Branding the Visitor Experience Philadelphia Visitor Experience Conference October 12, 2015 Alisa Martin Vice Director, Brand Management and Visitor Services Burtynsky Show January 16, 2019

CELEBRATE THE ATHLETE IN ALL OF US EXCITING THE LEARNING IN EVERYONE EXPECT MORE, PAY LESS THINK AGAIN, LOOK AGAIN Too often, when organizations think of branding, or rebranding, they are referring to a logo, a slogan – the outside view. But if they stop there, or start there, the job is only half done. CELEBRATE THE ATHLETE IN ALL OF US EXCITING THE LEARNING IN EVERYONE

BRAND = PROMISE Your brand is the promise you make to deliver a unique experience to your visitors. It’s what people say about you when you aren’t in the room. During our time together this morning, we’re going to roll up our sleeves, look under the hood if you will, and share ideas to make sure our brands are sustainable, meaningful, and not just window dressing. So let’s take a look at key elements toward building strong brands that resonate with our visitors.

Branding the Visitor Experience Make sure the right people are at the table. Know your audience. Recognize your unique qualities and the experience you provide. Engage and grow your audience. Acknowledge trade-offs. Exercise patience. And understand that truly getting this right takes a while – as in, FOREVER. We’re always learning, there is always the opportunity to get better, to reinforce best practices. So let’s drill down deeper into each of these components.

Who are the decision-makers? Consider organization structure Promote strategic focus Manage complete cycle of the product or service Include frontline staff A good source if you’d like more information here is David Aaker’s Aaker on Branding – 20 Principles That Drive Success. And it is essential that someone representing the perspective of the frontline staff have a place at the decision-making table.

Visitor Motivations - John Falk & Lynn Dierking Explorer Facilitator Experience Seeker Professional/Hobbyist Recharger Respectful Pilgrims Affinity Seekers Reasons people give for visiting museums and their post-visit descriptions of the experience have tended to cluster in these basic categories:

Your audience is motivated by many factors, and they have options Your audience is motivated by many factors, and they have options. What is your Mona Lisa? (And yes, I was an experience seeker last spring, snapping a picture with my phone.)

What makes you so special? SWOT Analysis against competitors What are you doing that your competition thinks is impossible? Unique brand experience You provide the clues or signals. Your audience always has an experience. Every exchange your audience has with you is part of the brand experience. The intended as well as the unintended.

Effective Practices for Building Arts Audiences - Bob Harlow The Wallace Foundation published a wonderful report last year that’s chock full of examples from case studies of arts organizations successfully building audiences while staying true to their brands. Effective Practices for Building Arts Audiences - Bob Harlow

Effective Practices for Successful Audience Engagement Recognizing when change is needed Identifying the target audience that fits Determining what kinds of barriers need to be removed Taking out the guesswork: Audience research to clarify the approach Thinking through the relationship

Effective Practices for Successful Audience Engagement Providing multiple ways in Aligning the organization around the strategy Building in learning Preparing for success

Something’s Gotta Give What is on the cutting room floor? Hard choices ROI Funding challenges Ticket pricing Relationship building

Are we there yet? Organizational change takes time Resistance is natural Shiny objects attract attention Commitment to the long run

Digital Age Unique challenges and opportunities Audience expectations Great divide Tech focus

Are your antennae up? Are you paying attention?