These transitional changes have impacted on the internal cultural organizational

These transitional changes have impacted on the internal cultural organizational factors such as museum structure, complexity and diversity of services (Gombault, 2002). Together with the drive towards formal accountability, these changes have increased the need for museum directors to have the orientation and skills of marketers, in addition to their custodial skills. Rentschler (2001) identifies four types of museum director, two of which are relevant to this discussion. These are the ‘entrepreneur’ and the ‘custodian’. Each type brings a different emphasis to aspects of museum service. For example, the entrepreneur focuses on the furtherance of the organization through creative programming. The generation of funds—through changing exhibitions, identifying donors, personally contacting major donors, developing efficiency measures, using consultants strategically and preparing market analyses—is a consequence of this outlook. The entrepreneur also uses relationship-marketing programmes to encourage visitors to become members and then donors. In contrast, the custodial manager focuses on the traditional activities of research and collections. Custodians are less involved in business activities. For example, they do not use consultants or prepare market analyses, survey non-visitors, or encourage visitors to become members and donors. Today’s museum managers are required to use the skills and approaches of both the entrepreneur and the custodian in order to fulfil the changed mission found in today’s museum sector.

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As such, directors’ styles and managerial preferences

As such, directors’ styles and managerial preferences may not be applied evenly across the museum. Traditionally the prime function of museums has been to gather, preserve and study objects. The director was perceived as the keeper of objects, as one who performed the custodial role for the cultural capital of the institution: its creative works. Today, managing museums entails understanding both the custodial role and the need to attract visitors. As museums are part of the notfor-profit sector and depend on government for up to 70 per cent of their income, they must be seen to offer value to government by attracting increasing visitor numbers. Government funders are asking for greater accountability for money granted. One way accountability can be documented is by sound marketing approaches (Laczniak and Murphy, 1977). Marketing approaches have been used to increase visitor numbers and to encourage, change and expand the museum role from one of custodial emphasis to one of audience attraction and increased participation. Hence, museums are developing marketing techniques to help them become more successful in meeting these challenges.

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often by appealing to colleagues outside the organization rather than those within

Museums may differ in the types of collections they hold, but they do not differ in their principal aim: education (Griffin and Abraham, 1999). How then do museums and their directors implement effective marketing practice, without compromising the needs of their educational mission. Indeed, a rational economic approach to museum marketing often dilutes the effectiveness of the educational mission. In this chapter, by taking a historical perspective, it can clearly be seen that both directors and marketing styles have evolved to meet the changing needs found within the museum sector. The style of the director impacts on the performance of the museum, given that there may be a gap between the desired performance and actual performance, due to the nature of museums as professional bureaucracies (Griffin and Abraham, 1999). In professional bureaucracies, individuals are influential in setting the agenda of the organization, often by appealing to colleagues outside the organization rather than those within.

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contributes $19 billion to the Australian economy annually

The cultural industry, a growth industry in which museums play a central part, contributes $19 billion to the Australian economy annually, emphasizing also the economic contribution museums make. This is mirrored in the UK where museums contribute £3 billion to the economy (BBC, 2004). Museums closely follow popular music as the most frequently attended cultural activity, both in terms of number of people attending and number of visits (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a survey of attendance at selected cultural venues in March 1995. It revealed that a total of 3.1 million people (22.3% of the Australian population aged 15 years and over) had visited a museum in the period studied and museums were considered to be either very important or important by 71.5 per cent of the Australian community. This support was evident across all states and territories, irrespective of whether the reporting individuals were users of the facilities. US museums receive 600 million visits annually (AAM, 2006). In the UK, museums attract upwards of 100 million visits per year (BBC, 2004), this number is steadily increasing, being up from 59 million in 2000 (Wright et al., 2001). By marketing museums, their role can be improved, which is of national benefit in times of change and funding scarcity.

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so too important concepts change

As museums themselves are changing to meet the needs of a changing world, so too important concepts change. Change has led to an increased interest in marketing in museums and to a reappraisal of their purpose, evident in the changing definition of the word ‘museum’. The change in definition has been gradual and has been influenced by prevailing social and philosophical attitudes. The change in purpose affects not only the stories museums tell, but also the method of telling those stories, the corollary of which is a greater role for marketing—the focus of this chapter. Museums contribute not only to social and cultural development, but also to the spiritual and emotional sense of national self through telling stories. In the UK, government is responsible for roughly 60 per cent of museum funding No longer a dirty word 13 Ch01-1-H8065.indd 13 h01-1-H8065.indd 13 5/25/07 5:34:15 PM /25/07 5:34:15 PM 14 Museum Marketing: Competing in the Global Marketplace (Matty, 2005). In the USA, museums receive a median figure of 24 per cent of their funding from government sources (AAM, 2006). The Australian museum sector alone reached 1329 museum locations in June 2004, with income of $919.4 million. While most museum income was derived from government funding, 9.7 per cent came from fundraising, 6.1 per cent from admissions and 5.4 per cent from sales of goods (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). The museum sector faces more competition from new venues and leisure attractions for visitors who have less and less free time (Burton and Scott, 2003). Contemporary approaches, using marketing, to tell legendary stories are appropriate for museums.

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not-for-profit museums have been subjected to accelerated change

Since the early 1900s, not-for-profit museums have been subjected to accelerated change, due to a refocusing of government policy; a well-educated community with higher expectations of museums and a more diverse community which desires a better reflection of contemporary issues in museums (Griffin, 1987; Ames, 1989). At the same time, the level of funding to museums has come under increased pressure, arguably forcing directors of museums to become entrepreneurial, particularly when devising strategies to meet the needs of their creative mission (Rentschler and Geursen, 2003). Museums are fulfilling a role of tellers of a sacred story and sometimes on a sacred site. Museums are therefore combining the traditional, functional role with their new purposive role (Weil, 1990; Thompson, 1998), using a range of approaches including online technologies. Functional definitions relate to activities performed in the museum and are object-based: to collect, preserve and display objects. More recently, the shift in definitions relates purpose to the intent, vision or mission of the museum where the focus is on leadership and visitor services: to serve society and its development by means of study, education and enjoyment (Besterman, 1998). These definitions are illustrated in Table 1.1.

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Marketing in museums is in a period of major reassessment

Marketing in museums is in a period of major reassessment. This change in the purpose and priorities of museums has impacted on the nature of museum marketing. The recognition of new museum roles and the need to appeal to differentiated audiences has created new challenges for previously traditional, custodial directors (Gombault, 2002; Rentschler, 2002). This chapter explores the role of marketing in museums over 30 years, from the mid-1970s. It briefly overviews some of the changes which museums have undergone that have Ch01-1-H8065.indd 12 h01-1-H8065.indd 12 5/25/07 5:34:14 PM /25/07 5:34:14 PM led to an increased focus on marketing. It contextualizes the change in marketing approaches and roles within the different management styles for museum directors. In doing so, it shows how these different styles illustrate the changes in professional perspective from the traditional focus on custodial preservation to the more current focus on educating and entertaining the public.

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no longer a dirty word

Marketing is still a dirty word to some in museums. With the term comes images of used car salesmen and the ‘Disneyfication’ of culture. Is it possible to market your product successfully without ‘dumbing’ it down? This brief history of museum marketing, the changes it has undergone, and the approaches taken in many museums, shows that it is. It would be nice if museums did not have to worry about marketing. It would be nice if the money just rolled in by itself. Sadly, new economic realities mean that cash-strapped museums cannot afford to be complacent about attracting visitors through the doors to exhibitions. To stay afloat, they need to attract new audiences as well as keep established ones. Marketing is no longer an option: it’s a survival tool rather than a dirty word. What many in museums fear, however, is that in pursuing a larger market they will be forced to tamper with their product in a way that compromises its artistic integrity. They are worried their art will suffer at the hands of the market. Finding the middle ground between complacency and Mickey Mouse is the tricky part, and the challenge.

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