Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in culture & heritage. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping culture & heritage
Museums, festivals and heritage sites need to understand visitors, build new audiences and show the value of their work to funders and communities.
- Funders expect evidence of impact
- New audiences need different programming
- Heritage tourism depends on visitor experience
Client background
A performing arts centre, working in Mumbai. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A performing arts centre
- Sector
- Culture & heritage
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Consumer panel, Online surveys, Qualitative research
Client challenge
Membership renewals were falling, and the centre wanted to know why.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: growing membership at a city theatre.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of members.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 5 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 900 members.
- members900
Audiences we typically reach in culture & heritage
VisitorsNon-visitors and new audiencesLocal communitiesArtists and performersFunders and partners
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Mumbai. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Lapsed member survey
- 3Group discussions
- 4Insight
We surveyed current and lapsed members on value, programming and booking experience and ran discussions with frequent attendees.
Consumer panelOnline surveysQualitative research
Sampling strategy
- members
- 900
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Lapsed members felt early booking was the only benefit.
Members renew for belonging, not discounts.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: members renew for belonging, not discounts.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: lapsed members felt early booking was the only benefit.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The centre added member-only events and flexible ticket exchanges.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how can heritage tourism grow?