October 20, 2010 at the Virginia State Capitol The Art of Pro Bono, presented by Bob Tarren, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Summary: Stretching a dollar is just as important as ever, especially for non-profits. Learn how the VMFA used private partners to make every dollar feel like three.

1. Bob Tarren
Director of Marketing It’s Your Art
Limited Communications Budgets,
Unlimited Possibilities
“The art of pro-bono”

2. Today’s reality was yesterday’s reality for state
agencies, non-profits, and small companies

3. Pro-Bono – When you can’t do it alone

4. • Ad agency (substitute free-
lancer, etc.) ego
• Opportunity to do good
• Often free-rein creative
• Need to differentiate
Why should anyone do work for free (or near-free)?

5. • What is your objective?
– Specifically, what problem are you
solving?
• Is there history with external resources?
• Can internal resources be challenged ?
Before you get started…

6. • Organize your assets and be clear
with your mandatories
• Make sure you are driving to a
measureable outcome
• Make sure you have support from
leadership, because you may
need to defend the work
Before you get started…

7. • Know how to talk their language
– Small project, simple direction, land
mines pre-identified
• Ask for recommendations
• Clear communication of situation
• Be willing to stretch
How do you make it work?

8. • A recent example of
‘setting the table’ for a
pro-bono creative
resource
– VMFA to SGS

9. • Know how to talk their language
– Small project, simple direction, land
mines pre-identified
• Ask for recommendations
• Clear communication of situation
• Be willing to stretch
How do you make it work?

10. • Perceptions
• Institutional Ambitions
• Strategic Architecture
Current Situation

11. • Marketplace research already in place
– Alan Newman
– LaPlaca Cohen
• Summary…
– Stodgy, formal, unfriendly, exclusive,
class-centric
– Quality collections and staff, well-loved
and respected by those who were frequent
visitors
Perceptions

12. • The Grand Opening – Reopen or reinvent the brand?
– Communicate a new brand promise, and establish the
foundation of a new brand position
• A museum for all Virginians
– Free general admission all the time, eliminate barriers to
visitation
– Diverse audiences
Institutional Ambitions

13. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Reset perceptions and
expectations of VMFA
• Activate ‘persuadables’
and reinforce ‘evangelists’
• Create evocative
messages that leverage
the VMFA experience
– World class art
– WOW venue (Wi-Fi, Café,
etc)
– A “Third Place”

14. UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIENCE
B
‘Persuadables’
Create new visitors
A C
Evangelists Unengaged
• People who consume
art/culture offering once a
month*
• People who consumer
art/cultural offering once a year
*
• Younger audience, College
to 35
Horizontal axis
Vertical axis

17. VRE Card Car Billboard
OUT OF HOME

18. draft
Web
Banners

25. Thank you!