audience focused museum

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+ The Audience -Focused Museum Barbara Leggett, Director, Explore & More Children’s Museum Mark Mortenson, CEO, Buffalo Museum of Science/Tifft Nature Preserve

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Powerpoint presentation which accompanied the Audience-Focused Museum session at the 2011 Museums in Conversation Conference

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Page 1: Audience focused museum

+The Audience-Focused Museum

Barbara Leggett, Director, Explore & More Children’s Museum

Mark Mortenson, CEO, Buffalo Museum of Science/Tifft Nature

Preserve

Page 2: Audience focused museum

+

Laying the Groundwork

Join the discussion – there are incentives!

What we (all of us!) will discuss: Hierarchy of Audience Needs Connecting with Our Audiences Aligning museum goals with audience needs Proving our value

MM

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+

Question: How do you define a Museum?

Physiological & intrinsic value

MM

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Fill-in the Blank:While I am at a museum, three things that positively affect my experience are……

Customer & Quantitative valueMM

Page 5: Audience focused museum

+Building the Pyramid

Physiological

Safety/Comfort

Social

Museum

Customers

MM

Page 6: Audience focused museum

+What are these needs?

– as defined by Abraham Maslow

Okay, we’re shifting them slightly to focus on museums, but basically…

Physiological – the basic requirements for survival – what makes a museum a museum?

Safety / Comfort – the need for a predictable, orderly world – what do our audience members want at minimum?

Social – the need to belong and feel accepted – how can we make our audience feel like they are more a part of our world?

MM

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What does your audience NEED?

What does your audience DESIRE?

BLCall Out

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We interrupt this presentation for a short commercial message

BL

Page 9: Audience focused museum

+Let’s hear it for older women (60+) Older Women - often the life-blood of museums through volunteerism and support. Support museums more often than they visit and are the most

POSITIVE about museum experiences of all audiences Tend to visit a wide range of museums, especially those with a

“sense of place” or history. Although they support science centers, zoos, children’s museums, they visit less frequently

Visit museums with grandchildren, children and friends – SOCIAL Also very active with other cultural experiences (theatre, concerts

& gardens!) Interpretation preferences are visiting on their own with text

panels, guided tours and interacting with costumed staff. They are NOT interested in hands-on activities!

Tend to hear about events through traditional media AND directly from the museum

Amenities – MORE SEATING! Accessibility

BL

Page 10: Audience focused museum

+And let’s hear it for older men (60+) Older Men - In Reach Advisor’s studies, they are “the MOST

engaged, most emotionally invested audience segment” More likely to be visiting than younger men Do NOT visit for family learning experience – more about their own

curiosity and interest in learning Most likely to visit with spouse, but least likely to visit with

grandchildren VERY likely to be members and supporters of museums – and their

reason for giving is philanthropically driven! Focused on their own interests (history, natural history) Want authentic experiences – and want to DO things themselves (not

observe). Less interested in “hands-on” interpretive experience. High level of interest in “behind-the-scenes” experiences

For interpretation, they are interest in doing it themselves – maps, text panels, etc.

Interested in hands-on volunteer experiencesBL

Page 11: Audience focused museum

+Gen X: Moms, moms, moms & dads

Women are better educated; more likely to move away from home, marry later & have children later.

Moms tend to be the decision-makers & focus on active learning experiences for their CHILDREN. Searching for hands-on activities, live demonstrations, interaction with historically costumed staff, live historic reenactments.

Moms can be the hardest audience – most negative about their museum experiences – but they make up the biggest museum audience!

Men are more involved in their kids’ lives than Baby Boomer & wish they had even MORE time with their children.

BL

Page 12: Audience focused museum

+Baby Boomers – always leading the way with change

May be retiring later and looking for second careers more than volunteer opportunities – but they can make GREAT employees focused on engaging visitors!

Interest in grandchildren and being actively engaged in their lived and the lives of their children (Gen Ys) – great opportunities for multi-generational programming Fastest growing audience on Facebook – unique pr opportunities

Interested in supporting museums is driven by philanthropy, not economy – unique fundraising opportunity /positioning

Interested in exhibits/programs that evoke memories

Page 13: Audience focused museum

+Gen X Moms: What do they look for in museums (beyond education for their kids)? CLEAN & TIDY (very clean and tidy!)

Restrooms & Nursing Areas for FAMILIES

Food services – high chairs or booster seats, child-friendly food; peanut-free preparation

Exhibit amenities: children’s activities, interactives for multiple people, outdoor trails & exhibits, stepping stools

Safety: ice, bandages, no exposed cords, cleaning supplies locked & away, lots of benches,

Value, value, value – visitors join because it’s a good deal!

BL

Page 14: Audience focused museum

+Gen Y – A whole new generation!

As the children of Baby Boomers, Gen Ys is just coming of age.

First generation where women are better educated than men (1.5 times more likely to have a college degree) AND the pay gender gap is REVERSED, with women making more than men.

Will change the composition of families (stay-at-home dads)

Grew up with computers & technology, but their primary mode of communication is the cell phone. Cynical to traditional media

About 75% “curate” their lives with social networking sites, photos, art, etc. About 25% lead a “plain” lifestyle & are NOT on social networks, etc.

As parents, they are focused on the entire FAMILY (child with both parents interacting)

BL

Page 15: Audience focused museum

+Gen Y – What they look for in museums Gender difference is substantial, with women visiting

significantly more often than men (maybe tied to education) – but in the future, there likely will be more stay-at-home dads… that means re-thinking ways to attract and serve men.

GenYs without children are interested in traditional museums

Least likely to enjoy technology in museum exhibits

Enjoy off-beat exhibits, current events (Colbert portrait at the Smithsonian)

Gen Ys with children want family-focused, multi-generational exhibits, programs, etc. (kids, parents, grandparents)

BL

Page 16: Audience focused museum

+Kids / Families Family friendly is changing as visitors & demographic

wants change. Also, U.S. is more culturally diverse than ever before, and that trend will continue.

Young parents want to be actively INVOLVED in experiences and young grandparents want to be part of it. Fathers are significantly more active.

Middle-schoolers: Museums are boring for 75%; 25% LOVE museums See museum visits as social (friends extremely important) Like technology in museums more than Gen Ys Gender differences: Girls like multiple subjects, while boys

enjoy in-depth on fewer subjects

BL

Page 17: Audience focused museum

+Educators

NYS Standards

School system expectations/constraints

Financial constraints Admissions Bussing Lunches

Parent Involvement Chaperones Admissions

BL

Page 18: Audience focused museum

+Reach Advisor’s Top 14List of Interpretation Preferences#14 Nothing at all (3%)

#13 Videos or electronic media (13%)

#12 Classes (17%)

#11 Audio Tours (19%)

#10 Talking with staff not in historic costume (31%)

#9 Guided Tours (45%)

#8 On own, but with text panels and/or brochures or books (46%)

BL

Page 19: Audience focused museum

+Reach Advisor’s Top 14List of Interpretation Preferences#7 TIE

Purchasing crafts handmade on site (47%)

Authentic dining experiences (47%)

#5 Hands-on activities (51%)

#4 Authentic musical performances (54%)

#3 Live reenactments of the past (75%)

#2 Talking with historically-costumed staff (76%)

BL

Page 20: Audience focused museum

+And the number one answer is…

Demonstrations, such as crafts or cooking!

Top 5 = ACTION!

Note: Life Stages of the Museum Visitor has more detailed information on each of these

BL

Page 21: Audience focused museum

+

How does your audience have a

voice at your museum?

Call Out MM

Page 22: Audience focused museum

+How can we connect to our Audience?

Gathering input Surveys at the museum Surveys on-line Discussion links on Facebook Observational Research

Reaching out Formalized focus groups Strategic planning groups Facebook Face to Face – LISTEN to people!

MM

Page 23: Audience focused museum

+How can we connect to our Audience?

Staying on top of audience research & what other museums are doing Publications ListServs Blogs

“Visitors… may claim to be satisfied, but if they don’t appear to be joyful, they’re unlikely to become loyal”

Consumer Research for Museum Marketers

by Margot Wallace, MM

Page 24: Audience focused museum

+Completing the Pyramid

Physiological

Safety/Comfort

Social

Museum

Customers

Esteem

Self Actualization

Advocates

MM

Page 25: Audience focused museum

+Completing the Pyramid:From Audience to Advocate

YOU

…should add a new exhibit…should change this program…should talk to this donor

BLCall Out

Page 26: Audience focused museum

+Completing the Pyramid:From Audience to Advocate

WE

…should add a new exhibit…should change this program…should talk to this donor

BLCall Out

Page 27: Audience focused museum

+HOW DO WE PROVE

THE VALUE OF

MUSEUMSAND OUR

AUDIENCES?BL

Page 28: Audience focused museum

+Our Value

MM

Page 29: Audience focused museum

+How could we prove the Intrinsic Value of Museums?

Defining Intrinsic

1. Basic and essential; belonging to something as one of the basic and essential features that make it what it is

2. Of itself; by or in itself, rather than because of it associations or consequence

MM

Page 30: Audience focused museum

+

Physiological

Safety/Comfort

Social

Museum

Customers

Esteem

Self Actualization

Advocates

Intrinsic Value

MM

Page 31: Audience focused museum

+How could we prove the Quantitative Value of museums? Defining Quantitative:

1.relating to quantity: relating to, concerning, or based on the amount or number of something

2.measurable: capable of being measured or expressed in numerical terms

MM

Page 32: Audience focused museum

+

Physiological

Safety/Comfort

Social

Museum

Customers

Social

Self Actualization

Advocates

Intrinsic Value

Quantitative Value

MM

Page 33: Audience focused museum

+How could we prove the Qualitative Value of Museums

Qualitative Definition

1. relating to quality: relating to or based on the quality or character of something, often as opposed to its size or quantity

MM

Page 34: Audience focused museum

+

Physiological

Safety/Comfort

Social

Museum

Customers

Esteem

Self Actualization

Advocates

Intrinsic Value

Quantitative Value

Qualitative Value

MM

Page 35: Audience focused museum

+Wrap Up

Did we meet our goal? We planned to talk about:

Hierarchy of Audience Needs Connecting with Our Audiences Aligning museum goals with audience needs Proving our value

BL