History Musuems and Historical Societies Lag in Website Development and Marketing
(PRWEB) June 11, 2005 -- History museums, historical societies and historic
sites have fallen behind other institutions in their use of internet marketing,
concludes a new study from Primary Research Group: The Marketing of Historic
Sites, Museums, Exhibits and Archives (ISBN #:1-57440-074-6). This report looks
closely at how history is presented and marketed by organizations such as
history museums, libraries, historical societies, and historic sites and
monuments. The report profiles the efforts of The Vermont Historical Society,
Hook’s Historic Drug Store and Pharmacy, The Thomas Jefferson
Foundation/Monticello, the Musee Conti Wax Museum of New Orleans, The Bostonian
Society, the Dittrick Medical History Center, The Band Museum, the Belmont
Mansion, the Kansas State Historical Society, the Computer History Museum, the
Atari Virtual Museum, the Museum of American Financial History, the Atlanta
History Center and the public libraries of Denver and Evansville. The Study’s
revealing profiles, based on extensive interviews with executive directors and
marketing managers of the institutions cited, provide a deeply detailed look at
how history museums, sites, societies and monuments are marketing
themselves.
The Vermont Historical Society uses a grass roots approach to
marshal its local area history resources, present them in novel ways, and
ultimately win broad public recognition and corporate financial support. The key
to the Society’s success was innovative relationship building among local
partners such as schools and local historical societies, designed to capture the
strengths of each party. Through aggressive and bold grass roots efforts, the
Vermont Historical Society has been able to raise $7.5 million for a significant
organizational face lift, beating by more than $7 million its prior fundraising
records
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, whose major asset is Jefferson’s
former plantation, Monticello, demonstrates how a web of relationships can be
developed by marketing all of the various and intricate facets of Jeffersonian
legacy.
The Bostonian Society not only successfully projects Boston’s
Revolutionary War Heritage to its largely non-Bostonian visitor base, but also
manages to capitalize on historic figures such as Ted Williams from a less lofty
but not less well known playing field. The Society has had particular success
with digitizing its extensive photography collection, as have many public
libraries. The Denver Public Library, for example, has had a great deal of
success in presenting its digitized images of the American West to the broader
public. Evansville Public Library, on the other hand, has focused more on an
innovative approach to presenting local history through digital mediums.
The Dittrick Medical History Center, housed at Case Western Reserve
University, has exploited a major new gift of a historic collection of
contraceptive devices, to dramatically increase its web presence. The Museum has
had particular success with aggressive cross marketing with healthcare-oriented
professional associations, hospitals and other museums in the medical
arena.
The Band Museum, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and the Atari Virtual
Museum, are mostly one man efforts led by determined individuals who have a love
of their subject matter. In both cases, the resulting history museums appealed
mostly to important niche audiences that were underserved by existing cultural
institutions.
The Belmont Mansion’s grass roots marketing approach
emphasizes public programming designed to bring in the patrons and sell them on
return trips. Belmont has also benefited from a Tennessee state program to
distribute press releases electronically, as well as from approaches to the bank
travel market.
The Computer History Museum relies heavily on a vast
network of industry contacts to launch what has become one of the premier
technology history sites in the country. Targeted marketing through an
innovative web site, frequent events and lectures, special programs for
important niches, and close relations with a far flung Board of Directors have
been its keys to marketing success.
The Museum of American Financial
History, based near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, climbed back from the
devastation of 9/11 terrorist attacks and rebuilt its relationship with its
patrons. In cooperation with 15 other museums in lower Manhattan, the Museum
used Federal money specially earmarked for organizations victimized in the
terror attacks, to develop a unique marketing campaign. The Museum also
emphasizes the cultivation of ties with the press.
The Atlanta History
Center, which recently purchased the Margraret Mitchell Site and Museum, has
expanded the scope of its operations significantly in recent years. Unlike many
historic attractions in recent years, the Atlanta History Center has experienced
rapid annual increases in attendance. One of its secrets is to continually
present something new, and to turn the Center into a local resource that a core
of visitors keeps returning to. The Center uses new exhibits, blockbuster
lectures, partnerships with local institutions, privileges for members,
aggressive capital expansion, and emarketing and an interactive website, among
other strategies and tactics, to keep visitors coming back.
For more
information or a review copy contact James Moses at 212-736-2316. The price of
the report is $95.00 (paper) and $115.00 for a pdf with rights to print out one
copy. Site licenses are also available. The report is available from Primary
Research Group, or through major book distributors.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb245627.htm