Corporate Heritage Brands and Co-Creation - A Case Study on The Royal Danish Theatre

Sammanfattning: Thesis Purpose: The purpose of this study is to contribute to a further understanding of how managers of heritage brands within the arts and cultural sector can embrace co-creation activities to engage with and attract a broader segment of the market. Methodology: The Royal Danish Theatre serves as a single-case study. It is drawn on data that was generated using a qualitative research approach. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and secondary data was gathered through books, journals and The Royal Danish Theatre’s official website. Theoretical Perspective: The theoretical foundation is based on existing theories of heritage brands, co-creation and branding of arts and cultural institutions. Empirical Data: The empirical data consists of semi-structured interviews with the Marketing Manager at The Royal Danish Theatre, a Theatre Professor from the University of Copenhagen and eight Danish citizens. Conclusion: The findings suggest that being a heritage brand does not delimit organisations from embracing innovative and progressive approaches in order to stay relevant to contemporary consumers. We therefore conclude that as a response to demands in the market, corporate heritage brands within the arts and cultural sector are wise to incorporate co-creation activities in order stay relevant to both existing and potential consumers. It was found that co-creation can be a way of embracing an innovative mindset, and we have presented five guidelines that may assist managers of heritage brands within the arts and cultural sector in embracing co-creation activities to attract and engage with wider audiences.