Grand Openings and Grand Results: Generating Excitement, New Members, and New Audiences. Presented by: Mae Daniller, Dana Hines, Rosie Pokrandt, Rosie Siemer, and Jennifer Thomas. Learn from actual case studies of museum grand openings including best practices, potential challenges, and how to leverage these once in a lifetime opportunities for membership acquisition.
2. • Dana Hines, President and CEO, Membership
Consultants
• Rosie Siemer, Principal, fiveseed
• Jennifer Thomas, Director of Annual Programs,
Saint Louis Art Museum
• Mae Daniller, President, Daniller + Company
• Rosie Pokrandt, Membership Coordinator,
History Colorado
Presenters
3. Grand Openings and Grand Results
Grand Opening Case Study
2010-2012
Dana Hines
President and CEO
Rosie Siemer
Principal
4. Member and Donor Growth
• The Traditional
Strategic Planning
Acquisition – direct mail, on-site sales
Lapsed recapture – direct mail and telemarketing
Membership upgrades – direct mail
Annual Fund – direct mail
• The Social
Finding and engaging new audiences
Converting to visitors and members
Leveraging word of mouth
5. Scenario
• A State-run organization
• Transformational time in its own history
• Building a new physical and brand
presence
• Overcoming a perception of need
situation
• Creating a new reputation for an
organization
6. Timeline
• Strategic Planning 2010/11
• Implementation 2011/12
• Grand Opening – April 28, 2012
• Post-Opening – May 2012 to present
7. Goals
• Grow membership by 50%
• Engage new membership audiences
• Engage members donors
• Lay the foundation for future outreach
• Change the way people perceive a
history museum
8. Fully Integrated, Multi-Channel Approach
• Direct Mail
• Social Media
• Mobile/Online
• Telemarketing
• On-site Sales
Touchpoint Flowchart
9. Digital Integration
• QR codes
• Website
• Email append
• Branded Facebook “microsite”
• Contests: Photo, Trivia, Puzzler, and
Scavenger Hunt
10. Audiences and Strategies
Members – upgrade and engagement
• Upgrade appeal, social media to energize
• Donor appeals – giving beyond
membership
Lapsed Members – rejoin and engagement
• Lapsed campaigns and new member
campaigns
11. Audiences and Strategies
Non Members – join and engagement
• New member campaigns, social media to
raise awareness
Facebook Fans – join and participation
• Social and push to mailed campaigns
12. Pre-Opening Timeline
• 50,000 piece acquisition mailing
• 8,000 piece upgrade/lapsed
• 15,000 annual fund in three drops
• Launch social media photo contest
• 50,000 piece acquisition with QR codes
• 8,000 piece upgrade/lapsed – mail and
phone
13. Grand Opening Timeline
Direct Mail
• End of fiscal year donor appeal – 26,000
• Pre and post direct mail acquisition –
150,000 pieces – 75,000 each in 2 drops
Social Media/Mobile
• Grand opening trivia contest
• Gold Rush Puzzler
• Mobile Scavenger Hunt to promote
opening of Denver A to Z exhibit
18. Direct Mail Campaign
Donor Appeal Results
Response Members Revenue
Rate
November 1.51% 86 $ 10,525
December .92% 52 $ 6,150
January 1.73% 97 $ 11,936
Total 5,701 Prospects 4.12% 235 $ 28,611
Average Gift $ 122
26. Social and Mobile Contests
Campaign Goals
• Raise awareness
• Target Audience:
Women 26-40 years old
with kids 6-12 years old
• Increase Facebook fan engagement
• Mission-aligned messaging
• Capture member prospect leads/info
• Drive traffic to membership pages
• Capture personal stories
• Generate excitement and media buzz
32. Overall Campaign Results
• 739 unique participants in total
• 654 individuals engaged for the first time via social
• 91 became members after engaging
• 13% join rate
• 270 QR code respondents; 18% joined
• 39% of QR respondents opted-in for mobile texts
• Facebook grew from 766% from 1,285 to 11,122
• Media attention and primary driver to website
• Captured personal stories
33. Overall Campaign Results
1,961 new members
595 recaptured members
888 upgraded members
235 donors
250% increase in target audience on Facebook
40% increase in membership BEFORE opening
89% increase in membership 6 weeks POST opening
121% increase in membership revenues-FY2012
34. Grand Openings and Grand Results:
Generating Excitement, New Members, and
New Audiences
AMMC Atlanta
April 24, 2013
Mae Daniller, President
Daniller + Company
mdaniller@daniller.com
35. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Case Study
• Located in Boston
• Opened new Renzo Piano-
designed wing in January 2012
• Visitors increased from
11,300/mo. prior to opening to
25,000/mo. around opening to
19,400 post/mo. (72% increase
to current stable number)
• Membership grew from 3,200
to 8,100 (60% increase) in 2012
36. Membership Acquisition Strategy for Grand Opening
To grow membership, the Gardner chose channels of:
• Direct mail
• E-mail
• Supplemented by media partner, The Boston Globe
with print ads and inserted magazine, subway ads,
and bus wraps
• (Exceptionally strong media coverage)
37. Daniller Strategy for Grand Opening Direct Response
• A series of acquisition mailings before, during, and following
the January 2012 Grand Opening
• Strategic testing as part of direct mail
• Direct mail reinforced with disciplined and customized
email follow-up appeals
38. • First two direct mail campaigns designed when new
branding not yet available
• Gardner dark from mid-November to January opening
• Key membership staff person left and replacement not on
board until right before opening
• Membership gift pattern did not fit typical model –
retooled to ensure highest possible returns for January mail
Challenges
39. First Mailing – September 2011
• 80,000 mailed
• 0.76% response rate
• Average gift, $125
• Test: Invitational vs.
Color package
– Color package won
40. Email Follow-up Appeals
• 2 versions of email
appeals:
• Lapsed
• Prospect
• Sent after each appeal
• 3 drops
41. Email Follow-up Appeals
• 2 versions of email
appeals:
• Lapsed
• Prospect
• Sent after each appeal
• 3 drops
42. Second Mailing – November 2011
• 80,000 mailed
• 0.74% response rate
• Average gift, $108
• Neighborhood package
was included
43. Third Mailing – Arrived at time of Grand Opening
• 80,000 mailed to arrive
January 2012
• 1.36% response rate
• Average gift, $109
• New branding
launched
• Offer included
attending an event
with limited number of
tickets available
• People-focused
design
44. Fourth Mailing – Four months post-opening
• 80,000 mailed
• 0.59% response rate
• Average gift, $94
• Mail almost cancelled
after ―Grand Opening
burnout‖ at Museum
45. • Museum was overwhelmed with onsite acquisition
• Onsite acquisition did not go as planned, no training
undertaken
• Membership fell far behind on gift processing and
acknowledgement
• Lessons learned here (per Lance!)
Other Grand Opening Acquisition Efforts
46. What We’ve Learned
• Be prepared for surprises along the way
• Get budgets and commitment for Direct Mail and Email
locked down
• Preparation for onsite sales and backend fulfillment is
critical
• Acquisition doesn’t end after opening—must steward
wonderful new members
48. Grand Openings and Grand Results
(Almost) Ready for Grand Opening
Jennifer Thomas
Director of Annual Programs
49. Saint Louis Art Museum
• Free museum with paid exhibitions
• Under construction with gallery closures and limited
exhibition schedule since 2011
• 13,000 general member households
• 325,000 annual attendance in 2012
• East Building Expansion opens on June 29, 2013
50. Membership Goals
The BIG IDEA—
Increase membership households by 40 % by July, 2013
• Increase membership households from 12,000 to
20,000
• Change culture of Museum to create opportunities to
sell memberships
• Leverage new amenities and public presence to
increase knowledge about Museum and membership
program
51. Timeline
• January, 2012—The BIG IDEA
• May, 2012—change structure of Membership Department
• September, 2012—Art Ambassador Campaign
• September, 2012—On-Site Sales Training for Staff
• September, 2012—Charter Membership Direct Mail Drop
• October, 2012—Robust Telemarketing campaign
• January, 2013—Raised membership rates, retooled benefits
• February, 2013—1st Grand Opening Direct Mail Drop
• April, 2013—2ndGrand Opening Direct Mail Drop
• June, 2013—3rdGrand Opening Direct Mail Drop
• June 29, 2013—Grand Opening
52. Membership Department Restructure
Membership
Coordinator
Membership
Records
Associate
Membership Records
Coordinator
Major Gifts Records
Coordinator
Membership Director
VMS Supervisor
VMS Associates
(many)
Membership
Manager
Membership
Records Associate
Development Operations
Manager
Major Gifts Records
Coordinator
Development Events
Coordinator
Director of Annual Programs
VMS Asst. Supervisor
53. Art Ambassador Campaign
Grassroots effort to recruit 1,000 members
• $84,000 raised
• 934 members recruited
• $90 average gift
(compared to
$78 overall)
• 51% of all gifts were
made online
54. Visitor & Member Services
• Required On-Site Sales training for all staff
• Created a Call Center that is staffed by VMS
staff members
• Set weekly and monthly goals with incentives
during last three months of 2012
• New job descriptions and policies for all new
staff in 2013
55. New Rates, Names, and Benefits
• Increased the price of lowest levels
Regular $55 to $65
Family $65 to $75
• Eliminated $100 level
• Renamed $150 Friends & Family
to receive additional exhibition passes
• Study Groups and Young Friends
added to membership levels at no
additional cost
56. Direct Mail
Month Pieces Number of Gifts Response Rate Average Gift
September 2012 75,000 568 .74 $81
January 2013 35,000 420 1.2 $87
April 2013 100,000
June 2013 65,000
57. Charter Membership, Discounts, and
Experience Your Museum Transformed
Largest Direct
Mail Drop in
more than
20 years with
275,000
pieces
58. Preparation
• Temporary relocation of Call Center and
Membership Processing Staff
• Testing off-site fulfillment
• Hiring and Training new Member and Visitor
Services Staff
• New materials featuring the completed
campus are in production
60. Grand Openings and Grand Results
Grand Opening Case Study
Mae Daniller
President
61. Grand Openings and Grand Results
Top 10 List for Grand Openings
(or other major big deals at your museum)
Rosie Pokrandt
Membership Coordinator
62. Grand Opening Top 10 List
#10. Start Planning yesterday! 18 to 24 months out
#9. Got the Plan, now get the Budget
#8. Right size your staffing for the big crush; make sure
you allow enough time to train front end staff on
the POS as well as selling memberships, talking
about exhibits, etc.
#7. Become BFF with Marketing – you are in this
together!
#6. Communicate your schedule of activities – you will
need graphics, brand identity before anyone else
63. Grand Opening Top 10 List
#5. Create the excitement - Start the implementation
8 months out
#4. Your mantra – this is only going to happen once in
our lifetime – if not now, when?
#3. Have specific month by month revenue and
memberships sold goals – so you can track your
progress towards the goal
#2. Make sure you database, ticket software and
systems are all working BEFORE the grand opening
64. Grand Opening Top 10 List
#1. Stay Sane!
Stay Flexible!
Be able and ready to go with the flow.
Notas del editor
Lots of wavering and angst after performance did not match the stated projections.
Timing for emails-- 2 weeks after first seeds arrived in homes-- 10 days prior to the event in December-- 4 days before Charter Member designation offer would expire (on Dec 31)