As a visitor-centered organization, the Columbus Museum of Art creates engaged learning opportunities, interactive exhibitions and events for an exceptionally active membership base. Now, how to celebrate a 140th birthday?
Objective
The conclusion of the Columbus Museum of Art's unprecedented and highly successful capital campaign coincided with its 140th anniversary, creating the perfect time to raise awareness of its mission, vision, and impact. While 140 years is surely something to be proud of, we counseled CMA to use this moment as a reflection point to propel them into the future, instead of looking back. Our discussions resulted in a plan to develop a marketing campaign rooted in history while inspiring new memberships, increased attendance and giving.
Strategy
We developed a positioning statement for the campaign that laid claim to transforming the city of Columbus through creative interaction, education and connectivity. The resulting "Wow moment" theme put the citizens of Columbus in the driver's seat of that transformation through digital execution and social media tactics. With multiple opportunities to share, visitors interact with art both inside and outside the museum.
Digital Landscape
The official campaign logo includes a hashtag, clearly setting up the digital nature of the campaign and communications. The green is a variation on the museum’s main brand color, both uniting it to the current brand and bringing a new energy.
Share Your Wow
Inside the museum, selfie-stations give visitors the opportunity to become part of the art. Social sharing also enables the museum to reach people it wouldn’t have before, breaking down barriers and creating an art experience for everyone.
140 Years of Wow
The project began because of the Museum’s 140th Anniversary, and we wanted to be sure that they could still celebrate that milestone as part of the campaign. We created anniversary messaging and sample executions that the Museum can roll-out when the time is right.
““The Board loved it! We have started playing with how to apply it and found it flexible and bold. Thanks again for everything! ”
Melissa Ferguson, Director of Marketing and Communications, Columbus Museum of Art
