The Metropolitan Opera as a leading producer of opera : the strategy of creating a Met brand

Bibliogr. s. 68. Abstr. w j. ang.

The aim of an article is to show a strategy of creating brand by Metropolitan Opera according to the theory of global culture industry by Scott Lash and Ceila Lury. The main process which plays a significant role in this strategy is a medialisation of the opera, which provides constant update of this genre and helps it to adapt its form for a contemporary consumer. This strategy changes the relation between product and its recipient on several levels and makes an opera a new, fresh and modern music genre, as well as a theatrical and cinematic experience. Expansive Met brand transforms the operatic industry and introduces numerous innovations as Live in HD, iPod applications, Met on Demand, a brand of a singer etc. There’s also a significant aura around this brand, which imposes a form of thinking and causes certain expectations in relation to the consumer goods made by Met. According to the Roland Barthes’ theory of modern myth, the perception of this brand depends also on its history, memory and tradition, as well as being created by the identity itself. Thanks to the innovations and the nature of the event, an access to the opera nowadays is much easier and becomes a sign of a modern era.