All That Jazz: How Jazz at Lincoln Center Maximizes Audiences Through Use of the Marketing Mix

Abstract

Jazz has been a beloved genre of music for over a century. Otherwise known as the music industry's wild-card genre, jazz is constantly changing and developing. This paper will focus on the development of the audience for jazz over the years, as well as providing a model for connecting to and building diverse audiences for this still evolving art form in our time. It will act as a case study of the marketing strategies and tactics enabling the continued success of one of the most famous non-profit jazz organizations in the United States, Jazz at Lincoln Center. The research will attempt to address two main questions: How does Jazz at Lincoln Center implement product, place, price, and promotional strategies to maximize its audience and revenue? What insights from this research can be gathered and applied by other entities dedicated to the ongoing stability and development of this American art form? Through the use of the marketing mix (the "4 P's"), Jazz at Lincoln Center has mastered various techniques that have increased their ticket revenue over $3 billion in one annual season, considering it one of the most successful performing arts organizations in the country.