Branding thoughts for small museums and heritage sites.
The whole world is striving to get back to some kind of pre-covid normality. In the UK everyone is waiting for April 12, when shops, restaurants and pubs, cafes, and the much-awaited hairdressers can re-open. Museums and heritage sites though find themselves in the strange position of being able to open their in-house shops to the public, but not their galleries. They will have to wait until May 17, the golden date when they can officially re-open their doors. This paradox is an example of how interconnected the heritage world is with the world of business [Chaney].
The most important aspect of a successful business is the definition of the company brand. Branding, a marketing practice term, refers to “a company creating a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company” [Smithson]. It takes a lot of time and money to become easily identifiable if you are in the business of selling sugared water like Coca-Cola or sports shoes like Nike. Heritage institutions are in a uniquely advantaged position in comparison to commercial companies in that they provide visitors with something they can’t get anywhere else. That’s why millions flock to the British Museum or Tate Modern every year.
That’s fine if your collection is world-renowned but how can a small museum or heritage site with limited funds become easily identifiable? In heritage, branding can be a shorthand term for the process of examining: 1/ what a cultural institution does, 2/ what it stands for (the values it promotes), and 3/ what it means to different people. The answers to these three questions, which can be the product of an inexpensive brainstorming session, have effectively created the heritage brand identity. It cannot be overstressed how important these three goals are in establishing and communicating the brand’s message for the visitors and staff alike.
There can be many ways of developing a brand, which include advertising, customer service, promotion, reputation, and logo. Heritage organizations are again ahead of the game here, as customer service, promotion of exhibitions and artefacts through interpretation and storytelling, and reputation are integral parts of their existence. Furthermore, the day-to-day visitor experience at a heritage site is a further manifestation of the brand.
The two aspects of brand development that require considerable financial investment are advertising and the creation of a logo. But even there, there can be ways of making ends meet. There are logo templates that can be used on online graphic design sources such as canva.com, thenounproject.com, and simpleicons.com. For a more bespoke result look for budding graphic designers who are trying to get their first commission. In marketing look for marketing startups, offer internships to students of university marketing departments, and create case-study opportunities for budding professionals.
Heritage branding might appear a complicated and daunting exercise. But because it combines all these different elements, it is absolutely critical in changing the way visitors can perceive a heritage site. Start by answering the three questions, make sure the staff and visitors know about it and the journey of branding has begun.
Sources
Damien Chaney, Mathilde Pulh, Remi Mencarelli: When the arts inspire businesses: Museums as a heritage redefinition tool of brands http://hal.univ-smb.fr/hal-01698405/document
Elizabeth Smithson: What is branding and why is it important for your business? https://www.brandingmag.com/2015/10/14/what-is-branding-and-why-is-it-important-for-your-business/
