Laurel,
My experience is that a blanket marketing campaign to attract a specific audience doesn't really work very well. It may produce a tour arranged by organizers who are always looking for someplace new to bring a bus tour, but if you want the seniors to stay involved with your museum you need a more personal approach. Hope I'm not being naïve, but from the name of your organization I assume you are a medical museum? If so, have you spent some time involving individual retired physicians and nurses in the interpretation and education programs? Through them, you could target smaller organizations or groups in which they circulate, and specific publications, newsletters, etc. that they receive and read themselves. Very shortly you would have a strong advocacy group who would promote programs at your museum among their peers.
For a current program at our museum, I did do a presentation at the local senior center, but found that my best rate of direct participation came through a personal follow-up (by me) AND nurturing by another senior. Once they come to participate in a program, they are very enthusiastic ambassadors!
Also, I have found that if we don't offer a senior discount we are out of the running. I have also learned that opening the museum to tours arranged by others led to a nearly 100% no-show or cancellation rate. From this point forward, I will require a pre-payment, and if we lose the tour because of that so be it—history shows that odds are they would be no-shows anyway.
Micki Ryan, Director
Orcas Island Historical Museum
PO Box 134
Eastsound WA 98245
360 376 4849
From: Museum discussion list [mailto: [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laurel Weller
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 9:39 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Attracting older audiences
Hello all,
Unlike most museums, the Mütter Museum attracts primarily younger audiences (under 35) – I have been challenged with increasing our numbers in the seniors demographic. Does anyone have experience marketing to this group? Do you have any strategies that worked for you? Is there a resource web site or publication for retirement community activity directors with whom we could list ourselves? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you!
------------------------------
Laurel K. Weller
Museum Educator
Mütter Museum
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Phone: 215-563-3737 x203
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
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