Dear employer, until the end of April we have among us the Cirque du Soleil (CDS) representing his show Alegria. If I remember correctly, was in 2000 I had the opportunity to see one of their shows, Quidam, and I was amazed. Returning this year, I could not repeat unless another of his creations and I found it fantastic. Expectations and not disappoint you, there are so many who have had to extend their stay in Barcelona and has already sold 135,000 tickets, the price of which ranged between 28 and 65 euros, with the majority costing between 55 and 65 euros. Compared to the theater is more expensive but cheaper than the stalls of the Lyceum in representing Standard next July (122.5 euros, the amphitheater is 174 euros).
The CDS is truly a multinational show that in 2007, has six productions around the world (which they call Touring Shows) and seven fixed halls in the U.S. (Resident shows): one in New York, one in Orlando - with Disney - and five in Las Vegas.
A child had gone to the circus, either at festivals or at the Festival in September in Barcelona, and I remember movies circus, old, of which I do not know why, I keep in a memory rather sad and perhaps I have always associated this show to a stale and decadent environment. By ignorance, I'm sure this was wrong but the feeling. But the CDS creates an environment attractive, fascinating, of complicity with the artists, who together with light, music and scenery create a coherent whole. This is another concept of the circus and even someone could say that it is not the circus plays, that there is no there is not allowed, and the only circus that is the type area, the traditional tent . So perhaps this would explain why I find new and strong.
Indeed it is a different concept, have created what the strategy of Insead professors Kim and Mauborgne called an ocean blue (ocean blue), ie, an area where competition is irrelevant because a jump in value for both companies and their customers. Teachers used the term blue ocean versus ocean of red (red ocean), ie, that space "full of blood" because of the struggle of all against all, that is, the traditional space sector. He was a 2004 article in Harvard Business Review for the first time spoke of this idea, among others, their main source of study was the case of CDS, on which the publication had a In 2002 the title Even a clown can do it: Cirque du Soleil recreated live entertainment (even a clown can do this: Cirque du Soleil reinvents the life of the show).
What makes it different from other CDs? For starters, it's a circus and not something else because its founder and current CEO (Guy Laliberté) wants, wants to distract people want to enjoy themselves well and is fun in the form of the traditional circus, and This is the main motivation is there and has since the late seventies, when conceiving the project. However, since in those years the demand for circus down and competition between companies cost costly because it wanted to address through hiring the best artists. The alternative of CDS was bet on the show and not the stars, keeping the fun and excitement of the circus and incorporating it sophistication and artistic richness of the theater. But wanting to be a circus, why did not maintain the traditional activities with animals? Besides being expensive (dressage, food, veterinary, insurance, transport, ...) realized the growing public sensitivity to the treatment of animals and ethical aspects of engarjolament and screening - are Canadians. Consequently, we concentrated on three aspects of the classical circus: clowns, acrobats and performances of the tent. The big difference with the incorporation of the concepts introduced in the theatrical performance - actions follow a story, are not isolated, there is a soundtrack that drives this story is consistent with the lighting and weather, and incorporated dance and dance - but especially in the business model: take the Broadway model, a single umbrella for different productions with different themes and different arguments that allow people to go more often to the circus and so s' increase revenue.
Dear friend, in the end, the CDS is neither circus nor theater but has something of the circus and the theater and get the simultaneous strategic dilemma of differentiation and low cost. At the moment, is in an area without a name and a market without competition. Things innovation.
Joseph Albet
