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A MARKETING PLAN FOR THE OKLAHOMA HISTORY CENTER’S TRAVELING EXHIBITS:

Marketing 6890: Marketing for Non-ProfitsDr. Bobbitt

Summer 2011Kimberly Tucker

kat3n@mtmail.mtsu.edu

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Marketing in museums and non-profit organizations is sorely lacking and research on this topic is also deficient. One museum, the Oklahoma History Center, offers the public and businesses the opportunity to rent traveling exhibits. However, because there is little to no awareness of these exhibits, they are underutilized. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present a condensed review of the small amount literature on this topic and introduce a new marketing plan for the Oklahoma History Center’s traveling exhibits that takes this research into account.

In recent years there has been a trend of museums radically redefining themselves, in terms of their mission, their vision, their goals, and what should constitute a museum. Until the 1970s, museums were collection centered. Their function and purpose was to show the scientific wonders of the world, uplift humanity to a desired perfection, demonstrate national glory, and increase and disperse knowledge. Initially, museums were only for the educated elite. They had no marketing, no target markets, no business oriented mentality. Instead, they had a stubborn, elitist attitude. It was not until the 20th century that museums began to redefine their function and purpose. There was a shift away from collection and display oriented museums to educational programming. It became accepted that education was the primary function of museums. They came to be seen as a public institution, which existed to serve the public good, uplift public morals, and pioneer outreach programs (bringing the museum to the public). This shift and radical redefinition of museums came in the 1960s and 70s when the mentality of elitism was challenged by the Civil Rights, counter-culture, and growth of the middle class. However, the primary reason this revolution occurred is due to government cut backs on funding for cultural institutions. Thus, in order for museums to get more money, they had to bring in new audiences, attract more people, and turn to private sector/sponsors for funding, and focus on education and educating the public. Money was the driving force behind this shift/revolution/redefinition.

Today, museums have begun to pay more attention to underserved, low income, rural communities. They are also opening up their doors and educational efforts to broader audiences. Additionally, museums and non-profit organizations are finally starting to implement and use marketing techniques in order to reach sustainability, bring their mission and vision to the public, and educate the masses. However, more research needs to be conducted and more strategies need to be implemented in order to effectively establish marketing in the museum and non-profit sector.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART 1: Literature Review ...……………...………………………………………………….. 3

PART 2: Situation Analysis …………………………………………………………………….7

1. SWOT Analysis………………………………………………………………………8

PART 3: The Marketing Plan....…………………………………………………………….…10

1. Product: The Traveling Exhibits..….……………………………………………...11 2. New Ideas……………………...…………………………………………………….14 3. Target Markets…………………..………………………………………………….15 4. Promotional Material………………………………………………………………16

APPENDIX A: Target Market Contact Directory…...…………………………………....…17

APPENDIX B: Promotional Letter……………………………………………………….…...18

APPENDIX C: Promotional Brochure……………………………..……………………...….19

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PART 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

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There is a marked deficiency is research concerning marketing and museums/non-profit organizations. This is due to the reality that it was not until the 1980s that marketing was even recognized as an important component of museums’ sustainability. During the 1990s marketing in museums, which “requires careful diagnosis and analysis of current environmental issues, eliminating any possible impact on the public, museum products, and museum resources,” was observed to “help museums arrange products that match the needs of the current market.”1 Still, during the decade, marketing personnel in museum settings “had not been used well and felt isolated” and trends suggested “that museums did not contribute to the adoption of marketing.”2 Even by 2005 some museums were still stubborn in implementing marketing strategies and shifting “their role from static storehouses to providing interactive learning environments for visitors.3 Nevertheless, museum professionals are slowly recognizing that they must enter the marketing realm and implement marketing strategies in order to meet their accountability responsibilities, understand museum visitors/audiences, and withstand industry competition. Also, because museum audiences have shifted from “upper class to every class, museum collections could not focus only on subject matter directed to specific people but had to focus on community-centered institutions.”4

In 1979 Philip Kotler published a pioneering study on the “Strategies for Introducing Marketing into Nonprofit Organizations.” He appreciates the newness and complexity of marketing to museums and other non-profit organizations, and even acknowledges that as “these institution heads are taking their first, tentative steps toward marketing, [they] often confuse it with its advertising and selling subfunctions.”5 In terms of business, “marketing has been the last to arrive on the nonprofit scene.”6 In fact, throughout the 1960s and 70s “marketing was ignored, but as customers and/or resources grew scarce the word ‘marketing’ was heard with increasing frequency, and organizations suddenly discovered marketing or reasonable facsimiles thereof.”7 With this background of the new development of museum and non-profit marketing, Kotler presents a number of strategies for introducing marketing into these third sector organizations: “appointing a marketing committee or task force, hiring an advertising agency or marketing research firm, hiring a marketing consultant, or appointing a marketing director or marketing vice president.”8

With this introduction of non-profit marketing over the past two decades, certain techniques and approaches came to be “recognized as important to non-profits by the academic field; one in particular is especially important – the marketing concept – which advocates an understanding of the customer.”9 Yet, museums and non-profits have been slow and stubborn in harvesting the full potential of marketing tools. In fact, “instead of embracing the marketing concept and beginning

1 Yeh, Jin-Tsann and Chyong-Ling Lin. “Museum Marketing and Strategy: Directors’ Perception and Belief.”The Journal of American Academy of Business, No. 2 (March 2005), 280.2 Ibid., 280.3 Ibid., 279.4 Ibid., 280.5 Kotler, Philip. “Strategies for Introducing Marketing into Nonprofit Organizations.” The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43, No. 1 (Jan., 1979), 37.6 Ibid., 38.7 Ibid., 38.8 Ibid., 37.9 Dolnicar, Sara and Katie Lazarevski. “Marketing in non-profit organizations: an international perspective.” International Marketing Review, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2009), 275-276.

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the marketing process with the customer and investigating what the market actually needs and wants, non-profit organizations have an ‘organization-centered’ marketing mindset and may falsely believe that their product or service is needed by the market.”10 Studies even illustrate a trend of non-profits performing only “one or more marketing functions instead of the adoption of a comprehensive marketing strategy.”11 Yet the spoken importance for non-profits to adopt a market oriented perspective without denying their mission has translated into strategies that include “the identification of customers who are most interested in supporting their mission (market segmentation), ensuring an image is built that is attractive to those people (product positioning), the development of communication messages most attractive to these people (advertising) and communicating with them through channels these people regularly use (place).”12 This has also translated into a drive for non-profits to reorient themselves from an organization-centered mindset to a customer-centered mindset, a mindset that “means the organization places the customer at the centre of everything the organization does,” which is important to “understand the needs of non-profit customers in order to better satisfy these needs.”13

In 1999, as museum marketing is slowly increasing, two articles that focus on marketing planning in museums are published. In order to get more museums to see the importance of marketing to their growth and use effective marketing tools, both Neil Kotler and Thomas H. Aageson emphasize the value of a marketing plan. Kotler argues that because the focus “on visitors as consumers is spreading, and [because] museum officials are seeking better ways to provide consumer value and utilize marketing tools to accomplish their…goals,” museums should, therefore, focus on developing a marketing plan and “conceptual framework that centers on the range of experiences [and assets] museums can offer visitors.”14 Kotler claims that “museums that aim to build a broader audience and develop a consumer focus [should] undertake a process of strategic marketing planning.”15 According to him, this planning process should involve seven steps: “assess the museum’s strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and competitive threats; determine the target segments and audience mix the museum is seeking to reach; determine which needs visitors want to satisfy in their museum visits - needs that may not be satisfied by other cultural and recreational providers and which needs the museum can best respond to, given its resources; design offerings to meet audience needs; determine the museum’s distinctive position in the marketplace and communicate an attractive image accordingly; set goals and means to measure goal achievement; and develop a strategy to reach the goals.”16

Like Kotler, Aageson also emphasizes the importance of a marketing plan for museums, especially those museums that are first venturing into the marketing realm. Aageson acknowledges that “museum marketing is unique because museums have a mission to educate

10 Ibid., 276.11 Ibid., 278.12 Ibid., 277.13 Ibid., 279.14 Kotler, Neil. “Delivering Experience: Marketing the Museum’s Full Range of Assets.” Museum News, (May/June 1999), 1.15 Ibid., 5.16 Ibid., 5.

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the public as well as build audience and revenue.”17 Thus, he argues that “reconciling mission and market is at the heart of effective planning” and a good marketing plan can allow a museum to “build an audience for [their] programs as well as sustain the necessary revenues for delivering the mission in its fullest form.”18 Aageson stresses that an effective museum marketing plan should “target key audience segments, prioritize resources, layout a chronological action plan, create monitoring points, and set up an evaluation process.”19 In order to do this, any marketing plan should be built in five steps: situation analysis, determining market opportunity, setting marketing objectives, strategy and program development, and implementation, monitoring, evaluation. With the marketing plan, Aageson concludes that museums will be able to build an audience, build a marketing campaign, and monitor marketing progress and strategies.

In addition to museum marketing research in the United States, studies have been conducted on the state of marketing in international museums. Even abroad, museum marketing is a new phenomenon. In fact, “the adoption of marketing methods by museums is of recent origin and their applicability to museums is still debated.”20 Even though marketing is slowly becoming an integral museum activity, there is still much debate on whether marketing can help achieve the museum’s mission to “collect, research, display and interpret objects” or compromise it.21 One study, “Museum Marketing Research: From Denial to Discovery,” analyzes “the tension in museums between their object-based focus and their marketing needs” in five New Zealand museums.22 Ruth Rentschler and Eva Reussner focus on “the marketing implications of audience studies” in museums.23 They concluded that visitor research in museums needs to include “psychographic and attitudinal measures,” there should be “an ongoing reassessment of the effectiveness of marketing instruments in use to allow a continuous improvement of marketing strategies and the marketing mix,” and museums should scrutinize “the purpose of their audience research activities and consider that audience research can help them fulfill their cultural and social mandate” because these audience studies are actually “of great value for policy and marketing analysis.”24

Even with all of these findings, museums and other “non-profit organizations are far from having reached the full potential through marketing.”25 Consequently, they could be “slower in accepting the benefits of marketing to achieve their mission and adopting marketing strategies and techniques.”26

17 Aageson, Thomas H. “Market Value: 5 Steps to an Effective Museum Marketing Plan.” Museum News, (July/August 1999), 1.18 Ibid., 1.19 Ibid., 2.20 Rentschler, Ruth and Eva Reussner. “Museum Marketing Research: From Denial to Discovery?” GA02-01, (November 2002), 4.21 Ibid., 3.22 Ibid., 3.23 Ibid., 1.24 Ibid., 21, 22.25 Dolnicar, Sara and Katie Lazarevski. “Marketing in non-profit organizations: an international perspective.” International Marketing Review, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2009), 288.26 Ibid., 288.

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PART 2: SITUATION ANALYSIS

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1. SWOT Analysis:

Internal ExternalStrengths Opportunities

Well developed productProduct components and content can be tailored for people of all ages

Oklahoma History Center expanding their target marketGrowth potentialExpanding product varietyA clean slate to develop good marketing practicesTechnological advancesIncrease in awareness of the importance of marketing in the non-profit world

Weaknesses Threats

Little product varietyNo marketing strategy or practicesProducts are underutilizedLittle to no product promotion or awarenessThe Oklahoma History Center has failed to see their institution as a business

Hard economic timesThe stubborn mentality of the OHC and the non-profit world

An internal analysis of the Oklahoma History Center’s traveling exhibits brings to light their strengths and weaknesses. OHC’s strengths concerning their traveling exhibits center on the product being thoroughly developed and the ability of the product content to be tailored for any type of audience. The content, educational components, visual aids, academic research, and audience are all taken into consideration when the traveling exhibits are being developed and produced. Graphic interpretive panels, easy to read and understand content that can be expanded upon, audio-visual kiosks, videos, images, interviews, and songs are all integral components of the exhibits. This allows the user to tailor the product for to their specific needs, wants, and audience. In addition to these strengths, OHC’s weaknesses must also be taken into account. The exhibit products lack content variety. There are five total traveling exhibits. All of them are either Native American or African American in content. Despite the development of these traveling exhibits as an innovative educational program, they have been underutilized. This is due to the fact that very little, if any, marketing strategy or practice has been put into place. Thus, there is an extreme lack of awareness about these outreach exhibits. The Oklahoma History Center (and museums in general) has neglected marketing techniques and has especially failed to apply them to the education department. They have also failed to see their institution as a business. Instead, their mentality has centered on being an institution for the educated upper-class.

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An external analysis of the Oklahoma History Center reveals their opportunities and threats. Two of OHC’s primary opportunities (which are also opportunities for other museums and non-profit organizations) lie in their ability to expand their target market and their potential growth in the education and business sectors. Also, technological advances, increases in awareness of the importance of marketing in the non-profit world, and hard economic times could lead museums and other non-profit organizations to start applying and taking advantage of marketing techniques and programs. However, OHC and the non-profit world also have several threats that they have to face. These threats include hard economic times and their upper-class mentality. This mentality has caused them to be stubborn about entering the marketing realm and reaching other target markets. The non-profit world’s lack of marketing and slow entrance into the realm could negatively affect their sustainability. Also, hard economic times could prevent businesses from renting these traveling exhibits.

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PART 3: THE MARKETING PLAN

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1. Product: The Traveling Exhibits:

The Oklahoma History Center is an extensive museum, research, and educational center. They offer visitors, organizations, and businesses the opportunity to explore and experience Oklahoma, its inspiring and adventurous past and present. The Oklahoma History Center’s mission is to collect, preserve, and share the history of Oklahoma. The Center’s goals are to educate the public, provide a unique experience, and allow patrons to explore Oklahoma. With education at the core of its vision and reason for being, the learning center maintains five extensive galleries and exhibits, 200 hands-on activities, an outside walking tour and exhibit, an extraordinary research center, a museum store, and a wonderful educational department.

Over the years the Oklahoma History Center has developed five traveling exhibits as another, creative component of their educational vision. As part of their educational outreach programs, these exhibits are designed to bring history to life and to bring the Center’s unique learning experience to the public. The traveling exhibits are a new way to meet the Center’s goals, vision, and mission, and share Oklahoma’s history with people and businesses across the state. This unique educational program is available outside of the museum, at any school, institution, or place of business. They are a creatively fresh way to educate leaders, employees, patrons, and businesses.

Given the current situation of museums underutilizing marketing principles, the first step in rectifying this problem is to understand the contents and benefits of the traveling exhibits. The second step is to identify new ideas for improving the exhibits. Determining the current target markets and potential target markets is the next step. The final step is to develop promotional material that will reach the newly identified target markets, while maintaining the current target markets.

The goal of the Oklahoma History Center is to collect, preserve, and share Oklahoma history. They have developed a unique program to facilitate this sharing of our state's past with businesses, educators, community leaders and members, and the general public across the state.

The Oklahoma History Center now offers the opportunity to rent “traveling exhibits.” These exhibits are three dimensional, full-scale exhibition "packages" containing artifacts, photographic images and interpretive text. Many exhibitions also include cases, freestanding display units, and computer and audiovisual equipment. Each exhibition "package" provides curator and registration information; installation instructions; educational and programming resources; publications.

These traveling exhibits consist of 3 small, $250 graphic exhibits; 1 large $1000 graphic exhibits; and 1 large, $1000 photo exhibit.

The following descriptions allow us to understand the contents and benefits of the traveling exhibits:

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We Are Who We Were:The Oklahoma History Center is proud to present this traveling exhibit based on the permanent American Indian Exhibit in the ONEOK Gallery. Telling the story of Oklahoma Indians through words, images, and voices of the people themselves, the We Are Who We Were traveling exhibit covers many of the permanent gallery’s main topics including: Dwellings, Indian Lives, Languages, Living Ways, Origins, and Spirituality. Two, easy-to-install, three-sided modular islands include 30 high color graphic panels and built in lights. A separate retractable banner stand includes the exhibit title as well as donor information. Two audio-visual kiosks and a 42-inch plasma screen provide an orientation video as well as interviews, songs, and images accessed through interactive touch screens. Each three-sided island measures 93” Height x 139” Width x 125” Depth. Venue should allow approximately 600 square feet for standard configuration. Exhibit travels in 10 separate cases. Rental fee for this exhibit is $1,000.00 in U.S. currency for a one (1) to eight (8) week venue with one week before and after for transport, exhibit set-up, and takedown, which are provided by the OHC staff. Venue is responsible for all transport costs as determined by mileage.

50 Years of Photojournalism at the Daily Oklahoman:Photojournalists have played an important role in the preservation of Oklahoma history. In effect, they often capture the first draft of history as it unfolds. This exhibition offers an overview of photojournalists’ work at the Daily Oklahoman from 1950 to 2000. Through the work of these talented artists, we discover what was important to the public at that time and glimpse the sweep of Oklahoma history through the lenses of their cameras.

Cherokee Nation: A Portrait of a People:This exhibit presents fifty-five portraits of individuals, couples, and families by noted Oklahoma photographer and artist David Fitzgerald. The strikingly clear and visually rich photographs allow the viewer insight into elements in the broad spectrum of Cherokee life in Oklahoma today. Several of the individuals in these portraits are elders who have been named a Living National Treasure/Master Craftsperson. Whether the photographs depict settings associated with traditional practices or contemporary occupations, Fitzgerald’s images convey his respect and affinity for the people who agreed to be represented in this project. His remarkable photography provides a glimpse of a contemporary people tied, each in their own way, to a rich cultural past.

All Black Towns of Oklahoma:Oklahoma’s All-Black towns epitomize the unique African American history of the Sooner State. From the mid-nineteenth century to 1920 African Americans settled more than fifty identifiable towns and communities. Many started as cohesive farming communities that supported businesses, schools, and churches, eventually gaining town status. Shortly after the 1889 Land Run opening the Oklahoma Territory to settlement, black leaders hoped to make the newly opened lands a Mecca for oppressed African Americans throughout the United States. Oklahoma was promoted as the land where African Americans could come for the dream of “self-government.” As many as 50 communities arose where only African Americans lived and governed themselves. Even though “Jim Crow” became the law of the land after statehood, All-Black towns survived and continue to thrive in modern Oklahoma. This exhibit consists of wall-hanging graphic panels with images and text. Each panel covers one town.

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Deep Deuce and Beyond: A Photographic Exhibition Exploring the Architectural Legacy of African Americans on Oklahoma City:This exhibition, featuring the photography of native Oklahoman Ron Tarver, explores the legacy of Deep Deuce through its architecture. From the grand historical edifice of Calvary Baptist Church to the clapboard frame of the Open Hand Mission, the images evoke the essence of the area, and the people who created it. Akin to Harlem of the 1930’s, Deep Deuce spawned such legendary figures as jazz guitarist Charlie Christian, “blues shouter” Jimmy Rushing, and the internationally acclaimed writer, Ralph Ellison. Deep Deuce attracted African-American professionals of every stripe. These doctors, educators, entrepreneurs, and activists came together, creating a critical mass that transformed 2nd Street and the surrounding neighborhood into a thriving corridor of Oklahoma City.

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2. New Ideas:

In terms of what the education department should offer regarding exhibits and outreach programs, they need to provide online exhibits, events, and publishing, podcasts (with or without video), content variety, and online school resource packets.

For the traveling exhibits already in place, the Oklahoma History Center should expand the content and subject matter. The five exhibits are either Native American or African American in content. In order to reach new target markets, the Center should develop exhibits on the history of women, business, medicine, children, and popular culture in the state of Oklahoma. A traveling exhibit centered on the history of medicine would particularly benefit the business and community target market groups. With healthcare a rising industry and the public becoming increasingly interested in medicine and a healthy lifestyle, businesses and community centers would be more likely to rent an exhibit on this topic. To make this medical exhibit more appealing to a variety of target markets, the content should center on how the medical profession has improved, medical practices then vs. now, and helpful tips on improving your health. The components of the exhibit could include videos, books, and testimonies on medical practices of the past, including how surgeries used to be conducted, the emphasis on the humoral theory (the four of humors of the body), major medical breakthroughs, etc. This exhibit could also contain a doctor’s bag full of old medical tools and equipment. Medicine is the science of understanding the simple yet complex biology of the human body. Treatments, therapies, and prevention programs all have come from previous medical failures and successes. Having an exhibit travel to the various healthcare providers will allow doctors, patients, and staff workers to vividly see a portrayal/interpretation of the history of medicine. This illustration of history would enhance the thirst for knowledge of how we got to where we are today.

Another traveling exhibit on the history of women would benefit almost every target market group because women control the spending in most families, women are the primary consumers, and they are entering and controlling the business sector at an increasing rate. The content of this exhibit should tell the story of how the female ideal has evolved from women being called to be perfect mothers and wives and head the private sphere to women slowly gaining powerful positions in politics, academia, religion, and business. While the traditional ideal is still present, it has altered enough for there not to be a stigma surrounding women in the public sphere. The components of this exhibit could include pictures and testimonies of women and their work in the 20th century, women in WWI and WWII, a dress-up basket, key experiences throughout women’s history, etc. Women control the consumer market. Thomas Jefferson even said that it is women who control the household, not men. They are the domestic dominates of the private sphere. Still, the vast majority of women are also emotional shoppers. Developing an exhibit on women’s history would educate and empower women and create an emotional connection with the place of business that displays the exhibit. Essentially, allowing women to emotionally connect with their history would increase the likelihood that they would visit your place of business, entertainment venue, or community center and buy your product.

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3. Target Markets:

The Oklahoma History Center’s current target markets consist of public libraries, community colleges, public schools, community centers, and the general public. However, there are more places across the state of Oklahoma that could benefit from using the Center’s traveling exhibits. The leaders, managers, staff and patrons of convention centers, retirement and veteran centers, businesses, corporations, casinos, hospitals, banks, airports, etc. could all benefit from the educational experience of these traveling exhibits. These newly identified target markets could benefit from using the exhibits because they will create awareness of the business or institution, bring in customers, and foster pride in the state of Oklahoma among patrons and employees alike.

The newly identified target organizations can be arranged into 4 target market groups: educational market, business market, entertainment market, and community market. The product, the traveling exhibits, caters to the consumers, employees, and employers of the target markets. However, the educational, business, entertainment, and community markets all have different consumers. Thus, they also have different characteristics, needs, and benefits. The needs and benefits of these target market groups are mostly different. However, there are some similar overlaps.

The traveling exhibits can benefit each target market in unique yet similar ways. By marketing Oklahoma’s distinctive history to educators, businesses, community centers, and entertainers in the state, the consumers rediscover what makes them uniquely Oklahoman. These exhibit products allow patrons, employers, and staff to see failure and triumph and make an emotional connection to that historical narrative. Applying the difficulties and successes of the past to the present can rejuvenate the spirit and remind consumers to never give up and always stay committed. For example, the All Black Towns traveling exhibit could benefit any organization in each target market group. By learning about and experiencing the accomplishments the people make despite their difficulties, consumers discover how to unite spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually in order to reach a desired outcome. Essentially, the exhibits allow consumers of each target market to have an intellectual and emotional connection to history.

These traveling exhibits also benefit the target markets based on their different and unique needs. The needs of the educational market would center on interactive learning experiences and educational benefits and intellectual, emotional experiences for academics, nonprofessionals, and a variety of age groups. The needs and benefits of the business market are more motivation, teamwork, intellectual, and leadership oriented. The traveling exhibits benefit the entertainment market through interactive components and fun content. For the community market, the needs/benefits are unity and teamwork, a connection with the past, and a variety of age appropriate content and experiences.

Please see Appendix A for a contact directory of old and new target markets.

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4. Promotional Material:

The Oklahoma History Center brings history to life through their traveling exhibits. These exhibits offer an enriching, educational experience for employees and patrons. They are a new and inspiring way to bring customers into any business. They will foster pride in the history and state of Oklahoma and are a great educational tool for employees, as well as customers. These places of business and institutions will provide staff and patrons with the opportunity to experience Oklahoma's inspiring and adventurous past.

As far as marketing is concerned for OHC’s traveling exhibits and the OHC in general, there has been little promotional activity. Generic brochures, pamphlets, mail-outs, and letters have been produced for the traveling exhibits, research library, museum area, education department. Additionally, a few radio announcements and television advertisements aimed at the community and educational sectors and emphasizing the Center’s intellectual variety, Oklahoma history and pride, interactive activities, etc. are the extent of their marketing and promotional pursuits.

In order to create awareness of the underutilized traveling exhibits, some promotional materials were created. The rationale behind the development of these promotional materials is based on what medium would best reach the current and newly identified target markets. Both the introductory letter and brochure can be mailed and/or emailed and sent separately and/or together. These two marketing materials are the best solution because they are realistic, applicable, inexpensive, and take advantage of the technological advances in marketing and the internet. These promotional items are less time consuming and inexpensive to make. They are also easily accessible and readable by the projected audiences. These types of written materials are also easy to tailor for each target market. Once a generic letter and brochure are created, the message of the material can then be tailored to speak specifically to each of the identified target markets: educational market, business market, entertainment market, and community market. For the educational market, the message would be tailored to emphasize the educational benefits of the exhibits and interactive learning experiences. A message that highlights motivation, teamwork, intellect, and leadership would fit the business market. The message for the entertainment market would center on interactive components and fun content. For the community market, the message would be tailored to stress a kinship unity, a connection with the past, and a variety of age appropriate content and experiences.

To view the promotional material, please see Appendix B for the introductory letter and Appendix C for the brochure.

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APPENDIX A: Target Market Contact Directory:

Please see attached document

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APPENDIX B: Promotional Letter:

Please see attached document

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APPENDIX C: Promotional Brochure:

Please see attached document