Category Archives: Glossary

Glossary, P

Public

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

The public is the broadest possible term for the people who live in the society outside of your organization. The word is most often used in a political or geographical sense, to identify those who live in a particular state or a city, or who make up the communities in which your organization works.

How it’s used

The term public is often conflated with audience. They are closely related; however, audience is a more structured group of the public who is paying attention to your organization, targeted to receive a message, or receiving your messages and acting on them. In general, the public is the large and diverse group of all the people who could potentially be impacted by or intersect with your organization but may not yet be formally involved as members, donors, attendees, visitors, etc. It’s everyone we have the opportunity or potential to reach.

Many organizations also use the term in its plural form, publics, to identify multiple different broad groups that they are aware of. For example, if I am a national museum, my publics may be both local and spanning the country. These publics may not yet be audiences.

Why it matters

Almost all museums include as their mission a responsibility to the public, whether they are key audiences or not. The idea of public opinion and public perception, or the field of public relations, for example, are also built on the idea that what the public thinks, does, and says matters deeply to the success of an organization. Museums, on their most fundamental level, promote the public good.

Glossary, M

Messaging

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Messaging, also sometimes referred to as copy, is the art of generating carefully crafted phrasing for use in marketing, communications, and audience engagement. It is created with the intended audience in mind to maximize effectiveness or resonance.

How it’s used

Messaging is used in advertising copy and communications outreach and as talking points for internal teams. It should make a clear and compelling assertion to advance some organizational objective, such as selling tickets or encouraging donations. Sometimes what we think we are saying is not what is being heard, and so its effectiveness can be improved through market testing, market research, and workshopping—all ways of listening to your audience.

Why it matters

Messaging serves to build awareness, create consistency, and develop positive associations with the museum. Messaging helps the audience understand why the museum matters, the work they do, where they want to go, and any big shifts (new directors, new board, crises, etc.). It serves to drive brand, perception, and action.

There is always a gap between what the organization wants to communicate and what is received by the intended audience. Messaging is the art of reducing the discrepancy between intent and result in external communications.

Recommends

See: Can you hear me?

Glossary, M

Metrics

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Metrics are quantifiable, specific data points that are used to assess, compare, and track performance. Metrics are what make analysis possible in order to make strategic, data-driven decisions. Metrics are quantitative data and some examples include the number of visitors, number of page views, and number of social media post shares.

How it’s used

Metrics are a key way to measure the performance of a campaign, initiative, or program. Most metrics are identified based on the predetermined goals of a specific project.

Why it matters

Metrics are often gathered and analyzed to create a story that is shared with key stakeholders in reports, presentations, and other internal and external communications. These data-driven stories help gauge success and should be used to inform decisions, whether reinforcing or indicating direction changes in strategy and implementation.

Because museums are human-centered institutions, it is important to note that while critical, metrics and pure data points do not tell the whole story. Qualitative methods of gathering and interpreting data, such as interviews, focus groups, and observational studies, should also be used to provide a more robust picture than numbers alone.

Notes

See also Analytics

Glossary, M

Marketing

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Marketing is the practice of helping people see the value of a museum in their life with the goal of motivating action. Marketing helps to organize and encourage the exchange between the museum and the public.

Marketing is both a function of which communications is a part and a shorthand for an operational unit within the museum that may be organized differently depending on the particular museum.

Marketing is a long-term process, which begins by identifying, understanding, and appealing to a target audience and then extends across the span of the museum’s relationship with that audience. Marketing may employ a range of tactics to make people aware of the museum and its offerings in order to foster engagement and increase positive associations. The goal of marketing is to build a relationship with current and potential audiences; this relationship encourages interactions with the museum and helps move audience members along a path from awareness to advocacy. (See also Audience Journey.)

How it’s used

Marketing may include research, positioning and branding, public relations, advertising (e.g., print, digital, and out of home), email, social media, and promotions. Marketing is often connected with communications so that both paid and earned media outreach are aligned.

Marketing is a core function of any organization that, although distinct from sales, is tied to earned revenue. Through market research, marketing brings audience insights into business and strategy conversations. All activities, even the most mundane ones, should be subject to consideration for how they are to be effectively communicated to the audience.

Why it matters

Marketing supports the museum’s goals by driving attendance and sales in support of earned revenue. An investment in marketing can be directly correlated to an increase in attendance, sales, and earned revenue. It also plays an important role in building brand awareness and reputation. Marketing is both a contributor to sustainability and the continuation of the museum’s mission.

Notes

All activities, even the most mundane ones, should be subject to consideration for how they are to be effectively communicated to the audience.

recommends

See: Curatorial vs. Marketing in Museums

Glossary, I

Influencers

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

An influencer is someone who has credibility within a certain industry or has earned the trust of a set of audiences and can shape their opinions and even inspire action, typically using social media as their platform. Influencers may serve as endorsers or content creators/distributors to their particular audience of followers.

How it’s used

Being an influencer has evolved from an informal activity into a more structured practice. Just as the line between paid and earned media has become increasingly blurry, this is true among influencers as well. The independent voice of influencers is what adds value to the collaboration, creating authenticity and fostering trust with the desired niche audiences.

Outside agencies have offers that specialize in managing paid influencers. Endorsements and content creation from influencers might be paid, given voluntarily, or exchanged for perks.

In the context of PR, influencers can play a similar role to the press in extending positive perception. They function as press in terms of getting the word out as some people follow solely influencers instead of traditional media outlets.

In the context of marketing, influencers may be contracted to leverage their clout with specific niche audiences that museums may not be able to reach themselves.

For issues management and crisis communication, it is a good idea to monitor relevant influencers as you would more traditional media.

Why it matters

Because of the splintering of the media landscape and diminished trust of advertising, influencers can give access to otherwise unreachable niche audiences.

Influencers often have carefully cultivated a particular audience of interest. When this aligns well with the museum’s brand or promotional intentions, influencers can serve as expert storytellers on their chosen platform. They have the capacity to help you build relationships with audiences that are harder for the museum to reach on its own.

There is also always a risk of the amplification of negative messages though adversarial influencers. Just as you monitor traditional media outlets, pay attention to influencers as they can have a powerful impact, especially in crisis communication planning.

F, Glossary

Financial Health & Sustainability

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Financial health is measured by a museum’s ability to raise and maintain revenue and balance expenditures. Revenue can be earned or contributed and is used to fund its staff, operations, programs, and facilities.

Financial sustainability is dependent on sound strategic planning and developing diverse revenue streams including ticket sales, membership, shop sales, paid programs, subscriptions, partnerships, donations, endowments, government support, and more.

How it’s used

A museum must recognize financial matters as mission critical, articulate financial goals, strategies, and responsibilities, and ensure that annual budgets are developed and adhered to accordingly.

Why it matters

The fulfillment of a museum’s mission is dependent on and energized by its sustained financial health. Only a sustainable museum can continue to add value as well as economic vitality to the communities, the public, and the region it serves. Also, a sustainable business model is paramount in order to be able to weather economic downturns.

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As the old adage goes, “No money, no mission.” See: What if Museums Were Run Like Successful Companies?

D, Glossary

DEAI

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

The below definition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is from the Ford Foundation and the definition of Accessibility is an excerpt cited from Facing Change, a 2018 report on the insights of the American Alliance of Museums’ Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) Working Group.

Diversity is the representation of all our varied individual and collective identities and differences (race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, tribe, caste, socio-economic status, thinking and communication styles, etc.). We proactively seek out and engage with a variety of perspectives because we believe we can only advance justice when we affirm our similarities and understand and find value in our differences.

Equity seeks to ensure fair treatment, equality of opportunity, and fairness in access to information and resources for all. We believe achieving equity is only possible in an environment built on respect and dignity.

Accessibility is giving equitable access to everyone along the continuum of human ability and experience. Accessibility encompasses the broader meanings of compliance and refers to how organizations make space for the characteristics that each person brings.

Inclusion builds a culture of belonging by actively inviting the contribution and participation of all people. We believe every person’s voice adds value, and we strive to create balance in the face of power differences. We believe that no one person can or should be called upon to represent an entire community.

How it’s used

DEAI is an ongoing actionable commitment and process that needs to be woven into an institution’s core framework—from mission and vision to content and operations. DEAI is a core tenet of museum work. Some examples of how DEAI principles are applied across the museum include hiring and training practices at all levels that help an organization better reflect the community it serves in its staffing and leadership; developing programs and partnerships that welcome audiences at the widest spectrum; and communicating in a way that engages audiences of different social, economic, educational, and religious backgrounds.

Organizations are accountable to our communities and DEAI is a key metric by which we measure the success of our work. DEAI efforts should be recognizable and holistic, applied to every activity of the museum (e.g., audience engagement, programs, vendors, employment, marketing, and collecting). Each organization should develop standards of excellence for its DEAI work, including practices such as a “nothing about us without us” methodology.

Why it matters

The DEAI framework enriches and enlivens the work of museums, ensuring their sustainability and long-term relevance. We, as museum professionals, must hold ourselves accountable as we reap the benefits and face the challenges of putting DEAI principles into practice.

Museums are engaged in an ever-evolving process of building trust, especially with historically marginalized groups as we engage with audiences, serving as stewards of collections and thought leaders of art, history, and education but also as catalysts of social and cultural progress. As we tell the stories of people and cultures across the globe, we commit to raising their impact and influence across human history, especially those of non-dominant groups who are often underrepresented or erased from the narrative.

Additional resources

D, Glossary

Demographic

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

A demographic profile defines statistical characteristics of a population such as age, sex, income level, race and ethnicity, employment, location, level of education, and marital status. Demographics differ from psychographics which focus on attitudinal and behavioral characteristics. Psychographics can cross statistical segments.

How it’s used

Many museums are looking to understand their audience’s demographics to make sure their offerings better reflect the interests of the communities they serve and those they have not yet reached or been able to support. Demographics are also useful in selecting advertising, PR content, and media tactics as well as partnerships. Demographics are one way to understand who a museum’s audiences are or should be. They are a useful reference when planning an audience development and communications strategy.

It is important when making sure a museum’s communications are relevant for the intended audience. Is your marketing reaching who you want it to?

Why it matters

It’s helpful to understand both your current demographic reach, and your organization’s future audience as this has implications for program planning, fundraising, marketing, communications, and audience engagement. Marketing cannot reach everyone so priority-setting is key.

Notes

See also Audience Development, Audience Segmentation, and Community

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See: Museums and Race

C, Glossary

Community

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

The word community means different things in different contexts. For our purpose, because museums exist to serve the public, we define community as members of the public who share an identity, affinity, and geography, be it physical, digital, or psychological.

How it’s used

Museums typically invest in engaging with community for the purpose of developing authentic, trusted, long-lasting, and mutually beneficial partnerships. This engagement often happens through co-creation of content such as programs or digital products, as well as the leveraging of user-generated content (UGC). Community represents a shift in marketing, away from a mindset of transaction and broadcasting of messages, toward investing in collaboration and relying on micro-engagements with people who are taking time out of their busy days to talk about the museum, be it through word-of-mouth, likes, comments, or shares. Community members with a wide reach are referred to as influencers.

The museum must be clear about which communities it wants to engage and support. (See also Audience Segmentation.) Before the museum engages with or attempts to define community, it is best practice to talk to community members to understand how they want to be engaged and how they define themselves. A conversation with a museum employee, who is also a member of the identified external community, does not completely fulfill this need. While tapping into employee experiences and perspectives is useful, there is a need for ongoing dialogue with external community members in order to gather and learn from various perspectives and voices.

Why it matters

Fostering community is a strategy for audience growth and engagement. In an increasingly hybrid world, communities form a strong foundation, especially for the digital relationships a museum must foster. If a museum is relevant to a community, word-of-mouth will spread, through their members and thought leaders (i.e., influencers). We have defined community as an audience group but it can also refer to the community that is centered around a museum itself, such as staff, volunteers, and fans.

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See: Marketing of the Bronx Museum

C, Glossary

Communications

Posted on by Joyce Kwon

What it means

Communications is a word that can mean different things in different contexts. Communications may refer to an organizational team or discipline, or it might be used in reference to outreach tactics—proactive as well as reactive. In all instances, the term communications encapsulates the focus on crafting and sharing messages in service of the museum and its institutional goals as well as helping build awareness and trust with the public and all institutional stakeholders, both internal and external. (See also Brand Equity.)

How it’s used

While communicating is something everyone does as part of their work, communications as a discipline—which is often, but not always, tied to marketing—strategically crafts and disseminates information and stories that support the museum’s value, mission, and contributions to the communities it serves. Communication also refers to, and is equally important for, both internal and external audiences.

Communications activities and tactics may include distributing information to the media via press releases, media alerts, and individual pitches; conducting media training and interview management for leadership and other staff, as well as sometimes serving as a spokesperson for the museum; developing key messages and talking points for museum leadership and other staff; developing language for the museum’s website and other external-facing materials (e.g., Annual Reports); and managing external public relations firms, crisis communications, and social media platforms.

Why it matters

Strategic communications outreach requires holistic knowledge of the organization, the museum field, and the political and social environment at large. It is important to have a centralized communications plan that supports the museum’s mission and values because the brand’s integrity and reputation are dependent on public perception.

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See: What is a brand?