Customer Education Programs: An Investigation in Italian Opera Theatres and Foundations

Purpose. The aim of this paper is to explore customer education programs (CEPs) in Italy. For this study, the Lyric Opera Theatres and Foundations (LOTFs) industry is chosen as investigation field. Methodology. This study adopts a qualitative approach based on the analysis of textual data gathered from LOTFs’ websites. The population of Italian LOTFs was explored and a final sample of 27 LOTFs presenting CEPs on their websites was selected. The NVivo 10 software supported the data analysis. Findings. The findings show that most CEPs are targeted to young students and teachers and include a variety of activities such as meetings, rehearsals, tours, and laboratories. They are organized mainly from October to April/May, generally in theatres. CEPs pursue cultural, social and educational goals. They present a wide range of prices and use quite traditional learning tools. Practical implications. New potential targets need to be identified, such as older consumers, novice and expert consumers, and tour guides. Educational activities should be customized for different segments in terms of content, time and price. CEPs could be used as a tool to deseasonalise LOTFs demand and to support fund raising initiatives. Finally, Information and Communication Technology could provide new and more effective ways to increase customers’ involvement and interaction. Originality/value. This is one of the very few studies on customer education and customer education programs in the performing arts and in the opera realm. In addition, while several studies about customer education focus on the demand-side, this research takes into account the supply-side perspective.