Who’s your organization’s brand champion?
When you saw this essay’s title and saw the accompanying image, did you immediately know what I meant by brand champion? I chose Steve Jobs because he is probably the most recognized brand champion in the world. Could anyone embody the Apple brand more or better than him? As I head off to the American...
Strategic Design in Action
A while back I posted an essay on Name changes: the real process. I based it on the merger of the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company with Dance Theater Workshop, a groundbreaking event in the performing arts and dance world. No one had done anything like this in the U.S., although London...
Branding vs. Marketing: In case you missed that lecture
When we started these essays we thought branding was pretty much a well-understood, accepted concept within the cultural arts field. But then we got this response to one of our new business letters sent to a marketing director regarding our brand strategy consulting services: “At this time, we focus our energy on creating provocative and...
Thinking like Visitors in Repositioning the Nelson-Atkins Museum
The New York Times Museums Special Section article, “In a Bigger Pond, and Looking to Make Ripples” is about Julian Zugazagoitia, the new director of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, and his hope to broaden the Museum’s appeal. He’s started a conversation series called, “Art Tasting with Julian” and says he has been “using...
Understanding audiences for better branding
In general , consultants are collegial, but they don’t usually comment on each other’s work. It’s that whole competitive thing. But this exception is worth making because I’m an alumnus of the consulting firm that initiated this research study, respect their work, was involved in the inception of the study in its early iterations—and most...
Branding on Board
While listening to panelists at the Crain’s Arts and Culture Breakfast titled Board Games: How to Build and Keep a Strong Board, I was struck by what was not mentioned as pivotal in building strong boards: functional expertise. But first what was mentioned. Panelists included Alan Fishman, chairman, Brooklyn Academy of Music; George Steel, general...
Cultural Diplomacy: Arts Brands Abroad
Earlier this month I attended New York City’s Alliance for the Arts presentation of The Arts Forum at The New York Times on Cultural Diplomacy: Engaging a Changing World. Panelists included Maura M. Pally, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges at the U.S. State Department’s Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau; Margaret C. Ayers,...
Arts or/are Entertainment?
In the back of my mind I recall Philippe de Montebello’s impassioned speech some years ago on “The Changing Landscape of Museums.” In it he said, “ . . . it is by clearly differentiating ourselves [museums] from all manner of entertainment that we maintain our integrity, that we remain not only useful but essential....
Carnegie Hall: presenter or educator?
I read about Carnegie Hall’s expansion of its in-person and online educational programs and the physical spaces needed to provide them and immediately thought: Is Carnegie Hall still a performing arts center with an education arm (Weill Music Institute) or is it becoming even more of an educational institution with performance venues? This may be...
Name changes: the real process
Recently I attended an introductory meeting for the combination of two arts organizations (more on that trend later) and as part of it they introduced the combined organization’s new name. I was reminded what a difficult branding task naming is. It’s rare that entirely new names are launched in the cultural arts. More often we...
The Guggenheim – Leveraging their brand
Back in January, “Helsinki announced that it has commissioned the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to undertake a feasibility study to examine the possibility of building a new Guggenheim Museum in Finland.” While around for some time, museum branding is still in its infancy, but the Guggenheim is at the forefront. Do you need five museums...
What’s the most important determinant in deciding to attend a cultural arts event?
Mazes, however convoluted, always have a definitive conclusion. With polls, I’m not so sure. This is a little poll I started on LinkedIn. Just curious, we’ll see if this audience’s responses reflect results from the client studies I’ve helped set up. Vote! http://polls.linkedin.com/vote/123166/guxmg