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WORKING PAPER
Re-Thinking Museums: How to Attract More Visitors, More Oftenby Charlotte Desprat
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Why re-think the museum?
Like most of the arts and culture field, museums typically rely on a blend of local visitors and tourists to sustain their work. While locals are more inclined toward membership or loyalty programs, many ticket sales and gift shop souvenirs go to people from out of town. And for good reason: the permanent collection will always carry a sense of novelty for tourists seeing it for the first time, whereas locals may be more interested in temporary exhibits and one-off events.
But the pandemic fundamentally changed this equation. Gone were the masses of tourists doing the rounds of historic sites and cultural venues. In the wake of travel restrictions, museums were suddenly faced with an audience that primarily consisted of locals. And while temporary exhibits were appealing, they did not rotate often enough to attract the crowds needed to offset the lack of revenue from tourism.
So how do you attract visitors more regularly? For many museums, this was an exceptional challenge. In response, they had to consider exceptional solutions: venturing beyond their core focus, be it art, history or science.
TAKING A LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE ARTS
To understand why some museums decided to attract visitors more frequently by re-thinking what they did, let’s take a look at how companies in other sectors have approached the same challenge.
Building customer loyalty is an age-old desire for firms across the economy. Whether you are a retail bank trying to retain younger customers or a restaurant chain growing its fan base, regular engagement with your audience is a recipe for success.
For some businesses, it’s viable to simply improve the core offering and sell more of it. But many companies realize that the core offering is only a part of their business. When a customer buys a product or service, they are not just making a purchase – they are filling a deeper need.
Like most of the arts and culture field, museums typically rely on a blend of local visitors and tourists to sustain their work. While locals are more inclined toward membership or loyalty programs, many ticket sales and gift shop souvenirs go to people from out of town. And for good reason: the permanent collection will always carry a sense of novelty for tourists seeing it for the first time, whereas locals may be more interested in temporary exhibits and one-off events.
But the pandemic fundamentally changed this equation. Gone were the masses of tourists doing the rounds of historic sites and cultural venues. In the wake of travel restrictions, museums were suddenly faced with an audience that primarily consisted of locals. And while temporary exhibits were appealing, they did not rotate often enough to attract the crowds needed to offset the lack of revenue from tourism.
So how do you attract visitors more regularly? For many museums, this was an exceptional challenge. In response, they had to consider exceptional solutions: venturing beyond their core focus, be it art, history or science.
TAKING A LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE ARTS
To understand why some museums decided to attract visitors more frequently by re-thinking what they did, let’s take a look at how companies in other sectors have approached the same challenge.
Building customer loyalty is an age-old desire for firms across the economy. Whether you are a retail bank trying to retain younger customers or a restaurant chain growing its fan base, regular engagement with your audience is a recipe for success.
For some businesses, it’s viable to simply improve the core offering and sell more of it. But many companies realize that the core offering is only a part of their business. When a customer buys a product or service, they are not just making a purchase – they are filling a deeper need.
INTRODUCING JOBS TO BE DONE
At New Markets, we call these deeper motivations Jobs to be Done – underlying needs that your customer is trying to address by using your product or service.
These needs are often far broader than you might think. For instance, ice cream is not simply a delicious treat for people with a sweet tooth. It can also be used to spend quality time with family or celebrate a festive occasion.
This means that an ice cream truck is competing not only with other sweet treats, but also with movie theaters, amusement parks, a fancy dinner or an outdoor stroll – all different ways for customers to fill these needs.
This Jobs thinking opens up a whole range of possibilities. Suddenly you’re no longer selling ice cream; you’re in the entertainment and celebration business.
CASE STUDY 1: CAPITAL ONE CAFES
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When Capital One was seeking to attract more Millennials to its retail banks, it didn’t think only about innovating on the product side. Instead, the bank wanted to change its customer experience to address one of its customers’ deep needs: manage their money stress-free. So, to reduce the anxiety around finances, the bank went beyond the activities of a regular bank and launched its Capital One Cafes – hangout spaces where customers and non-customers can come to work, sip a coffee, have a pastry, and if they want to, talk to one of the financial coaches on staff. Capital One no longer positioned itself as transactional, in the way other retail banks might – but rather as a partner in the emotional journey of managing one’s finances.
CASE STUDY 2: PAMPERS |
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Pampers knows it’s not simply in the business of selling diapers. It has built a loyal customer base partially by helping both current and soon-to-be parents with their daily routines. In addition to its paid products, it offers several support tools to accompany them throughout the pregnancy and parenting experience – from due date calculators and childbirth education classes to tracking baby 5 Copyright 2021 New Markets Advisors development milestones.
What does this mean for museums?
Of course, museums have also used some of these tactics to connect with their audiences beyond their core collection. In some institutions, for instance, visitors can lounge in a café or restaurant, attend a film screening, and mingle with other visitors.
But these initiatives remain relatively limited in their potential to increase the frequency of visits. For one, casual hangout areas like museum cafés are usually only available after paying for access to the building – which means that visitors must have another reason to go to the museum in the first place. As for film screenings and social mingling, these events usually remain closely tethered to the museum’s core focus (e.g., curator talks, donor gatherings). While they are very compelling ways to attract visitors, they cater to people with an already strong preexisting interest in the museum.
So what more can museums do to draw in visitors on a regular basis? We’ve seen how other sectors approach it, from Pampers joining the parenting journey to Capital One doubling as a chain of hip coffee shops. What might that look like for a museum?
Museums Moving Outside of Their Core Focus: Examples from COVID-19
Many museums took part in pandemic relief. Some became COVID-19 testing sites or food pantries, while others manufactured PPE. As part of these efforts, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Louisville, Kentucky started hosting “learning pods” – groups of 10 students or less, meeting at the museum, with in-person educators at their disposal for assistance while they attended class virtually through their regular school.
The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum is one of Scotland’s most famed visitor attractions. To help combat isolation during the pandemic, the museum went beyond its usual collection of art and historical artifacts to launch Reconnect, a remote learning and community engagement program. In partnership with groups such as Alzheimer Scotland, Home-Start Dundee and Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust, The McManus could engage with the local community by organizing virtual photography classes or digital reminiscence sessions inspired by its collection.
DEEP DIVE: THE FLORIDA MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS
1. Understand FMOPA's Local Audience
As one of the region’s preeminent collections of historic and contemporary photography, FMoPA has enjoyed nationwide recognition and a mix of local, national, and international visitors. The museum’s photography classes, fundraising events, and popular membership program ensured FMoPA maintained regular connections with its audience.
But with the onset of COVID-19 and travel restrictions, FMoPA was eager to focus on its local visitor community and partnered with New Markets to figure out how to best serve them.
2. Identify Visitor Types and Needs
Our survey of local FMoPA visitors revealed 3 distinct audiences, each with their own Jobs to be Done:
3. Design a Tailored Museum Experience
While some visitors like the Arts Enthusiasts could benefit from a wider range of cultural events (e.g., collaborative exhibit design, behind-the-scenes tours), Community Lovers and Novelty Seekers required tactics that went further afield. Some of our ideas included:
Frequently Asked Questions
HOW CAN MY MUSEUM MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT MESSAGE?
Different visitors require different solutions – we saw this with the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. But they don’t need to dilute the overall vision for your museum.
First off, different solutions are not necessarily incompatible – they can even be combined. In the case of FMoPA, organizing festive evening events featuring multimedia displays and entertainment could appeal to all 3 visitor groups alike.
Secondly, diversifying the ways you interact with your audience doesn’t mean you lose your institution’s core focus. As FMoPA tries to serve its community in new ways, it does not lose its identity as a photography museum. In fact, it can introduce even more people to the world of photography.
THERE ARE SO MANY IDEAS ON THE TABLE. HOW DO WE CHOOSE?
Too many ideas – a great problem to have! But you have a limited amount of time, staff, and funding at your disposal, so you must choose wisely. Here are a few factors you should consider when prioritizing which ideas to focus on:
HOW DO WE GET STARTED ?
Innovating outside of your comfort zone is no easy task, so it is critical that you keep in mind the questions you need to answer along the way. While the exact process you go through may vary from one museum’s internal culture to the next, here are some of the tough questions you should consider when you are just starting out:
As you start to surface new ideas for attracting various audience segments, here are additional factors to consider when assessing opportunities:
Closing thoughts
From the first few months of lockdown to ongoing travel restrictions, the pandemic has forced many museums outside of their comfort zone. To survive, they had to redefine what they stood for and how they engaged with the surrounding community – even if it meant stepping into completely new territory. While COVID-19 will soon be behind us, its effects on museums’ relationship with their audiences are here to stay.
What does this mean for museums?
Of course, museums have also used some of these tactics to connect with their audiences beyond their core collection. In some institutions, for instance, visitors can lounge in a café or restaurant, attend a film screening, and mingle with other visitors.
But these initiatives remain relatively limited in their potential to increase the frequency of visits. For one, casual hangout areas like museum cafés are usually only available after paying for access to the building – which means that visitors must have another reason to go to the museum in the first place. As for film screenings and social mingling, these events usually remain closely tethered to the museum’s core focus (e.g., curator talks, donor gatherings). While they are very compelling ways to attract visitors, they cater to people with an already strong preexisting interest in the museum.
So what more can museums do to draw in visitors on a regular basis? We’ve seen how other sectors approach it, from Pampers joining the parenting journey to Capital One doubling as a chain of hip coffee shops. What might that look like for a museum?
Museums Moving Outside of Their Core Focus: Examples from COVID-19
Many museums took part in pandemic relief. Some became COVID-19 testing sites or food pantries, while others manufactured PPE. As part of these efforts, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Louisville, Kentucky started hosting “learning pods” – groups of 10 students or less, meeting at the museum, with in-person educators at their disposal for assistance while they attended class virtually through their regular school.
The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum is one of Scotland’s most famed visitor attractions. To help combat isolation during the pandemic, the museum went beyond its usual collection of art and historical artifacts to launch Reconnect, a remote learning and community engagement program. In partnership with groups such as Alzheimer Scotland, Home-Start Dundee and Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust, The McManus could engage with the local community by organizing virtual photography classes or digital reminiscence sessions inspired by its collection.
DEEP DIVE: THE FLORIDA MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS
1. Understand FMOPA's Local Audience
As one of the region’s preeminent collections of historic and contemporary photography, FMoPA has enjoyed nationwide recognition and a mix of local, national, and international visitors. The museum’s photography classes, fundraising events, and popular membership program ensured FMoPA maintained regular connections with its audience.
But with the onset of COVID-19 and travel restrictions, FMoPA was eager to focus on its local visitor community and partnered with New Markets to figure out how to best serve them.
2. Identify Visitor Types and Needs
Our survey of local FMoPA visitors revealed 3 distinct audiences, each with their own Jobs to be Done:
- Community Lovers: High-frequency visitors who see FMoPA as a source of personal growth and community engagement
- Arts Enthusiasts: Mid-frequency visitors who see FMoPA strictly as a cultural institution, rather than as a social venue
- Novelty Seekers: One-time visitors who want to do something different and exciting, and whose interest in the arts is high-level
3. Design a Tailored Museum Experience
While some visitors like the Arts Enthusiasts could benefit from a wider range of cultural events (e.g., collaborative exhibit design, behind-the-scenes tours), Community Lovers and Novelty Seekers required tactics that went further afield. Some of our ideas included:
- Creating a professional network of local community members to connect over questions / projects related to and beyond photography (e.g., real estate photography and services)
- Enhancing FMoPA’s classes around wedding photography, travel photography, etc. with relevant tips (e.g., links to caterers, venues)
- Organizing thematic events / fairs that allow community members to network within their own community, especially for gig workers and small businesses looking for visibility, as well as retirees wanting to share their experience
Frequently Asked Questions
HOW CAN MY MUSEUM MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT MESSAGE?
Different visitors require different solutions – we saw this with the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. But they don’t need to dilute the overall vision for your museum.
First off, different solutions are not necessarily incompatible – they can even be combined. In the case of FMoPA, organizing festive evening events featuring multimedia displays and entertainment could appeal to all 3 visitor groups alike.
Secondly, diversifying the ways you interact with your audience doesn’t mean you lose your institution’s core focus. As FMoPA tries to serve its community in new ways, it does not lose its identity as a photography museum. In fact, it can introduce even more people to the world of photography.
THERE ARE SO MANY IDEAS ON THE TABLE. HOW DO WE CHOOSE?
Too many ideas – a great problem to have! But you have a limited amount of time, staff, and funding at your disposal, so you must choose wisely. Here are a few factors you should consider when prioritizing which ideas to focus on:
- The museum’s target audience
- The resources required and potential for revenue – both direct and indirect sales, such as advertisement
- The potential to raise awareness about your institution in the process
- The types of risks along the way
HOW DO WE GET STARTED ?
Innovating outside of your comfort zone is no easy task, so it is critical that you keep in mind the questions you need to answer along the way. While the exact process you go through may vary from one museum’s internal culture to the next, here are some of the tough questions you should consider when you are just starting out:
- What deeper needs, or Jobs to be Done, are your visitors trying to accomplish when they visit your museum?
- How prevalent is each Job to be Done? What percentage of your audience has this or that Job?
- Which ideas and criteria are most relevant for which parts of your audience?
As you start to surface new ideas for attracting various audience segments, here are additional factors to consider when assessing opportunities:
- What is the revenue potential of a given idea?
- Based on your audience’s needs and criteria, what resources (e.g., staff, IT, time, funding) are required for a given idea to be successfully executed?
- Would partnerships or outsourcing make sense?
- Is a given idea closely aligned with the museum’s mission and core values?
- How far does an idea stretch the museum’s brand?
Closing thoughts
From the first few months of lockdown to ongoing travel restrictions, the pandemic has forced many museums outside of their comfort zone. To survive, they had to redefine what they stood for and how they engaged with the surrounding community – even if it meant stepping into completely new territory. While COVID-19 will soon be behind us, its effects on museums’ relationship with their audiences are here to stay.
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