Market Analysis

Court Square Theater is a non-profit compact venue located in the heart of downtown
Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is a program of the Arts Council of the Valley, a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization funded in part by The National Endowment for the Arts, The Virginia Commission
for the Arts, and the City of Harrisonburg. Established in 1998, Court Square Theater (originally
called The Rockingham Theater) has been providing the community with a diverse range of
programs such as live music, live performances, drag shows, comedy shows and showings of
second run films. The theater’s mission is to bring the community access to a wide range of arts
and cultural events, while simultaneously supporting local artists and performers. Court Square
Theater’s facilities include a 250-seat auditorium, dressing rooms, and sound/lighting equipment.
The theater is equipped to host a wide range of events however, with only one auditorium they
are limited to one event at a time. In addition, Court Square Theater strives to focus on
community engagement by partnering with local businesses and organizations.
Harrisonburg is a growing city located in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. It
has a population of around 52,000 people, with a median age of 25.8 years old. The city is home
to James Madison University, a public research university founded in 1908. James Madison
University has a student population of around 21,000 and around 3,000 faculty and staff
members. The city of Harrisonburg had a growth rate of 1.12% from 2020 to 2022 and is
expected to continue to grow at a rate of 0.55% in the next year. In addition, Harrisonburg and
surrounding areas are known for their strong arts and cultural scene, with a wide variety of
museums, galleries, and theaters scattered across the region. The city’s growing population
accompanied by its strong cultural scene creates opportunities for Court Square Theater to
continue to expand its business and flourish as an organization.
Court Square Theater’s customer base is diverse, ranging from local residents to visitors
from surrounding areas of all ages. The theater’s central location in downtown Harrisonburg
makes it accessible for all consumers located throughout the Shenandoah Valley. The majority of
Court Square Theater’s customer base comes from ages 35 and up. However, due to their diverse
range of programming that appeals to a wide range of interests and age groups they also attract
families, young professionals, and retirees. In addition, Court Square Theater’s focus on
community engagement and supporting local performers, they also attract customers who are
aligned on this effort. This customer segment is often interested in attending those events that

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showcase local talent. A large segment that Court Square Theater has not engaged with much is
the college age population of Harrisonburg, VA. In order to gain more attention and awareness
from the college students in the surrounding area, Court Square Theater must be aware of their
consumer characteristics. College students tend to be more tech savvy and digitally connected,
spending a majority of their time online and on different social media platforms. CST can use
this to their advantage by updating their social media presence and creating more entertaining
and interactive content that caters toward the average college student. In addition to this, college
students are much more active and social than the older demographic that Court Square Theater
has been attracting. They normally participate in a wider variety of extracurricular activities and
events. Court Square Theater can take advantage of this by offering events that are catered more
towards the younger demographic to engage the segment of college students.
In terms of live performances, Court Square Theater faces competition from other
entertainment venues in downtown Harrisonburg, including Golden Pony, The Forbes Center for
the Performing Arts, and Clementine Cafe. The Forbes Center is located on the campus of James
Madison University and is a major competitor of CST for live performances. It has 2 theaters and
a 1,200-seat concert hall, and hosts a variety of events. Due to its location and oftentimes student
discounts, The Forbes Center excels at attracting the college age demographic. Regarding film
screenings, Court Square Theater’s largest competitor is the Regal Cinema located in
Harrisonburg, VA. This multi-screen cinema is a popular brand name which gives it an
advantage for mainstream movie releases over CST. Each of these venues caters to a slightly
different audience, and Court Square Theater can maintain a unique position as the only non-
profit, community-based events venue in the area. By focusing on its different strengths, such as
its historic location, a wide variety of programming, and community engagement, Court Square
Theater can continue to attract customers and stand out in a competitive market.

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Current Strategy Analysis
Court Square Theater has implemented several different marketing techniques in its past
including various forms of advertising, email marketing and social media marketing. Their
website consists of colorful, bright images that showcase the livelihood of each event. Each flier
gives a small description of what to expect when traveling to the show, which gives the viewer
an insight as to what to expect. This is one way that the theater aims to appeal to the perception
principle. Each individual post and/or picture related to Court Square Theater plays a key role in
how consumers interpret information and decide if they are interested enough to take action.
The theater uses a variety of promotional materials including visuals and descriptions to
capture the attention of the target audience and highlight the key features and benefits of their
shows. The different strategies that they have implemented attract many different segments as
the theater hosts a variety of entertainment, from various types of live music to drag queen shows
and comedy skits. When discussing the interest level of each show among the individuals in the
focus groups, the majority of them expressed interest in one or two main categories but
ultimately were not interested in everything that was offered. This is very important to note as it
is crucial to understand what sparks the interest of the target audience and how they can apply
that to their marketing efforts.
Court Square Theater’s exposure among the community is either hit or miss meaning a
participant either knows much about the location and has traveled there several times, or has
never even heard of them. Recently, their exposure has increased due to word of mouth
marketing efforts and an increase of popularity on their social media page. Their marketing mix
does grab the attention and interest of consumers, however, many do not follow through and take
the next steps of actually taking action. Their marketing mix could be interpreted by consumers
as having affordable pricing while offering unique, various shows of entertainment. Their
promotional efforts are becoming more successful due to their increasing presence on social
media and weekly newsletter with announcements of upcoming events. Their location is decent
as it is surrounded by various bars and restaurants, however, the theater does not stand out and
due to property restrictions, they are not allowed to make a big change on its outside appearance.
The various shows that they host influence the audience in several ways including
emotional engagement, novelty and surprise, social learning and multisensory experiences. The
events at Court Square Theater are designed to elicit emotional responses which makes the

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audience more likely to remember the show that they attended and have the ability to vividly
reimagine their experience. There is also a social aspect of each show as they all provide
opportunities for social learning through their performances. For example, individuals who
attended might have learned of a funny joke or new idea that they incorporate into their daily
life. The different senses that the viewer will experience during the show will allow them to
process the information deeper and be more likely to recall them. This will help form the
association of Court Square Theater being a form of entertainment that encompasses diversity
and inclusivity, showcases the culture and arts and gives a sense of community among the people
in Harrisonburg.
Court Square Theater’s marketing mix highlights several consumption motives including
hedonic, functional, emotional and social motives. Attendees have a functional motive with the
desire to experience live music and enjoy comedy shows that goes along with an emotional
response which could make them feel more connected to others around them or even the
performers in the show. The social setting of each show drives consumers to engage in a social
environment and even join a new group of friends whom they did not consider before. Attendees
also have the hedonic motive to travel to shows to just be a part of a pleasurable experience.
Sometimes people like to partake in different activities to help relieve stress from daily life and
participate in a new, exciting activity. The motivational conflict most associated with this theater
would likely be the approach-approach model. The various shows and times they have typically
fit in with peoples schedule, however, the ultimate issue is deciding on whether or not to go to
Court Square Theater or do another activity like to go to a local bar or restaurant. The specific
emotions that they appeal to are excitement, amusement, happiness, and inspiration. By aiming
to elicit these responses out of consumers, it will leave them in a state feeling alive and happy
that will encourage them to become repeat customers and share their experiences with others.
The marketing mix influences the attitudes of people to build a sense of community by
supporting local events, encouraging social change, challenging stereotypes and trying new
things. Court Square Theater exhibits values and self concepts through producing authentic
shows and hosting performances aimed at promoting messages involving acceptance and
tolerance among the public. A few ways that Court Square Theater can improve in areas where
they are not as successful include addressing their low conversion rates and understanding why
they wern;t able to draw in a customer, for example, they could look into starting a campaign to

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encourage new users to come out. They could also improve the visibility of their location by
adding more visuals outside and even creating a new sign. They are restricted due to property
guidelines, however, they must attempt to grab the attention of more bystanders. Another area
that they could improve on is targeting the right audience. Although they have a variety of show
types, they could specifically tailor their newsletters and emails to individuals who request for
specific news. By dividing up their segment market, they will be able to grab the attention of
more individuals specifically looking for that type of entertainment.

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Focus Groups
Two focus groups were conducted to gain further insight from students about Court
Square Theater. Both focus groups contained four to five current JMU students who were
currently friends with at least one member of this group. The same moderator was used for both
focus groups, as that person was deemed most capable of making everyone comfortable enough
to speak. Participants of both focus groups were asked the same set of questions, with slight
variation from time to time. Please see Appendix 1 to see further detail about questions asked.
Participants were encouraged to answer honestly, to add on to other participants' statements in
order to create more engaging conversation and provide greater insight to their thoughts and
knowledge of Court Square Theater.
The focus group began with an ice breaker to spark conversation and read the general
energy of the room. After, behavioral questions were used to discover more about the
personalities and preferences of the group. The overarching similarity was that students enjoy
spending their money on nights out, and food the most. After listing downtown locations no one
knew where Court Square Theater was, this lends to the lack of visibility that Court Square
Theater struggles with. For consumers, CST’s exposure deficit and the minimal frequency that
CST is providing reveals a large reason people don’t know about them. Additionally, the groups
agreed that the second run movies are not something that they are interested in attending. This
may be because they associate these types of movies with an older generation. This could
prevent students from consuming because they do not feel a connection with this service. The
participants did agree that comedy shows and live music from local artists would interest them,
and drag shows were split. If CST wanted to build new schemas for college students to
reposition, they could emphasize the show and live performance aspect of the theater to increase
attendance, and utilize drink and food deals with places that already have a strong link to the
student population.
The participants were asked to evaluate CST’s instagram which participants said they use
often. After being given time to browse the participants were asked to give feedback on the page.
The lack of a consistent brand image and lack of overall content there was an impression of
apathy from the group. The participants couldn’t process the information because of absence of
breath in the feed and the sporadic and varied nature of their posts, this left the participants
overwhelmed and under informed. They didn’t reach the attention stage due to lack of interest

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and selective exposure. The participants said they would be more likely to go to the theater if
CST had more attention grabbing and consistent social media presence, and if they provided
more college age appropriate events, possibly partnered with local bands and popular restaurants.

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Strategic Strengths and Weaknesses
Court Square Theater currently appeals to a niche audience. As a smaller theater, they
create a more intimate experience for movie and show goers. Court Square Theater appeals to
emotions like joy and curiosity and can capitalize on these appeals to motivate people to attend
more events. Generally, people who go to Court Square Theater and attend shows there are
satisfied with their experience. They have an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor
(Tripadvisor, 2023).
Court Square Theater also excels with how adaptable it is. They can show movies as
well as live performances in their theater. They have also branched out to include a variety of
types of shows. They have drag performances, stand-up comedy, jazz, and other types of
musical performances as well. This helps them to appeal to a wider audience with a wider
variety of tastes and interests. Additionally, one of their main specialties is showing second-run
films. This is cheaper than showing current films and allows them to be more flexible with
scheduling and make a greater profit. They also typically show indie films that have been
nominated for awards. This can draw in crowds that otherwise may have not known about or
been interested in the films showcased.
Court Square Theater has a few key strategic weaknesses. Unfortunately, the theater is
not clearly visible from the street which decreases people’s exposure to it by driving by. There is
a general lack of awareness of its existence by community members, especially college students
at James Madison University. This is a large potential market for the theater, that would be
interested in some of their events if they knew about them. Court Square Theater also has a
limited amount of concessions and drinks available. This may discourage people from choosing
to see a movie there instead of a larger theater with more concessions, or going out to a
restaurant in downtown Harrisonburg that has both entertainment and food and drinks.
Court Square Theater has multiple social media accounts, including Instagram, Facebook,
and TikTok which is great for reaching multiple audiences. However, one weakness is that their
Instagram feed is not very curated. They have many posts that repeat or are not as attention-
grabbing. Their posters are very well-made, and using Instagram to feature those and utilizing
stories as reminder posts would be helpful in making their account more appealing for people to
follow. Additionally, they do follow TikTok trends and interviewing performers, which is
another great strength in their social media feed.

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Recommendations
Court Square Theater has great potential to become a very popular spot, especially among
college students in Harrisonburg. They currently utilize posters and social media to advertise
their events and shows. This is a great tactic they should continue. To improve the attention-
grabbing appeal of their posters, they could utilize simple and modern designs to catch people’s
attention. They could also hang posters around downtown Harrisonburg or on JMU’s campus to
increase exposure.
Another way Court Square Theater could increase awareness is by teaming up with other
local businesses in downtown Harrisonburg. This will help to create a new schema linking Court
Square Theater to entertainment in downtown Harrisonburg in the minds of consumers. One
way they could do this is by hosting an 18+ student night where they partner with a restaurant or
brewery in downtown Harrisonburg. This way students can get food or drinks with a discount
and then head over to Court Square Theater to see a show, where their ticket would also be
discounted. This would help make people more aware of Court Square Theater’s offerings, and
position them where they are an option for students looking for a place to go out to on the
weekends.
One event that Court Square Theater could expand upon is their Living Room Series.
Most members of the first Focus Group (see Appendix 1) said that this would be an event that
they would attend. This could be a great place to feature local bands that students love, or bring
in a smaller, but fairly well-known, touring artist. Harrisonburg has a very lively DIY music
scene that many students are involved in. Court Square Theater used to be a venue for the
Macrock music festival, which would increase this audience’s awareness of the theater. By
featuring local DIY artists, they could once again increase awareness in a large student
community.
Court Square Theater has multiple social media accounts, but they could be better utilized
to increase people’s memory and liking of it. It is important to emphasize when events are
upcoming, but currently, they usually post the same pictures repeatedly. On Instagram, they
could better utilize the stories function to post about events when they are coming soon. By
making repeat reminders of what is coming up, they can use iconic rote learning to make sure
customers remember what is going on at Court Square. Furthermore, they can use the concept of
vicarious learning by filming TikToks and Instagram reels about customers’ experiences at the

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theater. They can also use the “POV” trend on TikTok to emphasize the positive experiences
customers can have there. This could also be a great opportunity to partner with or sponsor a
local influencer to post about their experiences going to Court Square Theater and to encourage
their followers to go as well.
Overall, Court Square Theater has a lot of potential to be a favorite spot in downtown
Harrisonburg. Their biggest challenge is getting the word out about their events and increasing
their exposure so that more people know about it. By hosting events that appeal to the student
audience and using their social media more effectively, Court Square Theater can tap into the
large student population in Harrisonburg and increase their sales over the next few years.

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Appendix 1: Outline of Focus Group
Focus Group Outline
Group 5

Primary Research Objectives:

1. Determine participants current media or entertainment consumption
2. Determine what makes participants go somewhere to see a movie/show
3. Determine perceptions of Court Square Theater’s current advertising activities
4. Ask for participants suggestions for Court Square Theater’s future advertising activities

Plan Details
First Focus Group: every member except moderator brings 1 friend
Moderator: Alex Hazard
Participants:
1. Onyx Bennett
2. Ella Miano
3. Ben Graves
4. William “Bucky” Buckwalter
5. Alyssa Rae Hoffman
Second Focus Group: every member except moderator brings 1 friend
Moderator: Alex Hazard
1. Andy Nguyen
2. Bryce Kelso
3. Mahek Desai
4. Matt Dunda

Date/Time/Location
First Focus Group: Monday, April 17th, 2023 at 12:30pm. Location: COB Building
Second Focus Group: Monday, April 24th, 2023 at 12:30pm. Location: COB Building

Order of Questions:

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Ice breaker:
What is your name, hometown, year in school, and major/minors?
What was your highlight of the week?
General behavior:
Do you have any hobbies? (playing music, going to the gym, etc.)
What do you find yourself doing on the weekends?
How do you use your discretionary income? (restaurants, concerts, movies, etc.)
What social media do you typically use?
Entertainment behavior:
What’s your preferred type of media entertainment? (music, movies, TV, books, podcasts)
Do you prefer watching movies at home or in theaters?
If you are going to a performance, what type would you prefer? (comedy, music, live theater)
Movies / Live theater behavior:
What do you value most about your moviegoing experience?
Do you prefer a big theater or small theater?
What type of movies do you prefer? (genre, indie vs major studio)
Court Square Theater Specific:
(List places downtown, ask them to raise their hand if they’ve heard of it, then ask to keep hand
raised if they’ve been there)
How would you rate your experiences at the places you’ve been to, and why?
Do you follow any of them on social media? If so, why?
(if they list Capital Ale House or another location near Court Square Theater) what other
businesses do you remember being in/near that building? Did you know that there is a theater
there?

Court Square Theater is a local theater located in downtown Harrisonburg that shows indie

and second-run films, as well as live performances in a variety of genres including comedy,

music, theater, and drag shows. → would you be interested in checking out a place like this?

Why or why not?

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Describe their different events (drag shows, comedy, live music, movies)... out of these events
which would you most likely attend?
- Explain in as much detail as possible the kind of person who would attend a jazz music
concert
- Explain in as much detail as possible the kind of person who would attend a comedy
show
- Explain in as much detail as possible the kind of person who would attend a drag show

Show CST’s social media (Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram).

- Any critiques?
- What post caught your eye?
- What would bring you to follow these accounts?
- What kind of posts that you see here would you most enjoy looking at?
Do you have any ideas on how CST can improve their social media reach/influence?
Describe our idea of student night (18+). Would this be something that you would be interested
in attending?
Describe the living room series. Would this be something that interests you? What type of artists
would you most enjoy seeing during this?

What do you remember about their social media? Any dates, images, shows, events?
After hearing our ideas today, what else would you suggest to encourage people to go to Court
Square Theater?

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Appendix 2: Transcript of Focus Group
46:03-49:02 - Focus Group 1
We also have the idea for an 18 plus student night just for college students to come in. Um, we
could even do a voting, like a live voting on Instagram to see, um, what event it's gonna be. If it's
gonna be like a movie, like super bad.

If it's gonna be a comedy show with a really raunchy comedian, um, have like a meal deal with
Jack Browns or something, or a local brewery. Get people a little lit and then. Go to the actual
event in downtown that you can walk to, um, and like just have it kind of be a party where like
people are actually able to go and enjoy the space.

Um, how do you guys feel about that? That would be fantastic. I think that that'd be first hood. I
think one thing you could do, um, is also find a way to like, involve jmu maybe. That way they
can either share the, um, poll cuz I don't think a lot of people. Okay. Yeah, so JMU get it
connected to something that a lot more people follow, like on campus J.

Cause I don't think a lot of people follow Court Square that are Yeah, I, that's, that only works if
JMU was like a, this is a community event you can do, but making it clear that they're not like
involved because I think that would turn people off as like, oh, it's a school event. Like that's
gonna be late.

So maybe have, I just know that JMU posts a lot of events that people like can go to and stuff
like, I think Tim Miller posts a lot of stuff around the area where like, Um, jmu, uh, activity or
like events and stuff. Mm-hmm. They share anything going around. So maybe just not, not
involving JMU directly, but having people or like accounts that people do already follow with
jmu.

Have it promoted. Yeah. Something like that. Okay. That's awesome. Um, we also have a living
room series idea. You know, how like NPR does, like the tiny desk and um, has it a more
intimate thing with like, people that people know or maybe like a little more up and coming artist
that. People are, um, getting like an ear for, so we were thinking about like reaching out to either

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local up and coming artists or have, um, maybe because it's a little smaller, a venue, um, a
smaller artist, but like a well-known artist, um, come in and perform in like a more intimate
setting.

How do you, would you guys find yourself going to something like that? Yeah. Um. Since I'm, I
know a lot of people in the DIY scene and a lot of the local bands, people would go absolutely
nuts. So for something like that, awesome. That's, I mean, that's great to hear. Anyone else have
feedback on that? I think it sounds like a good idea.

Yeah, I know. I mean, cuz okay, so Crayola, I've heard about it. Um, I've heard that they have a
great bands downstairs. I know that there's like a doghouse, the band and. Another one. Um, and
there's like a bunch of local bands that actually have a lot of traction with students that they
know. And like I call my one that's really popular and they're currently releasing music.

Yeah, I love that. So, and there's a bunch of acapella groups. So you guys would find yourself
interested in going into that? Awesome people. I just have to kind of know, like I would feel like
I'd need to know the person or like it's definitely people who know the band will go, yeah. Okay.
Yeah. Um, alright, so that concludes like the ideas I'm talking about logos.

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 Works Cited

Tripadvisor. (2023). Court Square Theater (Harrisonburg) - all you need to know before you go.
Tripadvisor. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g57809-d4404250-Reviews-
Court_Square_Theater-Harrisonburg_Virginia.html

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