A brush on brands

As cultural economics has become the economics of the 21st century, its multi-dimensional characteristics in developing art and culture have led to infinite discussions. Taiwan, the island of high-tech, has 86% of the area of the Netherlands but the population of Taiwan is 1.38 times the population of the Netherlands . The GDP of Taiwan in 2006 has reached USD 680,500 (€503,570) million and was ranked 16th in the world by The World Factbook . Unfortunately, the government has failed in supporting art and culture Taiwan. “Taiwan is a rich country, but affluence is not the major factor to win international recognition and respect. Without better cultural capital and better support in art and culture, Taiwan is going astray in the future” says Dr. Robin Ruizendaal, a Dutch researcher in Chinese and Taiwanese puppet art . The failure of the government and the shrinking governmental subsidies has emphasized the support from the third sector. As we take a close look at the art and cultural developments in Taiwan, it is not hard to realize the importance of domestic NPO development. The resources behind them should never be neglected. According to the “Directory of 300 Major Foundations in Taiwan”, the total endowment of the foundations in supporting art and culture accounted more than €21.4 million in 2004 (Himalaya, 2005: 217-222). Nevertheless, these corporate foundations have become the crucial strength behind the artistic and cultural industries in Taiwan, especially those established by the high-tech companies, the superstars of domestic industries. This research revealed the operating models among three types of high-tech corporate foundations in their behaviors in supporting domestic art and culture. As the demand of support has increased in developing art and cultural industries, instead of the one-way perspective that “art and culture needs support”, this research proves true another perspective from the other way around that” the businesses need support from art and culture”. As more and more high-tech companies in Taiwan are in favor of sponsoring artistic and cultural events, this also encourages more and more artistic and cultural organizations to try to look for partnership with these high-tech companies and their corporate foundations. The objective of this research intends not just to reveal the benefits to the high-tech industries in Taiwan that sponsorship in art and culture can help to increase corporate brand value. The effects are no less than what they have done in business marketing by spending money in advertising and promotion. Further than that, this research intends to probe into the sponsoring behaviors behind these high-tech business and their corporate foundations and to provide all those art and cultural organizations which are deficient in funds an efficient way to gain more support. This research can provide a better strategic reference to keep the art and cultural performances rolling and going and polish art and culture till it shines.