Marketing cultural, desarrollo de audiencias y sostenibilidad: hacia un nuevo paradigma en la gestión cultural contemporánea

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the evolution of cultural marketing and audience development within artistic and heritage institutions, based on a contemporary theoretical review that integrates interdisciplinary contributions from cultural management, cultural policies, and strategic communication. Specifically, it examines the transition from traditional models—centered on the logic of consumption and the quantitative expansion of audiences—toward emerging approaches that prioritize inclusion, sustainability, equity in access, and the active participation of audiences as co-creators of cultural value.

Furthermore, the study problematizes the structural tensions between the economic dimension of marketing—associated with competitiveness, audience recruitment, and revenue diversification—and the social function of cultural institutions, oriented toward cultural democratization, diversity, and the strengthening of the social fabric. In this regard, it addresses the challenges cultural organizations face in balancing these dimensions within contexts marked by digitalization, globalization, and transformations in cultural consumption habits.

Likewise, innovative marketing and cultural management strategies are identified and analyzed, such as the use of digital technologies, relational and social marketing, advanced audience segmentation, and the design of meaningful cultural experiences. These strategies are examined not only in terms of their operational efficacy but also regarding their impact on the construction of cultural citizenship and the reduction of access gaps.

As a primary contribution, the article presents a comparative table that synthesizes the main theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, and contributions from recent literature, allowing for the visualization of convergences, divergences, and research gaps. This analytical exercise seeks to offer a useful conceptual tool for researchers, cultural managers, and public policy makers interested in strengthening more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable cultural management practices.