Mikkelberg – a new beginning How can Mikkelberg reach their target audiences and attract new visitors?
Marie Buhl Studienummer – ei240113 Tegn: 25.129 Business language and IT-based Marketing and Communication 29. May 2015
Table of contents Introduction: Mikkelbergs history ..................................................................................................................... 3 Mikkelberg today ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Problem Statement .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Method description .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Theory .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Analysis results ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Martketing Mix – the 7 P’s. (See appendix XX) ........................................................................................ 7 PEST Analysis (See Appendix XX) .................................................................................................................. 9 Segmentation (See appendix XX) ................................................................................................................ 10 SWOT Analysis (See appendix XX) ............................................................................................................. 11 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................................... 13 New target groups ................................................................................................................................................... 14 Channels to reach target groups....................................................................................................................... 15 Focus on the experience for daily users ....................................................................................................... 17 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Bibliografi .................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 2
Introduction: Mikkelbergs history In 1967 Anne-Kjestine and Henry Buhl opened Mikkelberg – Nordic Centre for Art and Cricket (Mikkelberg – nordisk center for kunst og cricket) in an old mill near the German city Hattstedt. The mill had been left and forgotten years ago, but Anne-Kjestine and Henry rediscovered it and wanted to give it new life. They decided to create a place where cricket and Nordic art would unfold as a natural part of the Danish minority in Germany, Sydslesvig, and the Nordic community in general. They called the project “A Nordic Dream”. Cricket and Nordic art don't seem to have much in common at first glance. However, in an interview with the Danish radio stationn P4, Henry Buhl (Buhl, 2005) describes how he believes that professional sports are also a form of art. He explains that the way elite sportsmen move and the precision and control they display should also be acknowledged as an art form in itself. Husum Cricket Club has their place of residence on the Mikkelberg grounds. Through the years Mikkelberg has presented a string of exhibitions featuring primarily Scandinavian and Nordic artists. Some of the most well known are Wilhelm Freddie, Jørgen Nash, Sven Hausteen-Mikkelsen, Sven Dalsgaard, and Robert Jacobsen. Mikkelberg also has its own collection containing works by Margareta Erichsen, Sven Hausteen-Mikkelsen, and Sven Dalsgaard. On average Mikkelberg has had four exhibitions every year, except in the last two years, in which there have only been two. (Mikkelbergs Website, 2015)
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 3
Anne-Kjestine, commonly known as Dinne, passed away in 1992. Since then Henry has continued his work as daily leader on Mikkelberg together with two employees: Birgit Holthusen, who works in the office; and Jörg Krüger, who works as the caretaker and cricket trainer. Henry Buhl is now 90 years old and has recently moved away from Mikkelberg to a home for the elderly. In preparation for this, a management board was put together in 2013 in preparation for the day when Henry would be unable to continue his work so that daily life at Mikkelberg could continue smoothly. Mikkelberg has since been associated with the Danish culture-organization Sydslesvigsk Forening (SSF). Information primarily from (Slumstrup, 2008)
Mikkelberg today Since Henry Buhl left Mikkelberg, the position as daily leader has been vacant; currently, the management board has the highest position. Birgit Holthusen and Jörg Krüger have ensured that the daily life at Mikkelberg could continue as before. The Mikkelberg grounds today consist of a private home for the daily leader, the Mikkelberg cricket grounds with a club house, a few cottages, a tennis court, parking facilities, a large garden area, and “Møllen”, where the exhibitions take place. The management board has developed a four-page vision paper about Mikkelberg which contains ideas for Mikkelbergs future, for both exhibitions and visitors.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 4
Problem Statement For this assignment I have decided to only work with Mikkelberg as an art gallery. In the vision paper the management board says that the cricket club is the part of Mikkelberg that functions the best and that they won’t be making any changes to the way it is run (Slumstrup et al., 2014). As the art gallery is where the board predicts the majority of the changes will take place, this is where I will focus my work. In the last couple of years, Mikkelberg has been struggling with a low number of visitors, with an average of 150 visitors per exhibition. An exhibition lasts for three months (Holthusen, 2015). In the vision paper, the management board mentions that during the last few years Mikkelberg's own collections have carried the weight, and that they would like Mikkelberg to once again become a place where the visitors experience something new. (Slumstrup, et al., 2014) They also address that they would like Mikkelberg to have a bigger support base. They would like more people to become involved with Mikkelberg and make them feel like they in their own way belong to the place. They mention a youth network as well as the local population in Hattstedt as possible target groups. (Slumstrup, et al., 2014) On Mikkelberg's website they describe themselves as a Nordic and South Slesvigan meeting place. (Mikkelbergs Website, 2015) These problems and ideas have led me to the following problem statement: How can Mikkelberg reach their target audiences and attract new visitors? - What is their current target group and should they branch out to other target groups?
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 5
- How can they build their branding strategy and strengthen their visibility? - Which types of media will help them gain the most visibility and attract new visitors and volunteers?
Method description For my research I have focused on qualitative methods. A qualitative method is especially used to go into depth with any given subject, allowing for the opportunity to produce a detailed and in-depth analysis. The first step in my research was to read the vision paper made by the management board for Mikkelberg. I made an analysis of the paper to establish the most important points as well as get an idea of where the management board wants Mikkelberg to be. Afterwards, I conducted two qualitative interviews with relevant people. The first interview was with Birgit Holthusen who works at Mikkelberg and knows the daily life on the grounds. The second with Finn Slumstrup from the management board, who has also played a part in developing the vision paper. Both interviews were done through e-mail. My quantitative information I got from the interview with Birgit Holthusen.
Theory To understand the current situation on Mikkelberg both externally and internally I decided to make a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a situation analysis that gives an insight
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 6
into the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of a subject – in this case, Mikkelberg. To understand the internal situation, the S and W in the SWOT analysis, and what Mikkelberg offers, I decided to make the marketing mix with seven P’s. I decided to use all seven P’s instead of only the four because what Mikkelberg offers is more of a service than just a product. The last three P’s – People, Process and Physical Environment – helps give a more precise picture of what Mikkelberg has to offer. I made a customer journey as part of the “Process”. I then used a PEST analysis to understand the external factors that influence Mikkelberg and its relationship to its consumers and stakeholders. Finally I want to define Mikkelberg's current target group through a segmentation process, where I will describe them using geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioural categories. I will then use the information I got through the marketing mix, the PEST analysis, and the segmentation process to make a full SWOT analysis, giving me insight regarding both the internal and external situation at Mikkelberg.
Analysis results Martketing Mix – the 7 P’s. (See appendix XX) Mikkelberg doesn’t sell any physical products, but they give their guests an experience. Their exhibitions showcase Nordic art, mostly in the form of paintings but also sometimes as sculptures. On the opening day of a new exhibition they create a full customer experience. Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 7
They have a live jazz-band playing and opening speeches, as well as snacks, coffee and cakes. Unfortunately, there are no special treats for the everyday visitor, leaving them with only the exhibition and reducing the experience to a minimum compared to the opening day. Mikkelberg relies on traditional media to reach their guests. They have their opening hours in the daily calendar in the local Danish newspaper Flensborg Avis, which has about 5,000 subscribers. Before a new exhibition they also get an announcement printed in Flensborg Avis, which also usually writes a review of the exhibition after the opening. On top of the newspaper advertisement they have a mailing list that the guests can subscribe to. They write down their address on a piece of paper that is located at the entrance. They then get a flyer sent by physical mail before every new exhibition along with an invitation to the opening day. Mikkelberg does have a Facebook page but it has a low number of likes and is updated very infrequently. As of the 28th of May 2015 their page has 53 “likes”, and it was last updated on the 16th of April, making it almost a month and a half without any updates at all. Mikkelberg itself is located in the countryside just outside the city Hattstedt. If you don’t live in Hattstedt itself, you can either take public transportation to Hattstedt and then walk for two kilometres, or drive by car. This makes it slightly difficult to get to Mikkelberg, since it requires some planning and could be a hindrance for the visitors, resulting in them deciding not to visit Mikkelberg at all. Since the new leadership has taken over, Mikkelberg runs under the organization SSF. This will lead to new possibilities for events and fundraising.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 8
The grounds themselves are surrounded by nature. Next to the cricket ground they have large garden area that could easily be used by the guests as a park or picnic area. There are currently no benches or tables located in the garden. Mikkelberg also has a large parking space, which is useful for bigger events such as cricket tournaments, or openings of the exhibitions. After the customer has left Mikkelberg, the customer experience ends: there are few opportunities to follow up on the visit. The only option is to like their Facebook page, which, as previously mentioned, is barely active.
PEST Analysis (See Appendix XX) Mikkelberg has a difficult economical situation. Mikkelberg is run as a fund. They have a large sum of money in a bank account. They are only allowed to use the annual interest of this sum of money to run Mikkelberg. When this agreement was made the interest was still very high, but throughout the years the interest has fallen, resulting in a lower dispensable amount of money per year. Due to this they now have to apply for grants to ensure economic stability. The management board is working on an application for Sydslesvigudvalget, which is a part of the Danish government budget. Sydslesvigudvalget allocates grants for the day-to-day operation of all institutions in Sydslesvig. The technological development in the world has had little impact on Mikkelberg. They have only recently joined Facebook, and as aforementioned, they barely update it. They still rely on physical letters and newspaper announcements as their main channels to their target group. Furthermore, their website is only available in Danish, despite being located in
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 9
Germany, which makes it almost impossible for people without knowledge of Danish to find information about the centre.
Segmentation (See appendix XX) So far Mikkelberg has not defined its target group very clearly. This becomes obvious when the age of the target group is defined as 0 to 100 years. Seen geographically, a big part of Mikkelberg's visitors come from within the Danish minority. These are people that in their daily life already show an interest for Danish culture and lifestyle. They also have a number of guests coming down from Denmark, mostly Jylland. Many of Mikkelberg's guests are regulars that are signed up to their mailing list. During his time Henry Buhl developed a great network of people who would regularly visit the place to see the exhibitions, but also as friends. Many of these friends have positions such as politicians, artists, folk high school teachers, etc. They have through the years acted as ambassadors for Mikkelberg, spreading the word in their network. The average age of these friends is over 40, as is the average age of most of Mikkelberg's visitors, and they are equal parts male and female. Mikkelberg's guests value art and aesthetics. They are willing to travel a long way to see the exhibitions and stay loyal to the place. They appreciate the Nordic values such as democracy, open-mindedness and community. Another group of people that visits Mikkelberg are folk high school students on excursions, either to visit the Danish minority and learn more about their culture, or to learn more about art. This is a much younger group, usually in their twenties. They are usually in between stages of education and seek new knowledge. Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 10
SWOT Analysis (See appendix XX) SW: The Marketing Mix, PEST Analysis and segmentation have helped me understand the current situation at Mikkelberg better and have created a basis for the SWOT analysis. In the SWOT analysis it became very clear that Mikkelberg has a lot of internal weaknesses. So far they have not had a clearly defined target group. This is a hindrance for their marketing as it can be difficult to find the right channels to attract new visitors. A point that showed up in both the Marketing Mix and the PEST analysis is their use of the media. They work only work with traditional media. They have their opening hours and an announcement for new exhibitions in the Danish minority’s local newspaper. They also have a mailing list for their regulars where they send out letters with invitations, but this doesn’t help expand their target group – it just keeps their current target group updated. Their website is only available in Danish despite being located in Germany and their facebook page is almost never updated. This makes it difficult for new guests to get information about the place, as they would have to notice the announcements or reviews in the newspaper. If they don’t read the newspaper they would have to actively search for Mikkelberg online to find them. Neither the German speaking population nor tourists have much hope of finding information since they would need the help of a translator. This impacts the customer journey since There are many points where the guest could lose interest in visiting Mikkelberg at all due to a lack of accessible information. Furthermore, there is the possibility that after the visit the guests will not see the signup paper for the mailing list, therefore not getting the information needed to return..
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 11
There is also no consistency in the way Mikkelberg presents itself visually across its channels. The logo used on the website and the flyer doesn’t show any elements of art, only the name and a cricket ball. It doesn’t have associations of Nordic art or the place in general. On their facebook page they don’t even use the logo but a picture of the gallery “Møllen”. On the website they have a colour scheme but it is not used across any of their other channels. This creates a low recognition and might even confuse new guests. Some of their current weaknesses however could quickly be turned into strengths. One of these weaknesses is that they are not currently using the outdoor areas for the visitors of the gallery. This could be changed by placing some tables and benches outside in the gardens around the gallery as a service to their everyday guests. The fact that Mikkelberg now has new management and has become associated with the organization SSW is a clear strength. This opens up many new possibilities concerning new projects and cooperation with the different sections within SSW, but also with the other organizations in Sydslesvig. This was not the tradition during Henry Buhl's time as daily leader. The exhibitions are generally very affordable with a price of only two euros per visitor. OT: Externally, Mikkelberg does not have many threats, but the ones they do have are very substantial. The biggest threat at the moment is the economical situation, as it threatens Mikkelberg as a whole. The annual interest from the fund is not as high as it used to be, which makes
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 12
Mikkelberg dependent on getting a grant from Sydslesvigudvalget or applying for grants in other places. This year Mikkelberg started a two-year period during which they have to become economically stable. If they don’t, Mikkelberg will be closed down. Another threat is Mikkelberg's location being outside of the city, making it hard to reach by public transport. The guests need to have a car to come visit which requires some planning beforehand. The guests have to find directions and most likely plan the trip a while in advance to be able to come see the exhibitions. Mikkelberg still has some opportunities they can work with. They have good facilities with space enough to host even big events. They also have a large outside area that could be used by the guests and at events. They also have a big group of “friends” that are loyal to the place and return to most exhibitions, and since Mikkelberg has existed for many years now, their name will be recognized by most people within the minority even if they don’t have any relation to the place.
Objectives Through my analysis of Mikkelbergs current situation I have found three main focus areas that they should work on. -
Reach out to new target groups
-
Expand use of channels to reach target groups
-
Focus on the everyday experience for the visitors
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 13
New target groups Mikkelbergs current target group is very loyal but also very small which can be seen through the steady but low number of visitors at the exhibitions (Holthusen, 2015). I believe it is important for Mikkelberg to reach new target groups to get more visitors to become the “meeting place� they wish to be (Slumstrup, et al., 2014). A larger number of visitors would also help stabilise the current economic situation. Firstly I think Mikkelberg can expand their current target group. Their current target group (Defined in appendix 3) is interested in the art, experience and aesthetic Mikkelberg has to offer. But Mikkelberg limits itself by only targeting these people within the Danish minority. By opening up to the same target group in the German majority population they can stay within their comfort zone and The second new target group I would suggest is a younger audience. In their vision paper the management board brings up the idea of a youth network or at least giving young people an idea about what Mikkelberg is and give them a sense of belonging in their own way (Slumstrup, et al., 2014). This is a more difficult group to incorporate since there are many factors that play against it. One point being that the location is not being easy to reach through public transport making younger people without a driving license dependent on another driver. To reach this target group I would suggest mimicking an event that took place on Mikkelberg ten years ago. The event was a cooperation between Mikkelberg and Dansk Skoleforening for Sydslesvig, the umbrella organisation for the Danish school system in
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 14
Germany. They created an exhibition to celebrate the 200th birthday of the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen with the topic “collages�. (Flamming, 2005) Students from the 1st grade all the way up to the 13th grade from 23 different schools created collages showcasing Hans Christian Andersens many fairytales. The results were presented on Mikkelberg and was at the same time both exhibition and a competition. One collage in each age-category would win a prize of 100 euro for the class-account. To this day it is still the most visited exhibition in Mikkelbergs history. (Holthusen, 2015) There were over 400 students involved in the project and many of them came to visit in busses with their whole class or they would visit together with their parents to showcase their work. (Flamming, 2005) The event was never repeated due to the management at the time.
Channels to reach target groups Currently Mikkelberg is working with two of the 8 Major Modes of Marketing. They are using Direct Marketing when they are sending out the letters to their regulars and Advertising with opening hours and announcements before exhibitions. The direct marketing works well to keep their current target group updated with new exhibitions but it does not help to reach new visitors or strengthen their visibility. The advertising in newspapers is a well chosen channel to reach an older target audience, which Mikkelbergs current target group is. If they should decide to expand their current target group to also include the German population they can continue using newspaper advertisement. The nearest local German newspaper would be Husumer Nachrichten. Before Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 15
new exhibitions they could then buy a spot for announcing it or even send out a press release with the invitation. Depending on the results they could then start branching out to other local newspapers further away in the area. To reach out to a younger audience they should focus on the Experiences and Events mode. Creating an event like the one mentioned in the previous section would get the students engaged and make them feel like they belong in an art gallery. An experience like that would happen in cooperation between Mikkelberg and Dansk Skoleforening for Sydslesvig to create a lesson plan for the students to both learn about the chosen topic and give them an opportunity to create the artwork. An Example could be the following. Topic: Norse Mythology Lesson plan for: History, Religion and Art. The students would learn about the Norse mythology and its lore, about how society was back then and work on an art project related to their new knowledge. In combination with this project Mikkelberg could also bring their facebook page in. They could use the event function to create an event for the opening day. That makes it easy to invite friends and family members to the event. Both the students that already use facebook as well as their parents can then share the event to their own networks. This creates more visibility, not only for the event itself but also for Mikkelbergs facebook page in general.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 16
Other ideas for events could be a summerparty or to arrange one of the yearly minority meetings (“De Sydslesvigske Årsmøder”) at Mikkelberg. They are arranged by SSF, the organization that now also runs Mikkelberg.
Focus on the experience for daily users As mentioned before the opening day of an exhibition is always celebrated with music, speeches and food. But during the remaining three months of the exhibition there are usually no special events or service. This makes the experience at Mikkelberg limited to only exhibition itself. It wouldn’t take big changes to create some new positive touch points for the visitor. A suggestion could be to put up a machine for hot beverages since there is no service on a day to day basis. They could also put up some tables and benches outside so the visitors could bring their own lunch and then eat it in the gardens around Mikkelberg. Some playground facilities like a sandbox and a swing could be a help for families with younger children who want to see the exhibitions. These are small changes that would give the customer some more touch points to make their experience more positive.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 17
Conclusion My research has shown that Mikkelberg has a small but loyal target audience consisting of men and women above the age of 40 mostly coming from the Danish minority Sydslesvig, but also partly from Denmark. Mikkelberg has a steady communication with its regular visitors through letters and traditional media in the form of a local newspaper. To ensure that Mikkelberg gains a stronger support group I would suggest that they branch out to two new target groups. One being an extension of their current target group, also including German guests in their planning. The other new target group should be a younger audience. This would be students from the Danish schools. The students should be approached through a combined lesson plan and exhibition. They should feel like they belong to Mikkelberg as well, having created their own exhibition. In their branding strategy they should focus on creating experiences that they can offer their visitors. This should both be big events and openings, as well as the daily experience for the visitors in between events. To create more visibility they should focus on attracting new people to Mikkelberg both from their current target group but also from the new ones mentioned above. Mikkelberg should strive to become a meeting place for cultures where all their guests feel like the in some way belong. Mikkelberg should continue using their current media channels which are letters and newspaper promotion to keep in touch with their current target group. They should also expand to not only the Danish newspapers, but also the German ones.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 18
A new channel will be through the schools to reach the students. This will happen through a cooperation with Dansk Skoleforening for Sydslesvig to help get the needed reach and extent. This will involve the students in the place but will also spread information to their parents, when they go visit the exhibition. Lastly Mikkelberg should focus on their online channels. Their website should be available in German to ensure that as many people as possible can get easy access to the needed information. They also need to update their Facebook page more regularly with easily sharable posts to create visibility and reach.
I look forward to elaborating on how these ideas could be brought into action.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 19
Bibliografi Buhl, H. (2005). Grænselands-magasinet, DR P4. DR P4. Flamming, T. (12.. April 2005). Andersens eventyr fortalt af de danske skoler. Flensborg Avis. Holthusen, B. (18.. Maj 2015). Information about Mikkelberg. (M. Buhl, Interviewer) Kotler, P., Keller, K. L., Brady, M., Goodman, M., & Hansen, T. (2012). Marketing Management. Pearson. Mikkelbergs Website. (Maj 2015). Hentede Maj 2015 fra Mikkelbergs Hjemmeside: http://www.mikkelberg.de/ Slumstrup, F. (2008). Dage på Mikkelberg - En nordisk drøm i Sydslesvig. I F. Slumstrup. Hovedland og Mikkelberg. Slumstrup, F. (22.. Maj 2015). Mikkelbergs Fremtid. (M. Buhl, Interviewer) Slumstrup, F., Küssner, D. P., Andersen, K., Hardon Hansen, J., Holthusen, B., Krüger, J., et al. (2014). Mikkelbergs Visionspapir. Hatsted: Mikkelbergs Bestyrelse.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 20
Appendix 1 Marketing Mix – The 7 P’s Product: Mikkelberg doesn’t have a physical product but they deliver a service in the form of an experience. They are an art gallery that have exhibitions of Nordic art, mostly paintings but occasionally also complemented with sculptures. The style varies from classic to modern art. During the opening day of an exhibition there is also live music, food and speeches but during the rest of the time the exhibition stands alone. It is possible for groups to make an appointment where they will also get an introduction speech upon arrival. Place: Mikkelberg is a physical place in form of an art gallery. They have a website with information about the history and Price: The price to see one of the exhibitions is 2 euro per person and is paid upon arrival. The customers pay themselves at the door, nobody is checking up on if they actually do pay. The payment is almost symbolic. Promotion: Mikkelberg has a mailing list that the visitors can sign up for. They then get a flyer sent per physical mail before every new exhibition along with an invitation to the opening day. They also have their opening hours in the local newspaper Flensborg Avis’ daily calendar. Before every exhibition there is an announcement in the newspaper. There is also written a review about every exhibition for the culture-page in the Flensborg Avis. They do have a facebook page but it is updated very rarely and does not have many likes. Their website is slightly old-fashioned but holds all the needed information. Their logo that is used on the website does not give associations to art. Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 21
People: Mikkelberg was started by Anne-Kjestine and Henry Buhl and they have always been associated with the place. During their time it has not been tradition to cooperate with other organizations. Now Mikkelberg runs under the organization SSF. Currently the position of daily leader not vacated and the management board has still not decided if or when it will be opened for applications. There are two employees at Mikkelberg that ensure the daily working. Birgit Holthusen is working in the office while Jörg Krüger is caretaker and cricket trainer. Process: See the next appendix. I planned a customer journey as it would be for a new visitor. Physical environment: Mikkelberg is located near the German city Hattstedt in the northern part of Germany. They have a big area of land with the following facilities: “Møllen” where the exhibitions take place, a private house for the daily leader, the cricket grounds with a clubhouse, cottages, a tennis court and large parking facilities. Mikkelberg is surrounded by nature with a big garden area that could be used as a park. The buildings are slightly run down, but are currently being renovated. The rooms in “Møllen” are big and light inspired by the Nordic openness. Information from: (Holthusen, 2015)
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 22
Appendix 1b Before visit
During Visit
After Visit
Seeing announcemen t in newspaper
Planning trip
Arrival at Mikkelberg
Thought s
Interest – Where is this?
Barriers
I don’t know anything about them. I don’t speak Danish. Information about directions and opening hours
It’s far away. How much does it cost? Travel time.
Beautiful Interesting place and surroundings . Payment at the door. Language Language
Planning daytrip, possibly babysitter .
Translated catalogue
Needs
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Seeing the exhibition
Leaving – guestbook and subscriptio n Do I want to see other exhibitions ?
Visiting facebook page/staying connected
Could overlook the paper
Page inactive Announcement s only in the Danish papers.
No coffee or Clear refreshments information . on how to stay in contact
Where can I stay connected?
Something that keeps my interest fuelled.
Side 23
Appendix 2 PEST Analysis Political Factors: Mikkelberg is located in the Danish minority in Germany, Sydslesvig, which is a well established minority. The Danish minority’s political party “Südschleswigscher Wählerverband” (SSW) is represented in the government for the German state SchleswigHolstein. This gives a certain visibility for the minority in general. Economical Factors: Mikkelberg is run as a fund. They have a large sum of money on a bank account. They are only allowed to use the annual interest of this sum of money to run Mikkelberg. When this agreement was made the interest was still very high, but throughout the years the interest has fallen resulting in a lower dispensable amount of money per year. Mikkelberg now has to apply for grants for specific projects when needed. Social/Cultural Factors: Since Mikkelberg is located in Sydslesvig many of its visitors come from the minority. The minority people generally show an interest for Danish culture and lifestyle. Technological Factors: The technological development has not had a big impact on Mikkelberg. They still send out physical letters instead of e-mails and their use of their website and facebook page is minimal. Their website is only available in Danish although they are located in Germany. There are also several spelling mistakes on their website.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 24
Appendix 3 Customer segmentation Geographic: Visitors come from all over Sydslesvig and Denmark, mostly Jylland. (Holthusen, 2015) Demographic: In the interview with Birgit Holhusen she defines the age of their target group as 0-100 (Holthusen, 2015). From my own experience at the openings at Mikkelberg I would suggest a narrower age group, being 40+. The visitors are both male and female, often married couples. They also occasionally have groups from folk high schools visiting. They are in their 20ies also both male and female. Mikkelberg has a large group of “friends� that are personal friends of Henry Buhl. They have functioned as ambassadors for Mikkelberg and visit regularly. These friends are amongst others well known politicians and artists. Psychographic: The visitors at Mikkelberg are interested in traditional art. They seek the Danish and Nordic values and aesthetic. Behavioral: The visitors are willing to travel a bigger distance to see the exhibitions and are loyal to the place.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 25
Appendix 4 SWOT Analysis Strengths - New management giving the opportunity for new cooperations with other organisations. - Possibility to make use of the outdoor areas - Low price, easily affordable
Opportunities - Big grounds with good facilities, nature and space for bigger events - They have a large group of “Friends” that return to the various exhibitions - They have existed for a long time are well known in the minority and general area
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Weaknesses - Their target group has so far not been clearly defined - There are many points during the customer journey where the visitors could lose interest and the “after-purchaseexperience” is minimal - Their logo is unclear and they don’t have a visual identity - Their use of media is very focused on old fashioned medias, not much use of e-mails or social media - No special treats or experiences for the daily visitor - No use of the outdoor areas except for cricket - The position of daily leader is not opened yet Threats - The location - The economic situation
Side 26
Appendix 5 Mission – Peter Druckers classic questions What is our business? -
An art gallery that is specialized in Nordic art. Creating awareness about Nordic culture and lifestyle Create a customer experience
Who is the customer? -
See segmentation in appendix 3 Visitors at the gallery
What is of value to our customer? -
Art, aesthetics High Quality content An experience
What will our business be? -
Creating an experience for our visitors Be a source of knowledge about Nordic art and culture Creating awareness about ourselves
What should our business be? -
Working on creating the best possible experience for Being an ambassador for Nordic art, values and lifestyle
The questions have helped me create the following Mission statement: “Mikkelbergs mission is to create an experience for all their visitors that give them a greater knowledge of Nordic aesthetic, art and values.”
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 27
Vision statement: Mikkelberg already has a vision paper; however it is four pages long. I would like to write their vision into a short statement to clearly tell what their vision for the future is. The main points mentioned in the paper are: -
Mikkelberg as a meeting place for Sydslesvig, both for their current target group, a youth network and the local citizens. Mikkelberg as a Nordic art centre, that has new exhibitions four times a year to give the visitors new experiences These have helped me create the following vision statement: “Mikkelberg will work to be a place with a strong support base throughout the Danish
minority and the local area. They will work as ambassadors for the Nordic art and culture and give their visitors a new experience each visit� STP Process: Segmentation: a segmentation of Mikkelbergs current target group can be found in appendix 3. Their new target group will be young people from the Danish schools. They will do projects in collaboration with Mikkelberg, the age group can then be selected depending on the topic of the project. Targeting: -
Point of Parity: Mikkelberg is an art gallery focusing on traditional art styles such as paintings and sculptures. Point of Difference: Mikkelberg has specialized in Nordic art and is located in the Danish minority in Germany. This gives them the possibility to not only reach Nordic visitors but act as ambassadors for Nordic art in Germany.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 28
Positioning statement: Mikkelberg strives to create an open meeting place for where everyone interested in Nordic art and cultures can experience and create dialogue about Nordic themes.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 29
Empiri Mikkelbergs fremtid. Bestyrelsens vision. PdF-fil, vedhæftet. Mailsvar fra Birgit Holthusen
SV: Marketingopgave om Mikkelberg
Til: 'Marie Buhl' Cc: Jens A. Christiansen Hej Marie.
Mikkelbergs visionspapierer har jeg sendt til dig per mail i går, jeg håber du har fået dem.
Svar på følgende spørgsmål: Målgrupper /gæster: højskoler, grænseforeninger og foreninger aldersklassen: 0-100 Hvor kommer de fra: Danmark, Sydslesvig gæster på en udstilling: ca 120-150 Gæster på Mikkelberg til udstillinger, arrangementer og cricket ca. 4500 personer pr. år (12.000 når vi har Hatsteds Musikfestival på Mikkelberg som Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 30
finder sted hvert 2. ĂĽr)
HĂĽber du kan bruge disse informationer, ellers kontakter du mig bare igen.
Hilsen Birgit
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 31
Til: 'Marie Buhl'
Kære Birgit og Jørg Tak for svar på mine første spørgsmål. Jeg har lige et par mere. Hvor mange udstillinger har i årligt og hvor længe er en udstilling åben? Før i tiden havde vi 3-4 udstillinger som varede mellem 2-4 mdr. De sidste to år havde vi kun 2 udstillinger årligt. Hvilke slags udstillinger har indtil videre tiltrukket flest gæster? Det kommer an på hvor meget der kom i aviserne om udstillingerne. Men Carsten Nash og færøsk kunstner trækker folk til og også når skolerne er med involveret som med udstillingen i H.C. Andersens år 2005.
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 32
Mailsvar: Finn Slumstrup Finn Slumstrup (finn@slumstrup.dk) Til: mariembuhl@hotmail.com
Kære Marie Buhl. Tak for din mail fra i lørdags. Jeg er sygemeldt i disse dage med en dårlig ryg og lænd, men skal forsøge at sende dig nogle linjer, der naturligvis står helt for min egen regning. Mikkelberg Fonden blev etableret i 1987 med henblik på at sikre Mikkelbergs fremtid, når ejeren, Henry Buhl, ikke længere var levende. Henry er nu 90 år, og bor på et plejehjem i Bylderup Bov, som du sikkert ved. Da det blev nødvendigt at lave en mere formel struktur, fordi Buhl begyndt at blive alderssvækket, og først og fremmest fordi der måtte laves en struktur som muliggjorde, at Mikkelberg kunne få tilskud til driften fra offentlig side, blev vedtægterne justeret den 15. maj 2013. Bestyrelsen kom til at bestå af Henry Buhl, Birgit Holthusen og Jörg Krüger fra Mikkelberg, samt Dieter Paul Küssner fra det danske mindretal, og Kim Andersen (MF) og mig som personer, der nord for grænsen havde arbejdet for grænseoverskridende arbejde. Den 1. marts 2014 blev bestyrelsen udvidet med SSF’s nye formand, Jon Hardon Hansen, og advokat Steen Schröder. Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 33
Henry Buhl sidder i bestyrelsen på livstid. De øvrige er valgt for 5 år. Det nye er, at Mikkelberg-Fonden er associeret SSF, og dermed på en ny måde placeres ind i det danske mindretals arbejde i Sydslesvig. I bestyrelsen har der været enighed om, at Mikkelberg skal videreføres på en måde så den ånd, Dinne og Henry Buhl fra starten lagde i arbejdet, stadig er gældende. Der er derfor ingen diskussion om, at der stadig skal være tale om et nordisk kunstcenter og om det værdifulde arbejde med Husum Cricket Klub. Men hvordan skal det udmøntes i praksis i en ny tid? Det har bestyrelsen drøftet meget, og disse drøftelser mundede ud i, at bestyrelsen i oktober 2014 vedtog et visionspapir om Mikkelbergs fremtid. Dette papir kender du åbenbart, og min indblanding bestod i, at jeg var pennefører på visionen på baggrund af indkomne betragtninger fra bestyrelsens øvrige medlemmer. Vi er ikke kommet langt med ungdomsnetværket, idet vores allerførste opgave har været at arbejde for, at Mikkelberg ikke forfalder, men at en organiseret vedligeholdelse af bygninger og anlæg kan gennemføres. Samt naturligvis sikre finansiering af dette omfattende arbejde. Denne proces fortsætter på bestyrelsesmødet den 1. juni, efter vi i den forløbne tid har udbedret de mest forfaldne dele af anlægget. Et af vore første store skridt væk fra, at det skal være Mikkelbergs faste samling, incl. Margareta Erichsens arbejder, der bærer udstillingsvirksomheden, er den nuværende store
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 34
udstilling med færøske kunstnere – hvoraf nogle har været på Mikkelberg før, mens andre er helt ukendte. Det var nogle umiddelbare betragtninger, der forhåbentlig kan være nyttige. Hvis der er andet, jeg kan hjælpe med, er du velkommen til at vende tilbage. Og det kunne da være interessant for os i bestyrelsen at se din opgave, når den er færdig. Bedste hilsener
Finn Slumstrup Forfatter & foredragsholder Smedegade 6, 5970 Ærøskøbing Tlf. 24 67 81 57 finn@slumstrup.dk www.finnslumstrup.dk
Mikkelberg – a new beginning
Side 35