We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
26 Building Theatre Patronage
purchasing a definite article. Consider the department store. Because of certain institutional factors, the purchase of the very same article at the very same price is made at one department store rather than at another. Why? It may be the convenience of location. It may be the method of wrapping. It may be speedy delivery. It may be employees' cheerful service, willingness to oblige, interest in the customer's welfare, patience and thoroughness. It may be any one of a hundred things, all of which are different from the quality and the price of the article purchased. One prominent department store has listed over 1,000 details of operation which influence customers' opinion of the institution.
Other establishments which sell the same products year in and year out appreciate the importance of institutional appeal. It is even more important for the theatre whose product — the program — changes weekly, and in some cases daily. Other establishments can expect return trade to purchase the same article again.
But when the program is changed, the theatre is selling another program, so return trade cannot be expected for the same article. Return trade comes because of the institution.
Regular Patronage.
The theatre that depends entirely upon drop-in trade or transient trade is rare. Such a theatre must rely upon the program alone because regular patrons are not possible. But the great majority of theaters depend upon regular patronage. Regular patrons are the surest guarantee of a theatre's prosperity. The manager who has built up a fixed clientele — regular patrons who can always be counted on — and then by skillful merchandising continues to make new regular patrons while he keeps the old, is headed straight for success. How many of your patrons come because they prefer your theatre as an institution? How many come only when the program is exceptionally good? What can be done at your theatre to increase its institutional appeal?
The manager should strive to make his theatre something that is more than "just a theatre." The theatre, independent of any program, can be attractive and friendly, it can be dis