IP Development Strategies for Chinese Theaters in the Context of the Creative Industries

Abstract

Strong market demand and ever-advancing technology have been promoting mass culture and changing ways of distribution and consumption of entertainment contents. However, the increased availability of diversified entertainment platforms adversely impacted people's enthusiasm for theater, which led to a decrease in the participation of theater audiences. The theater industry is advised to break out of the inherent limitations of the original model and move in the direction of an intellectual property (IP)-based developmental model on an industrial scale, integrating with multi-format communication and distribution channels. Based on the consensus reached in previous studies, this study was able to derive a definition of theater IP in the context of creative industries from the general point of view and the context of the Internet. In addition, the research employs the Chinese theater company Mahua FunAge as an example to explores the evolution of its ecosystem. Furthermore, the study employs critical analysis aims to provide recommendations for Chinese theater and its IP development. In general, the research provided an important opportunity to advance the understanding of theater IP. The wider goal is to promote effective marketization and commercialization processes on an industrial scale in the theater industry.