I have been involved with Marketing for over thirty years and I have now retired from it,I have been thinking about the difficulties associated with this job.What would the applicant be marketing?
Cecil Sharp House has very little parking, it is situated in a part of
London that is only really accessible by Public Transport. It is a run down building with very little facilities. No Restaurant, poor Toilet facilities,no atmosphere a very old fashioned and miserable place to visit. Where once an invitation to Cecil's was something that filled you with excitement it is now a place, mainly poorly attended,with nowhere to even get a sandwich and a bar that is just adequate and sometimes poorly stocked. I understand that there is now a grant obtained to put some of these observations right and I agree that the management are now forward thinking and trying to move forward. Quite honestly there was no more room to move backwards. So what has CS House got to market. It has wonderful dance facilities,I have danced in many a ballroom and the dance floors are as good as you will get anywhere. It's product Folk Music has masses of appeal to Education. Schools should and maybe encouraged to spend days up there learning about, Folk music, dance, song and playing instruments. There are many musicians that would give their time free or just for expenses to help out.With more organised Folk and Dance competitions between schools on these subjects we could create more interest in Folk Music.
With better advertised dances,specialist dances, such as ballroom. Keep fit sessions based on Dance. A proper reintroduction to the Folk Sessions or Sing arounds in the bar led by a known artist and advertised properly ,not just a get together by a few musicians. We then start to have a product to market.
I wish the person every success with this job and to Cecil Sharp House,I for one would love to see this place a fantastic success.
Al