A presentation by Celia Mead, marketing consultant for various heritage attractions in Bath, including the Holburne Museum (of Art) and the Jane Austen Centre. The presentation looks at the Bath Year of the Museum, a collaborative marketing campaign running during 2011 which sees 17 museums around the City coming together under the umbrella brand of Bath Year of the Museum. The presentation was one of several presentation made at a one day workshop that looked at the issue of museums and tourism. The event, called Working Together, took place at the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth on 8th November 2011 and was organised by The Tourism Company and SAM Ltd. The workshop is part of a broader campaign, funded by Renaissance, to help museums in Hampshire and the Solent to work together to promote themselves to tourists.
I’m Celia Mead, marketing consultant for various heritage attractions in Bath, including the Holburne Museum (of Art) and the Jane Austen Centre and sit on the board of Bath Preservation Trust (4 museums under its umbrella, including no 1 Royal Crescent), Bath Festivals and VisitWiltshire. I spent 15 years as head of marketing in the West for National Trust. I’m going to introduce case study of Bath Year of the Museum and also cover the most successful aspects of the Holburne’s recent marketing campaign for re-opening.
I’ll cover what it is and why, how and the successes and challenges before picking out 3 main lessons or tips What? 17 museums, large, small and tiny. 4m tourists to Bath pa. Targetted both locals residents and tourists. Umbrella brand for both new offers and for existing activities In essence a PR story or marketing ‘peg’ to hang stories on about museums in Bath. Why? Brainchild of Bath Tourism Plus’ then head of Marketing. BTP is the city’s marketing body, DMO. Conceived because 2011 would see the re-opening of Holburne after £11m new extension, £5.5m revamp of Roman Baths and the American Museum’s 50 th year celebrations., which included culmination of 5 year period of investment of 34m in things like new folk art gallery and new education centre
Planning 6 months in advance Meeting of all museums in summer 2010, press day in the November to launch it New activities were: Application of logo to all brochures Display of logo board in visitor receptions Bath in 100 ‘best’ objects in Bath Chronicle each week for a year, culminating in a favourite object voted for (yet to happen) Each museum then featured their objects as part of the visitor experience by using logo next to objects in Museum, and then trail for Heritage Open Week with logo sticker reward YoM and a Museum of the week featured on VisitBath’s home page (website of BTP). TIC display Downloadable audio guide – narrated by curator of Beckford’s Tower, purpose to promote smaller museums Featured in World Heritage Day in April Museums at night in May Posters and postcards of YoM sold through TIC (.5m footfall), also intended to sell thru Museum shops Existing activities were: Featured within stories about YoM (extract from press release) VisitBath publications JAC “We wanted to promote Martin as ‘England’s most photographed Man’ and locally it has worked. His profile is now much higher than it was and we are able to quote the Bath Chron who also say Martin is ’England’s most photographed man’
Bath in 100 objects – used extra stories alongside too
nb TIC say posters and postcards would have sold better if more external images and quirky images
Successes: Widespread coverage in and outside Bath Bath Chronicle Country Life Heritage Magazine American Magazine Independent website Briain Mail on Sunday Museums and Heritage Magazine Daily Telegraph Travel GBI
Why – had been closed for 3 years for £11m extension and full refurb Wanted to move from 30,000 visitors p.a. To 90,000 Achieved it’s old annual target in first 8 weeks of opening How? Budget of £71k across marketing, PR and advertising. Want to share a couple of key lessons learnt, not cover whole campaign. Targetting local market in particular, for repeats, but also tourists
Powerful creative ID for marketing collateral – here is general leaflet – attention grabbing juxtaposition. Distributed by an agency in 30 minute drive time radius. Distributed door to door with distributor who posts local free magazine (high quality) very cheaply £220
What’s On – this creative execution and balloons used on outdoor advertising 12 Phone kiosks – wouldn’t do again, low recognition, stick to 2 weeks 10 bus shelters in city centre – again didn’t show up in evaluation 12 train stations – through partnership, so effective ROI 30 buses on chosen routes – excellent recognition - £5k a month Local car park – very cheap as stayed up 5 months Advertised in press – and big success there was Metro (other places were Guardian, Bath Mag, Bath Life, Folio, Fringe Festival) Advertised in specialist travel – v expensive, low ROI
On left is the family leaflet – targeted separately – distributed through book bags and to houses rather than flats On right is the Neighbour’s postcard competition – purpose to gather email addresses – distributed to 2000 addresses, 5 different categories to enter depending on interest, yielded 100 addresses and high recognition Mention buying the NT members list 21,000 addresses, sent e-shot but only yielded 200 subscribers. Digital strategy – sign up on everything from e-shots, to visitor survey, twitter activity, till systems etc aim to go from 1000 to 5000 in 18 months
Field marketing tried – with a twist, as commercial pitches expensive and limited in city centre (for so-called ‘look walkers’ and sandwich boards). Purpose was to bring people from honeypots on the main drag into the Museum. Bearing in mind that Collecting was theme of special exhibition, hired Actors from the fringe festival to dress as victorian photographers, take people’s pictures with giant butterfly wings in a piece of performance art where crowds gathered (and were handed leaflets), pix were then sent over to museum where Lady Dada (experienced in live interpretation) reproduced them on the window of the new extension, thereby producing a ‘collection of butterfly people’, converting them into visitors from the city centre – over 200 people photographed, estimate attracted around 1000 extra.
Membership scheme designed for younger friends... Programme of artist-led events, film, live music, discussions about contemporary art and culture Made affordable by £10 a month, free entry, also plus one membership to bring a friend free to events
No time to cover PR campaign part in detail which included phased storied of building, hanging and installing but also wrapping museum in giant silk curtain as photo-opportunity (only £800) for re-opening. PR always best for ROI Best things were Outdoor advertising on buses – higher recall than mag advertising, wide reach, both sub-conscious and conscious Field marketing – call to action (directly brought people in), created PR angle and interpretive angle in Museum Email gathering – for future marketing