On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Eugene W. Dillenburg wrote:

> Thus (at long last) my question: should museums attempt to explain their
> inner workings to an apparently disinterested public?  Does our audience
> have the "right" to know what goes on behind the scenes?  A "need" to know?
> A desire to know?

        As a marketing professional, my answer to these questions is an
unalloyed, "Yes!"

        People in general want to learn.  Certainly museum attendees have
this desire: otherwise why would they be at your institution in the first
place?

        You state the difference in the attitudes of museum members and
general attendees very well:

> We are encouraged by the overwhelming popularity of our Members' Night -- an
> annual "open house" when visitors can come behind-the-scenes and meet with
> researchers in their labs and offices, see what we're working on, ask
> questions, etc.
>
> However, surveys with the general public tell a much different story.  Large
> majorities are not even aware there *is* a "behind-the-scenes," don't know
> what's back there, and don't much care.  They have no idea that we have
> researchers and research collections, and when presented with the
> possibility, many flatly reject it.

        These two attitudes sound almost like a casebook study in two
different sales philosophies, describing benefits to the customer versus
merely listing features.  The latter approach is certainly the easiest of
the two; all you have to do is take an inventory of what it is that occurs
at a museum "behind-the-scenes".  Unfortunately, you usually wind up with
a narrative that looks like a jargon-laden grocery list.  A list of
features is only useful to people who already know about those features.

        The first approach, describing how the museum's behind-the-scenes
workings benefit the attendee, certainly takes more time and imagination.
But the results are worth the investment, both for your attendees and your
staff.  Your attendees win because they see not only what you do, but what
it means for them personally.  They feel more connected to your museum and
your mission at a personal level ("I want to help my museum because they
help me by doing A, B & C") as opposed to keeping your attendees at arm's
length ("I already pay my admission fee to walk the museum; why should I
do anything else for them?").

        And that is the most important point, because as your attendees
learn more about how the museum benefits them they are much more likely to
become active museum members.

        Also, this benefit-driven approach helps your staff.  They want to
know that their dedication is going to be understood and appreciated by
others, both museum professionals and attendees.  By giving them the
opportunity to describe how their work benefits the general attendee, they
get to re-examine what it is that they do in a fresh light.

        Museum professionals --whether at art, historical, cultural or
scientific institutions-- are dedicated to de-mystifying the wonders of
their chosen field to both members and the general public. I can't think
of any reasons why you cannot also de-mystify the wonders of working to
develop and support a museum.

Rich Johnson
Director of Marketing
Cotton Expressions, Ltd.
Science & Nature Imprinted Apparel

> "Never pay more than minimum wage for a shirt."
>
>                                 -- Bruce Elliott

PS.  You get what you pay for. :)

RJ