Branding the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and Marketing Manager Mara Christian Harris

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed the branding and marketing of a legendary artist.

Joining us on air was Mara Christian Harris, Marketing Manager of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. The modernist artist Georgia O’Keeffe spent time in New Mexico early in her life and was completely taken with it. She moved here permanently and painted for the remainder of her life in the Ghost Ranch / Abiquiu area.

Images such as O’Keeffe on a motor cycle demonstrate the artist’s independent nature and adventurous spirit.  She managed her own image and brand very carefully throughout her career.

The Georgia O’Keeffe museum opened in 1997 and is one of the few dedicated to a woman artist.  They own approximately 3,000 works of art along with O’Keeffe’s homes and personal effects.  The museum creates rotating exhibitions telling the various aspects of the O’Keeffe story.

Competition for the museum includes other nearby museums and galleries.  To attract tourists and locals alike, they mount two to three exhibits a year keeping them fresh and relevant.  Harris indicated the museum is updating their market research in the near future to determine who their customer is and how and where marketing should be focused.  The majority of visitors are from out of town and Harris’ goal is to reach both locals and the tourist base.

Glover reminded the audience that market research is relevant to all businesses and should be refreshed periodically to assess the current state of customer attitudes.  Feedback can be gathered formally or by more causal means such as customer surveys.

The museum was able to move the needle on their Trip Advisor score through enhancing the visitor experience to make it more friendly and engaging to the customer.  Emphasis on things not to do has been relaxed in some areas and the environment is not as strict.  Security guards are transforming into brand ambassadors and are interacting more with customers.

According to Harris, the job of marketing is to get visitors across the threshold.  From there they can become members and later supporters of the museum.

Enjoy the podcast.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers.  Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com.  Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com.  Listen to Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

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