The Role of Marketing in Cultural Institutions in the Context of Assumptions of Sustainable Development Concept—A Polish Case Study

Development of both the marketing and cultural sectors have multi-directional natures, showing relationships with sustainable development that should be considered at various levels of cultural sector management in cultural institutions, at the level of the cultural policy of the state or region, and on the micro-scale. Not only do the natural environment, economy, and technology constitute areas of sustainable development, but also society and culture. The assumptions about sustainable development by cultural institutions are related to implementing marketing concepts in this sphere, in that they are the expression of market orientation (on consumer of culture). The goal of this study was to show that marketing by cultural institutions, as a reflection of their market orientation, translates into these institutions’ implementation of the assumptions of sustainable development. This paper is based on literature studies and the results of empirical and quantitative research that was conducted on a sample of 451 people managing cultural institutions in Poland. The research included general managers, managers, artistic directors, managers of marketing, promotion and sales departments, as well as owners of cultural institutions. Analysis of research results shows that consumers of culture are ranked first as recipients of targeted actions conducted by cultural institutions. An increase in the diversity of cultural offers, including the concept of sustainable development, emerged as a factor stimulating the development of the culture market, being closely related to growth of the quality of cultural offer.