Content uploaded by Ruth Rentschler
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Ruth Rentschler on Aug 20, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=425
Chapter 8
Museum
marketing:
understanding
different types of
audiences
Ruth Rentschler
Introduction
This chapter examines the relationship that museums have developed with
their audiences, and undertakes a brief history of the development of that role.
It draws examples from museum marketing in four Commonwealth countries:
the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, which have a similar history
and funding approach. One of the most serious issues facing museum mar-
keters today is the erosion in the proportion of revenue provided by gov-
ernment, which needs to be supplemented by audience revenue and giving
from individuals and trusts. This tripartite funding model – government,
audience and ‘sponsor’ income – is essential to museum sustainability. The
erosion of government income gives marketing a boost, as it becomes an
important tool for helping to fill the funding gap left by declining government
revenue. This chapter contributes to understanding the relative value of
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=425
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=425
different types of audiences to museums. Audiences are important, espe-
cially when government support is reduced and the arts are both pressured
to be more business-like and more attune to the needs of diverse audiences.
The last two decades have seen considerable debate and significant change
in museums. First, there is a shift in government attitudes to funding, access
and diversity or distinctiveness, which led to a need for increased marketing
in museums. Second, there is a shift in interest from the individual artist to
the industry, which in the mid-1990s led to recognition of the importance of
new marketing approaches for the development of museums (McLean, 1995).
Government initiatives have encouraged creative industries development,
with a shift in focus to the importance of marketing for artistic success and
sustainability (Johanson and Rentschler, 2002). Creative industries demon-
strate a move away from ‘art for art’s sake’ and towards an acceptance of the
economic, social and aesthetic value of culture, where the arts are treated ‘as
ingredients in a new cultural mix’ (Volkerling, 2001). While specific categories
vary slightly from country to country, creative industries embrace activities
which have individual creativity, skill and talent as their origin as well as the
potential for job and wealth creation through the generation and exploitation
of intellectual property (Volkerling, 2001). In general, creative industries incorp-
orate categories that embrace literature, multimedia, music, broadcasting,
films, computer games, and even extend to craft, fashion and town planning,
as well as including the traditional performing arts and museums. Museums
are placed as part of this larger industry mix, which has been controversial.
Some see the new industries model as giving museums more political clout
in the wider framework. Others see the model as a betrayal of the hegemony
museums held in the high arts, where economic values are seen to outweigh
intrinsic cultural value.
Despite these initiatives, evidence shows that audience numbers are declin-
ing in some museums (Museum of Victoria annual reports, 1997–2002). With
the threat of Disney-style theme shows and blockbusters, the need to review
museum approaches to marketing is urgent (McLean, 1995). Museums are
exhorted to adopt audience techniques that are related to the accountability
factor. The key is striking the right balance between finding new audiences
and nurturing existing ones. This chapter offers three perspectives on market-
ing for museums that present a solution to these issues. The first perspective
is evident in the arts marketing literature, where it was demonstrated that
marketing as a concept has only been considered in the last 20 years max-
imum and has undergone a change in orientation from a product focus to an
audience focus in that time. Scant attention has been paid to segmenting
audiences beyond ‘goers’ and ‘non-goers’ in the literature examined. The
second perspective links museum viability to government policy: that less
money is available in government coffers for each museum and that com-
mercial approaches to generating income need to be undertaken. Despite
this economic pressure, museums also recognise the social requirement to
140 Arts Marketing
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=425
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=425
ensure access to audiences across the community. This third perspective is
of crucial concern to museums. Traditionally they have focused energy and
effort on development of their product to the exclusion of development of
their customer base and audience activities. This approach is rapidly chan-
ging. Improved audience research is seen as an opportunity to increase long-
term museum viability, and to enable them to meet social and economic
obligations.
Museums need to rely more heavily on marketing in this climate. Under-
standing audiences is an important part of museum marketing. Audiences
are analysed using audience studies. DiMaggio et al. (1978), Thomas and
Cutler (1993), Kawashima (1998) and Rentschler (1998, 2002) have all
reviewed audience studies in museums. Their work showed overwhelm-
ingly that audiences were well-educated, professional and predominantly
white. While these studies were conducted over several decades, during
which significant demographic shifts have occurred in the population, there
has been no change in the profile of museum audiences. This fact has lead
those interested in audience research in museums to conclude that there is
one audience for museums. These reviews indicate that audience studies
have rarely segmented audiences. Most audience studies compare users and
non-users, with a small number of studies more recently researching audience
diversity (Bennett and Frow, 1991; Robertson and Miglorino, 1996). Because
of the demographic homogeneity of museum audiences, it has become
politically necessary for governments to insist that non-profit organisa-
tions which receive at least part of their income from government, try to
broaden their audiences. However, the relational marketing needs of the
organisation may not align with this social and economic imperative. How
can non-profit museums both meet their social and economic marketing
needs? If most studies treat audiences as one audience, despite the plethora
of audience studies, what knowledge of audiences are museum marketers
lacking?
Museums defined
This chapter discusses museums and argues that they have changed.
‘Museum’ derives from the classical Greek word ‘museion’, a place of contem-
plation, a philosophical institution or a temple of the muses (Lewis, 1992;
Murphy, 1993; Piggott Report, 1975). The first recorded instance of the use of
the word ‘museum’ to describe a collection relates to the de Medici material
at the time of Lorenzo il Magnifico (1449–92) (Lewis, 1992).
The word ‘museum’ is chosen in this chapter in preference to the word
‘gallery’. This choice is in accord with the international preferred usage of
the word and a sense of change (Murphy, 1993). Non-profit museums can
no longer remain static places of contemplation, tied to attitudes opposed
Museum marketing: understanding different types of audiences 141
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=425
The publisher detailed in the title page holds the copyright for this document
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without the written
permission of Spenford IT Ltd who are licensed to reproduce this document by the
publisher
All requests should by sent in the first instance to
rights@download-it.org
Please ensure you have book-marked our website.
www.download-it.org
Chapter extract
To buy the full chapter, and for copyright
information, click here
http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=425
