie Geuens
2004 Marketingmanagement: de essentie. s.l. Pearson Education Benelux.
VAN HOOLAND, Bob
2003 Nieuw Publiek Management. Van bestuurskunde tot Copernicus. Gent, Academia
Press.
WEYNS, Reinhilde
2003 Communiceren met pers en media. Brussel, CultuurNet Vlaanderen.
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Appendix: table of contents
Appendix 1: Organisation chart BOZAR………………………………………………………………….I
Appendix 2: Sub-brand logo‟s…………………………………………………………………………….II
Appendix 3: Press file BOZAR Wereldmuziek 2007-2008…………………………………………….III
Appendix 4: Press file BOZAR THEATRE & DANCE 2007-2008……………………………………IV
Appendix 5: Press file BOZAR LITERATURE 2007-2008……………………………………………..V
Appendix 6: Press file EXPO 2007-2008……………………………………………………………….VI
Appendix 7: Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra……………………………VII
Appendix 8: Press release Diamonds from Congo…………………………………………………..VIII
Appendix 9: Press release Jonge Belgische Filmfans………………………………………………...IX
Appendix 10: Press release STUDIO EUROPA………………………………………………………..X