Museum Marketing 101

“In Quest for Excellence: Museums between local and global presence” – Training

Museum Marketing 101

Building a “collections container” is not enough...In any museum: We need to organize its space and functions: only 1/3 of the space should be dedicated to the collections We need to place it, that is: we must determine which visitors it addresses, how it can be reached by them AND how it scores in comparison to other competing facilities in the area

Marketing a museumAlso, we have to remember: We need to bring down a museum marketing process to its different: Steps Timings ResultsLet us examine this a little more in depth…

Factors in Museum MarketingThe 4Ps apply to museum marketing, too:

Product – What and how do I have to show? Price – Only one kind of ticket or more? Promotion – What is my uniqueness AND how do I let people know? Place – How do people reach MY institution?

Strategic Market Planning – in generalIt is a long-term goal, needing feedback & checks:

Mission / vision Situation analysis Market segmentation Promotion Brand definition

12-13 June 2008Tashkent, Uzbekistan

© Alessandro Califano, 2008


Strategic Market Planning – details 1/6 My Mission: What is my GENERAL purpose? Answer: to organize my museum in an efficient and effective way

My Vision: What is my SPECIAL idea? Answer: to built the most important documentation centre about a certain issue / author / style (in the world, in Central Asia, in Uzbekistan, in Tashkent…)

Strategic Market Planning – details 2/6 Situation analysis: The SWOT Model

On the internal level we have: Strengths Weaknesses

On the external level we have: Opportunities Threats

Strategic Market Planning – details 3/6 Mission, Vision & Situation analysis let us define our objectives. They should be SMART: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-related

Strategic Market Planning – details 4/6 Market segmentation: Which is my target market? Visitors and other stakeholders… Government / Agencies Travel Industry Tourists Schools & other Educational Institutions Professional Associations Sponsors …




Strategic Market Planning – details 5/6 Promotion: Advertising? Sure, but there’s much more… Press kits / press releases Public relations (opinion leaders, potential sponsors, etc.) Direct Marketing campaigns Internet ( website & Web2 strategies )

Strategic Market Planning – details 6/6 From identification to relationship: the Museum Brand - a lengthy process Identification: “I know your name!” Meaning: “I know who you are!” Response: “If you do it, I know it’s GOOD!” Relationship (and involvement): “You come see my buddy!”(at this time, however, we are still at the first or second level of the 5-level pyramid of social participation…)

Summing it all up... “Getting a new customer (a museum visitor, but also a good sponsor, or a media contact, etc. …)

is 5 times more difficult than keeping an old one…”

From this point of view, you are facing a big challenge: don’t forget proceeding step by step

In a recent (March/April 2008) issue of the Canadian Museums Association journal, MUSE, a “Marketing How-to” has been proposed. It lists these 10 major points:

1. Accept that:• Marketing is not a dirty word for museums• Marketing is not just advertising• Marketing is not rocket science

2. Do your homework first, and research your project in depth [“…in an age of tight funding, more and more cultural organizations are turning to marketing practices to find a market for them.”]

3. Figure out what you want to do and why. Are you looking for:• Increase revenue?




• Increase visibility?• Increase visitor numbers?• Impress your funding sources?• Gain [institutional] support?

4. Explore your competition and explore potential partnerships

5. Define your target audiences:• Start with your existing audience• Find out as much as you can about this group• Build on tour existing audience• Define criteria for other target audiences, for instance potential interest in program topics,

groups that are easy to reach or approach…

6. Research your target audiences by interviewing key informants. Find out everything you can about:• Key decision-makers• Appropriate program content and length• Appropriate price• Booking schedule• Appropriate promotional material

7. Develop your program(s) based on your research

8. Launch pilot program(s) and get feedback from your test audiences

9. Revise program content and format based on feedback from your test audiences

10. Launch your programs and seek ongoing feedback from [all] your audiences.



Museum Marketing 101

Business

Transcript of Museum Marketing 101