Don’t Panic! Key Lessons from the World’s Boldest Brands
#1
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
A Brandingmag Publication
Kim Mitchell Chief Communications Officer MoMA
1
04.2017
brandingmag.com
Don’t Panic! is a monthly 1:1 interview series with a fearless leader to discuss the key growth challenges of their brand – and how they’ve tackled them head on.
We are an independent and global journal, narrating the discussion around branding with insightful sources of news and opinions from the industry. Our dedicated team of writers strives to keep readers informed and intrigued with unique work from brands across the globe, concentrating on fresh brand strategies, executions, identities, development, and overall evolution. And it’s not just us. We’re supported by a beloved group of renowned experts who collaborate and celebrate creativity by bringing their international expertise and experiences to our pages. Together, we propel a vision in which quality content is the value exchange. Together, we applaud the work of our peers, big and small. Together, we persevere with enthusiasm and curiosity, across both themes and borders. Together, we are Brandingmag. And we believe that the name speaks for itself. Flavia Barbat Editor-in-Chief flavia@brandingmagazine.com
Advertising / Media Kit Requests advertising@brandingmagazine.com General Info info@brandingmagazine.com Web www.brandingmag.com Facebook www.facebook.com/brandingmag Twitter www.twitter.com/brandingmag
An Iconic Brand
If someone asked you, “which museum is the most iconic and influential in the world?”, chances are high you would think of MoMA. The New York museum is an art world institution. One that has not only pioneered of the applied arts in 1929 and now welcomes more than 3 million visitors annually, but a diversified business known for being a successful publisher of art books and making affordable design products available in trendy stores in the US and abroad. But the brand isn’t resting on its laurels, rather, they are pushing for their next chapter. Why? Because just as the arts continually evolve, so must the museum that hosts them. MoMA’s category is rapidly changing: many new players are entering the stage, digital platforms are re-defining where and when art is being experienced, and everyone is fighting for a micro-moment in people’s attention. How exactly is the brand tackling these growth challenges? Dominik Prinz spoke to Kim Mitchell, MoMA’s Chief Communications Officer, to find out.
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
4
04.2017
Q1
What is the biggest growth challenge MoMA has recently faced?
That’s easy: The fierce competition for people’s finite amount of leisure time and budget. The explosion of choices in the art world means that you can have your art fix in many ways today. You can go to one of the many museums, but also just take a walk downtown to look at sculptures, or lie down at home and scroll through the Instagram feed of your favorite galleries.
People can get their art fix in many different ways these days.
,,
Plus, we are no longer competing only against other museums. There’s Netflix, Restaurants, or Shopping Centers. We had to dramatically widen our idea of the competitive set. We simply don’t have the luxury to assume that the way the category has behaved in the past is the way it’s going to behave in the future.
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
5
04.2017
Q2
Which bold moves have you made to tackle it?
We started to look at our core audience, the young New Yorkers who are involved in the creative community. And what they want and expect is relatively straightforward: access to personalized experiences! So that’s exactly what we started to offer: ‘Artist Member Open Houses’ make the Museum accessible outside of regular opening hours, ‘Quiet Mornings’ brings people together (even for meditations!) before the museum opens, a Kickstarter partnership allows designers to see their creations featured in MoMA stores around the world.
We are constantly looking at the experience we provide, tweaking it, making it more relevant.
,,
We’re constantly looking at the experience we provide, tweaking it, and making it more relevant. And, yes, we are taking a bet that the people enjoying these unique moments will become very vocal MoMA brand ambassadors.
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
6
04.2017
Q3
Where did you look for inspiration?
Everywhere! Of course, we’re looking at what our peers around the world are doing. But I encourage the team to go out into the city and get inspired by anything, anywhere. Especially in the subway – such a fantastic place to have an immediate reaction to things!
I encourage the team to go out into the city and get inspired by anything, anywhere. Especially in the subway!
,,
Or the Theater. Books. Hollywood. Festivals. We even try to steal ideas from big-pocketed brands, and leverage what we need and our budget can afford us! (smiles)
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
7
04.2017
Q4
Think 10 years ahead – what is the biggest threat or opportunity that will require another bold move from MoMA? One of the things that we will need to watch is how the external political climate and environment changes towards the Arts. The Arts are such an important contributor to an open and vibrant society. It is our responsibility to constantly question how we stay culturally relevant and how MoMA can continue to be a facilitator of the artists’ voices.
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
8
04.2017
Q5
What is your one advice for other brand leaders facing a critical growth challenge?
Have at least one project that makes you nervous, even queasy, about the reaction. And then go in and fight the fight with confidence. But be warned: very often the boldest moves are initially met with skepticism. You must let go of the idea that good ideas will be so understandable that everyone is just waiting to cheer you on. If you’re always afraid of what others think, you won’t ever innovate!
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
9
Have at least one project that makes you nervous, even queasy, about the reaction.
,,
04.2017
Kim Mitchell
Dominik Prinz
Kim Mitchell is Chief Communications Officer at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, where she oversees a 22-person team to implement the museum’s marketing, communications, and brand identity, including advertising, media relations, digital and event marketing, social media, audience research, and graphic design. After joining MoMA as a publicist in 1997, Kim has led her team to use all traditional and emerging forms of communications to amplify the Museum’s iconic brand and presence, to engage with the culturally curious, in New York and around the world. Previously, Kim was Director of Marketing and Communications at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York, and as co-founder of an integrated marketing agency on Long Island, New York. She holds a Masters degree in Communications Management from Syracuse University, New York, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kim currently teaches at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York and has taught at Parsons, The New School for Design in New York, and lectured in the United States, England, Canada, France, Australia, and Germany.
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
Dominik is a regular contributor to brandingmagazine.com. He is also a Partner at boutique management consultancy cg42 in NYC and leads the expansion of the firm’s customer experience and innovation practice. Dominik was previously Interbrand’s Head of Strategy and is a widely recognized thought leader on the integration of business, brand and purpose. dprinz@cg42.com
10
04.2017
Next Up 05.2017
Lauren Bush Lauren Founder & CEO FEED
Read this and future issues with the Brandingmag iPad App
BRANDINGMAG | DON’T PANIC!
12
04.2017
DISCLAIMER
Š 2017 Brandingmag. Some Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the context of reviews. Brandingmag accepts no liability for any unsolicited material whatsoever. Opinions contained in the editorial content are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publisher of Brandingmag. Despite careful control Brandingmag accepts no liability for the content of external links. All images contained in this book are copyrighted property of their respective owners.
www.brandingmag.com