Shortlisted for Lloyd's A&B Innovation Prize, 2009
The opportunity
The National Theatre (NT) and Accenture developed the original idea of sponsoring Innovation at the NT in November 2005 and undertook a parallel initiative supporting a major new contemporary opera project, Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland with Scottish Opera in January 2008.
Together Accenture and the National Theatre and Scottish Opera are breaking down the physical boundaries of how audiences experience artistic content. Of particular note is the creation of the Big Wall in the NT foyer, a large, touch-sensitive, interactive screen that uses advanced technology to take audiences into the world behind selected productions.
The impact
Accenture’s work backstage at the NT and Scottish Opera derives from a new sponsorship approach - Intelligent Funding; a unique package of resources and financial support that matches sponsorship fees with value-in-kind consulting. As a result, the Accenture team has undertaken a wide range of projects which demonstrate tangible return on investment including enabling online ticket bookings, audience analysis and reducing the environmental impact of IT systems at the NT and creating a brand new website to drive audiences at Scottish Opera.
The sponsorships have generated significant interest including 12,768 unique visitors to the Accenture.com sponsorship page since November 2005, making it the second most viewed page on the Accenture website.
"Our innovative partnerships with the National Theatre and Scottish Opera are deeply embedded in the values of our company. The partnerships are key to driving new business - with extensive client entertaining opportunities at the NT and the Scottish Opera and by allowing us to showcase our cutting edge business and creative technology in a unique way - demonstrating an impressive return on investment."
Terry Corby, Marketing Director, Accenture UK & Ireland