The Museum Brand Footprint

Posted by Rowland Hobbs on January 6 at 8:35 PM Cultural institutions are increasingly turning to architectural talent to define their organization. Seeking to make a footprint that extends beyond the building to the brands local, national and international stature, cultural institutions go through an extensive architectural selection processes. Further, these organizations must go through extesnive development planning and--upon opening the doors to their new home--large public relations, advertising and online communications campaigns. At DMD we’ve noted that many cultural institutions run into communications potholes: misrepresentation of their goals in the media, community resentment of the expansion, lackluster attendance and poor recognition of the new identity after extensive financial outlay spent on communications.

DMD is seeking to understand and identify these communication potholes for cultural institutions going through expansion more fully. We are embarking on an extensive survey of cultural institutions small, medium and large from all areas of the world that have either gone through, or are about to explore, an expansion or relocation project.

There are three ways to get involved--email me directly--if you are in the art world:

1. Fill out the anonymous survey it will take less than ten minutes to complete and you will receive the survey findings.

2. Volunteer for a more complete in-person or phone interview and receive the entire report with survey results, media audit, benchmarking and best practices when it is complete along with the ongoing updates to that report. If you wish to be interviewed, will take less than a half hour of your time.

3. Send us case studies you have seen of great communications campaigns for new museum expansions, challenges they have faced and how they were successfully (or unsuccessfully) resolved. All comments welcome.

Also, keep looking here for updates on our progress. I will be posting what I learn along the way here. Topics: architecture and design, arts and culture, philanthropy        SHARE: