Museum Marketing with an English Masters
By Guest Contributor Daniella Snyder
Read the abstract from Daniella's PRO here.
In the last three decades or so, museums have become less of a place to plainly store antiques and sculptures, and more a place that collates and shares human experiences. According to Salvador Salort-Pons, the CEO, director, and president of the Detroit Institute of the Arts, these experiences and stories have a profound effect on visitors, writing that while we see ourselves in these stories, “it is through them that we encounter new perspectives that change how we think and feel.” Therefore, a good museum requires great storytellers of these human experiences, whether they are curators, directors, docents, talkative security guards, or well-written wall labels. These people—those that have the ability to tell a great story—understand and respect the invaluable power of language. Before completing my professional research option, I believed that museum communications was a relatively monolithic career path: they would write press releases, complete grant applications, or post Instagram stories that were funny and interesting. However, after months of interviewing current professionals in the field alongside compiling my own research, I learned about the various responsibilities that comprise the career of museum communications. A museum communication professional is one of the most valuable—but invisible—storytellers. They make important decisions about the identity of the museum, how it appears to the community, its voice, style, and tone. They tell the stories of the museum to the donors, members, corporate sponsors, and grant committees in order to keep the museum doors open. They make sure those stories are clear, concise, relevant, and marketable. They work tirelessly to hone these skills in order to best represent their institution, articulate its values, and sell the museum experience to visitors. Throughout this process, my eyes were opened to the vast complexities and intricacies of roles that fall under the umbrella of “museum communications.” However, despite the profession’s kaleidoscopic quality, my advanced degree in English Literature from Villanova University has fully prepared me for anything I may encounter in my professional endeavors.
Read the abstract from Daniella's PRO here.
In the last three decades or so, museums have become less of a place to plainly store antiques and sculptures, and more a place that collates and shares human experiences. According to Salvador Salort-Pons, the CEO, director, and president of the Detroit Institute of the Arts, these experiences and stories have a profound effect on visitors, writing that while we see ourselves in these stories, “it is through them that we encounter new perspectives that change how we think and feel.” Therefore, a good museum requires great storytellers of these human experiences, whether they are curators, directors, docents, talkative security guards, or well-written wall labels. These people—those that have the ability to tell a great story—understand and respect the invaluable power of language. Before completing my professional research option, I believed that museum communications was a relatively monolithic career path: they would write press releases, complete grant applications, or post Instagram stories that were funny and interesting. However, after months of interviewing current professionals in the field alongside compiling my own research, I learned about the various responsibilities that comprise the career of museum communications. A museum communication professional is one of the most valuable—but invisible—storytellers. They make important decisions about the identity of the museum, how it appears to the community, its voice, style, and tone. They tell the stories of the museum to the donors, members, corporate sponsors, and grant committees in order to keep the museum doors open. They make sure those stories are clear, concise, relevant, and marketable. They work tirelessly to hone these skills in order to best represent their institution, articulate its values, and sell the museum experience to visitors. Throughout this process, my eyes were opened to the vast complexities and intricacies of roles that fall under the umbrella of “museum communications.” However, despite the profession’s kaleidoscopic quality, my advanced degree in English Literature from Villanova University has fully prepared me for anything I may encounter in my professional endeavors.
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