Digitalization as a Strategic Tool for the Sustainable Development of Organizations

The paper examines levels of digital transformation in the eleven state puppet theatres in Bulgaria. The study focuses on how these institutions use digital marketing tools such as websites, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, online ticketing, digital archiving and audience analytics. The authors distributed a structured questionnaire among the full population of all state puppet theatres in the country (N=11). Results show that all institutions maintain websites and use Facebook, but the use of other digital tools remains insufficient. Only a limited number of theatres have introduced Instagram, YouTube, online ticketing, hybrid performances and audience analytics in their marketing funnel. Digital technologies are mostly developed for marketing communications and administrative procedures. Other uses such as for audience services, artistic content and data-driven management, are applied to a smaller extent. The main barriers according to respondents are budget limitations, lack of targeted digital strategies, insufficient human resources and limited expert capacity. Authors believe that digital transformation in Bulgarian state puppet theatres is a complex issue at the crossroads of technological advancement, governance styles, staff development and strategic planning in the culture sector. The findings provide sector-specific evidence on the digital readiness of Bulgarian puppet theatres. It also outlines practical recommendations to increase the access to new audiences, to build institutional sustainability and to widen the social impact of Bulgarian cultural sector.