Voice
3126 W. Cary St., #447 | Richmond, Virginia 23221-3504 | 804. 358.3170 | www.vamuseums.org | Fall 2016 Hunting Pokemon in the sculpture garden at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The game has attracted new audiences to museums, landmarks, parks, and other sites of interest since its inception in July.
Communications in a Changing World: VAM’s Audience Survey
i Taking Advantage of PokĂŠmon Go
in Support of Your Mission
Member Profile: The MacArthur Memorial
Communications in a Changing World: by Heather Widener “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” - George Bernard Shaw
Which communications goals are most important (brand awareness, engaging the community, courting donors)? Which communications channels are most effective in delivering various types of messaging (program, fundraising, etc.)? What is the ideal frequency for communicating with audiences? What gets in the way of communications successes? As the communications “arm” of the very small VAM team, these questions (and more) weigh on my mind. As professionals working at museums with increasingly more to communicate to diverse audiences over constantly-changing channels, I suspect some of this will sound familiar. If directing communications for your museum is in your wheelhouse, you likely track analytics including the number of followers across various channels, the number of views or email opens (your “reach”), levels of audience engagement (measured by re-tweets, ‘likes’, or comments on your posts), and – most importantly – conversions. In other words, how many in your audience actually visit, attend an event, donate, join, volunteer, or take some other meaningful action for your organization? Analytics are important measures that indicate a lot as far as audience habits, demographics, and preferences. However, sometimes it can be beneficial to gain more direct insight from those on the other side of the “send/receive” equation. That is where communications surveys can be valuable.
Cover Story
As part of our greater goals in communications planning, we surveyed our VAM audience to get their opinions about how we communicate. We were very happy to get over 125 responses to our survey, which we felt was a healthy representative sample of our audience. The survey was ‘live’ for approximately one month this summer, and was delivered via email, in our Enews Forum, and via our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn). Overall, we were very happy with our survey results. Some of our data showed what we instinctively knew as far as our strengths and weaknesses, highlighting areas to hone in on as we set communications goals and plan for 2017, our 50th anniversary in 2018, and beyond. Here are a few snippets: • 95% of respondents are somewhat or consistently made aware of VAM offerings. • The primary reason given for not reading communications was “time constraints.” • The vast majority of respondents report “just the right amount” of communications at “the right frequency;” program updates and Enews are the most popular communications. • Surprisingly, 87% get VAM communications in their inboxes with no automatic filtering problems (12% say they need to check their “promotions” or “clutter” filters to retrieve VAM communications).
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VAM communications consist of a variety of messaging over various channels, as well as resources provided via email and via the VAM website. Some of these include our Enews Forum, our Voice quarterly news magazine, our blogs, our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, as well as white papers and technical pieces. Because of the persistent problem of information overload and audience time constraints, it is always a challenge to keep tabs on audience awareness (see the quote at the beginning of this article). However, based on our survey, we’ve been able to glean a few things about the types of communications and resources we provide. For example, most of our audience is aware of, and happy with, our E-news Forum (three-fourths of respondents indicated that it met its purpose “to a great extent,” with only three respondents indicating it did not meet their expectations (less than 2%)). Our blogs, on the other hand, have progress to make as far as gaining readers and becoming integral to the overall VAM brand. Only 20% read the blog regularly; 40% weren’t aware we had one. In response, we’ve improved the frequency and consistency of our posts, and have worked to engage a greater number of guest authors to truly reflect the purpose of our blog, to provide Perspectives from the Field. Hopefully, you have noticed the positive changes in response to audience feedback. If you haven’t checked out our Perspectives from the Field blog, do so at this link: http://www. vamuseums.org/blogpost/1155695/Perspectives-from-the-Field. The communication you are reading now - the Voice - has been a mainstay for VAM. It has changed through the years from a paper mailing to an online-only interface, to the hybrid format we use today (our winter edition is printed, while our remaining three editions are online-only, and posted in two different formats (.pdf and via Issuu.com) so that our audience can choose their preferred interface. While 50% of our audience indicated they prefer to read a hard copy of the news magazine, another 30% indicated they don’t have a preference in format. Some lamented the online readability of a magazine. In this edition, we’ve attempted to address that concern by cutting down on the number of columns per page, and by increasing the white space between the printed lines. Hopefully this is a small first step in helping our online readers. Unsurprisingly, our lead articles and technical inserts were the two most popular areas of the magazine, and we received high marks overall for article content. One respondent liked the “polished, local focus” of the Voice, while others indicated it is a “good source for museum news in Virginia,” with “good operational information and leading trends.” Another goal of our communications survey was to gauge social media habits. Prior to ~2008, this was not a part of my (or any communication professional’s) job. The 2016 Global NGO Online Technology Report indicated that 97% of NGOs in North America have a Facebook presence, 85% have a Twitter presence, and 71% have a LinkedIn presence. These were the top three social media channels reported, and VAM’s own survey is in alignment with that, with Facebook (90%), LinkedIn (38%), and Twitter (25%) ranking
: VAM’s Audience Survey highest among social media platforms preferred by our audience. One thing that surprised us was to learn how popular LinkedIn is among our members. Since VAM is a professional association, it is not surprising that we’d attract an audience that is also fond of LinkedIn, which bills itself as the world’s largest professional network. While we have long maintained a group on LinkedIn, we have focused more efforts on our Facebook and Twitter engagement; our survey results indicate that LinkedIn is an area for growth and development. Pursuant to that, we’ve begun to bolster content on LinkedIn, have developed our “company” page, and encouraged our board and staff to link to the company page when listing their board service or employment, respectively. Stay tuned as we continue to work toward a more robust presence on LinkedIn. We’ll be posting events as well as training, volunteer, and job opportunities.
If you choose to conduct a communications survey of your audience, be sure to include questions about social media preferences. Social media can be an organization’s ‘first touch’ to new audiences (because of the inherent sharing, commenting, and notification features – indeed, the social aspect of these platforms). Unfortunately, some still see social media as a frivolity or an add-on. This is unrealistic, as anyone who seeks to effectively manage social channels can tell you. It requires a bit of time, experience, and effort to do so, since algorithms are constantly changing and the platforms are becoming increasingly sophisticated and varied. Does your museum have a good “read” on its reach and audience habits? How can audience feedback help drive the strategies behind the “social” component of your commuications plan? As VAM learned, understanding your audience can help drive positive change in your communication strategies.
Unlike a targeted professional association such as VAM, museums and cultural organizations seek to engage the visiting public. As communications professionals in museums, you are more likely to include in your communications strategy the use of platforms preferred by, say, the under 21-crowd as you seek to engage your communities. Use the analytics available to you while also eliciting some direct audience feedback to better understand your audience and effectively engage with them. As the VAM example hopefully has shown, it is important not only to reach out and survey your audience, but to act on the feedback you receive to better serve them.
Overall, VAM gathered valuable insight on the spectrum of our communications. We’ve already responded to our findings by adjusting our priorities and communications goals to be in closer alignment with audience preferences and needs. We hope that you’ll notice positive changes as we seek to reach out effectively and serve the Virginia museum community. Likewise, we hope that you’ll consider taking that “deep dive” into your museum’s communications and consider eliciting direct audience feedback as you seek to develop your museum’s brand, voice, and reach.
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Taking Advantage of Pokém
by Heather Widener If you work at a cultural institution or other attraction, you may have experienced a game-changing (excuse the pun) phenomenon this past summer: Pokémon GO. On July 6th, Pokémon GO launched in the US. The game, using augmented reality (AR), wants its users to get up and GO! – to public art installations, historical markers, parks, theaters, museums, battlefields, libraries, galleries, and other places of note. Pokémon GO is a free app that you download for iOS or Android. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to do that to better understand the phenomenon.
Technical Insert
Regardless of whether Pokémon GO has longevity as a game, it marks a new phase in digital technology as the first widespread, popular use of AR. Do you remember when the web became “social” and Web 2.0 changed things forever? The implications for AR development are wide-reaching (and mind-boggling). According to AAM’s Center for the Future of Museums’ Trendswatch 2016, “The surge in new AR/VR technology will both boost traditional businesses (like gaming) and create new business opportunities. The market for VR content is projected to reach $5.4 billion by 2025.” Also, “AR and VR hold promise and peril for museums as well. Why go to a museum when you can just don a headset to experience fabulous sights, sounds, touch – and hang out with friends – without leaving home? On the other hand, with such a direct, high-impact platform to reach people where they live, how many converts can museums court to visit IRL (in real life)? If VR and AR experiences become both affordable and widely accessible, museums will need to sharpen their positioning and value proposition with their communities.” (Me/We/Here/There: Museums and the Matrix of Place-based Augmented Devices, Trendswatch 2016)
“Gyms” and train and evolve their Pokémon to higher levels with greater powers. If this all seems confusing, it’s really not. Just play around with the game to gain some familiarity. By now you’ve probably heard a good mixture of reactions and consequences to this game. Most who play are doing so appropriately and having a lot of fun, moving more, and exploring their communities like never before. Because the game drives trainers to locations such as parks, public squares, historic buildings, statues, public art, museums, and more, this offers a unique and maybe unprecedented opportunity for marketing and outreach by those sites. Cultural organizations are always seeking new audiences. Indeed, if you conduct a Google search for “reaching new audiences + museums,” you’ll get nearly 27,000,000 results. Because the game encourages travel by foot, businesses and organizations began noticing immediate changes to patterns of potential customers and visitors. Many players of Pokémon GO may never have come to your site before. The game offers a prime opportunity to market to what might be a completely new audience demographic for your museum. Actually, based upon VAM’s survey of the phenomenon at Virginia’s museums, nearly 50% of respondents reported a change in visitor demographics, with over 73% reporting an increase in younger visitors. Over 30% saw an increase in family visits, and over 56% saw an increase in visitors from within their local communities.
Eighty five percent of our survey respondents indicated that their sites have PokéStops or Gyms. How can you get players to see you as more than a PokéStop? First, appreciate that the app provides information about the various PokéStops. Your new audience is learning something already. It is likely not all you If you are charged with keeping things running – and running want them to learn, however, and you’ll smoothly – at your site, a little knowledge about the game will want to fill in the gaps. The following are go a long way to understanding what you are witnessing. To tactics used by savvy organizations to give a brief overview, the game allows you to “hunt” and capture leverage the marketing opportunity. “wild Pokémon” (animated creatures, with various powers and point values) in the real world. The game uses your phone’s Know where your site’s “hot spots” are (i.e., Gyms and camera, GPS, and Google mapping data to create an AR overlay PokéStops). Also pay attention to what “team” is in control on your screen. As you walk and travel, you can visit PokéStops of the Gym at any given time, as well as what Pokémon tend to (virtual “places” located at landmarks in the real world) to gather appear at your site. Assign a volunteer or staff member to work Pokéballs (which are your “ammunition” used to catch Pokémon) the Gyms and PokéStops. Talk to visitors. Play the game along as well as other helpful attributes (such as “raspberries” which with them. Sneak in some information about the site. make it easier to catch a high-powered Pokémon trying to escape capture). As players (called “trainers” in the game) adIf you don’t have the human resources to man these areas, can vance through levels, they add their captured Pokémon to their you set up a “welcome station” for players? Perhaps some water Pokédex (their catalog of the little creatures), compete to control bottles and power cords for a temporary charging station could be
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mon GO in Support of Your Mission set up along with brochures about your organization and an email signup sheet for those who might wish to learn about upcoming events. Ask yourself: might that be worth a modest investment?
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Entice players with a one-time discount. Gather some great social media content for your organization by exchanging admission coupons for screenshots of Pokémon around your site posted to your organization’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat account. Many businesses are seeing success by offering discounts and incentives for players, and seeing increased foot traffic and sales. Most likely your organization can do something similar.
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Consider creating a map of your site that shows player-visitors what “PokéAssets” (I am coining a new phrase here) you have. Push out messages via social media and use the #PokémonGo hashtag to do so. Use the in-app camera tool to snap pictures of the critter in front of statues, art pieces, or at entrance signs.
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Another idea, and one that organizations such as libraries can incorporate, is to set up check-in points where players can leave their signatures, list what Pokémon they’ve discovered, and maybe even charge their phones for a few minutes while applying, say, for a library card, or adding their contact information to a newsletter list. If your organization has ever lamented its ability to reach more audiences, now is the time to take advantage of the new audiences just outside your door. If your mission involves education, public outreach, and access for all, now is the perfect time to put that mission into practice in new and exciting ways. Overnight, and without any action or capital investment, new visitors are probably walking around your site, playing the game. You can take advantage of the increase in foot traffic, or let the opportunity pass – it is entirely in your hands. You can leverage it, or allow it to walk on.
Integrate it with your Programming Do you lead nature walks or gallery tours? These are perfect ways to engage this newly-arrived audience. If you see folks playing the game at your site and are gathering a group for a walking tour, invite the players to join you. Entice them by telling them what they might find along the way (a PokéStop, a rare “Eevee,” etc.). This is a great way to engage visitors – maybe they’ll come to play, but stay to enjoy other assets your organization has to offer. Even while playing the game, people can learn about your site. You can point out, for example, “This historic statue is a PokéStop for those of you playing the game, and you’ll see in your app that it was erected in 1901. Let me tell you a little more about it…..” If you have youth programs running, think about ways that
you can integrate the game, since you’ve already planned your curriculum and activities and wouldn’t want to veer away from your educational objectives. Adding a 20 minute walking tour to a youth program would allow them to play the game and also learn more about your site. One of our survey respondents noted, “We’ve made exhibit specific scavenger hunts for children to do while walking with their app open. Since we are an art gallery, we give the children an opportunity to earn a Pokémon badge by completing the scavenger hunt, drawing their team logo, and drawing their favorite or made up Pokémon. We’ve noticed kids taking a more active role in viewing the exhibits.” Capitalize on the Buzz with Pokémon Events Pop-up events have taken place everywhere this new app is available, seemingly. Some organizations are hosting fee-based “after-hours” events inviting people to come and play and hunt Pokémon. For example, the Virginia Zoo was able to raise over $10,000 for their wildlife conservation fund in this way. According to Kearston Walden, events manager, “[I] believed that with the Virginia Zoo’s 20+ stops and over 50 acres it was something we could cash in on.” Indeed. In addition to the $10,000 raised toward wildlife conservation, the Zoo’s gift shop, restaurant, and train made more in 2.5 hours than it had during the 8 hours they were open that day. Perhaps even more important than the financial boon, Walden points out, “I was able to show 2,500 people our venue and I can’t see [that] as anything but a great marketing add for the group sales department.” No one knows if this fad will stick or fizzle, so be opportunistic in your approach and try to grab up new audiences.
Luring Players to Your Site Innovative organizations have found other ways to use the game to pull in visitors, simply by using the game tools themselves. Pokémon GO has a feature called lure modules. These are sometimes gathered by players at PokéStops and are used to “lure” additional Pokémon to a PokéStop. Lures last for 30 minutes. Lure modules benefit all players in that location because all can “see” and catch those additional Pokémon. Organizations interested in attracting even more foot traffic at certain times are populating their PokéStops with lure modules to do so (hint: it works). Obtaining lure modules doesn’t need to depend on your luck (or skill) in the game. Lures can be purchased within the game and placed around your site. You’ll just need to download the
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At-a-Glance: 2016 - 2017 Workshop Series Commemorative Collaborations
Program Updates
Learn how to leverage participation in Virginia’s upcoming 2017 and 2019 Commemorations and how to ignite local anniversaries and celebrations. Discover lessons learned from the Civil War Sesquicentennial, the benefits of being involved in upcoming observances, how to develop traditional and non-traditional partnerships, and how to maintain momentum after festivities conclude.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Virginia War Memorial; Richmond, VA Certificate Credit: External Relations Speakers: John Hennessy, Historian, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park ; Cheryl Jackson, Director, World War I & World War II Commemoration Commission; Rusty Nix, Communications Manager, World War I & World War II Commemoration Commission and Virginia Tourism Corporation
Creating a Protective Environment for Today’s Museums As public institutions, museums need to be prepared for any emergency. Examine the implications, reasoning, and benefits of increasing security at your museum. Learn about aspects of security, from doing a threat assessment to creating policies and procedures. Staff from the Virginia Holocaust Museum will help you learn how to start a security department from scratch. While every museum is unique, and budgets and size play a role in preparedness, you’ll understand how to make your museum more secure. Date TBA Location TBA Certificate Credit: Internal Affairs Speakers: Charles A. Coulomb, Interim Executive Director, Virginia Holocaust Museum; Timothy Hensley, Director of Collections, Virginia Holocaust Museum; Troy Ross, Director of Security, Virginia Holocaust Museum
Capitalizing on Your Strengths to Expand Audiences & Meet SOLs Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) offer unique dilemmas for museum educators and volunteers. Staff from a variety of insti-
tutions will help you find the opportunities at your unique site to maximize your strengths to creatively meet SOLs and deliver top-notch K-12 education programming. Monday, April 3, 2017 Museum of Contemporary Art; Virginia Beach, Virginia Certificate Credit: Education and Outreach Speakers: Lea Bennett, Outreach & Family Programs Coordinator, Museum of Contemporary Art; Tracy Bradford, Education Coordinator, U.S. Army Women’s Museum; Cydnee Gentry, Education Volunteer, U.S. Army Women’s Museum; Crystal Johnson Horne, Associate Curator and Director of Membership & Community Programs, Hampton University Museum
Creating Furnishings Plans for the Historic Site Collections staff from George Mason’s Gunston Hall will share the background and insights about the interior restoration and how the staff re-examined and invigorated the historic property. Monday, May 22, 2017 Gunston Hall; Mason Neck, VA Certificate Credit: Exhibitions Speakers: Gunston Hall staff
Customer Service That Shines Good customer service is more than smiling and making eye contact; it’s ingraining a culture of compassion. Speakers from NOVA Parks will present a customer service program based on Service Purpose and Service Standards that provides consistent service at all 32 of their agency operations. Colonial Williamsburg staff will show how storytelling, card games and other tools can give trainees skills they need to wow guests. By integrating corporate policy, real-life scenarios, and passionate, playful storytelling, learn to construct a customer service skills course certain to stick with your employees. Date TBA Location TBA, Central Virginia region Certificate Credit: External Relations or Education and Outreach Speakers: Jennifer DeFratis, Training Specialist, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; John Houser, Park Manager, Occoquan Regional Park, NOVA Parks; Helen Wirka, Historic Site Specialist/Curator, Carlyle House Historic Park, NOVA Parks
Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts 2016 Lithograph, First Regiment Virginia Volunteers; 1858 Ashland Museum, Ashland
Garden Shed Signatures; c. 1900-1965 Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, Leesburg
Snider – Botetourt Sampler; 1830 Botetourt County Historical Society and Museum, Fincastle
Macdowell-Eakins Archives Photographs & Negatives; c. 1880-1935 Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke
Portraits of Rufus and Caroline Griswold; 1840 Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Richmond
Robert E. Lee’s Three Piece Wool Sack Suit; c. 1860s University Collections of Art and History, Washington and Lee University, Lexington
Antebellum Wedding Dress; c. 1858 History Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke Cloth Children’s Map of the United States (with National Historical Scenes); 1941 MacArthur Memorial, Norfolk Bob Slaughter’s Order of the Day; 1944 National D-Day Memorial Foundation, Bedford
Deep History: Collection of Documents Related to Virginia Slave Codes, 1798-1890s Wilderness Road Regional Museum, Dublin People’s Choice: The “Dinwiddie County,” Pullman Sleeper/Lounge Railroad Car; 1926 Richmond Railroad Museum, Richmond 20,728 public votes
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The MacArthur Memorial by Christopher Kolakowski
T
he MacArthur Memorial, in the heart of downtown Norfolk, was founded in 1964 as a museum and archive dedicated to the life and times of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). The City of Norfolk operates the Memorial in close partnership with the nonprofit General Douglas MacArthur Foundation. The MacArthur Memorial averages over 40,000 visitors per year, and is open free of charge.
Member Profile
Although the Memorial carries General MacArthur’s name, he believed that the institution was far greater than him. As he wrote in 1964, “I regard it as symbolThe exterior of the MacArthur Memorial with a statue of General MacArthur in front. ical of the devotion, the courage, and the sacrifices Photo courtesy of the MacArthur Memorial. of the millions of armed men who went with me in General MacArthur died on April 5, 1964, before the the great wars of this century.” This mission continues Memorial’s formal dedication, and was buried in the to drive the Memorial as a place to study and honor the Memorial’s Rotunda on April 11, 1964. The MacArthur men and women who have served this country from the viewing and funeral attracted an international crowd of Civil War forward through the Korean War. over 87,000, making it one of the largest events in Norfolk’s history and serving as the Memorial’s dedication. Why Norfolk? Jean died in 2000 and lies beside him. One of the most common questions asked about the Memorial is how it came to be in Norfolk. General MacArThe MacArthur Memorial Collections thur regarded Norfolk as his spiritual home, and his The Memorial contains over 15,000 artifacts and over 2.5 mother had very deep roots in the city. In 1951, General million documents, books, and films that tell the story of MacArthur spoke at a ceremony dedicating a new city General MacArthur’s life and times – roughly the period park on the site where the family estate once stood. from the Civil War to 1964. Among the most prominent During the festivities, MacArthur stated that he felt that items in the collection are General MacArthur’s medals; he had “finally . . . come home.” Remembering this sentihis iconic hat, corncob pipe, and sunglasses; his limousine; ment, in 1960 Mayor Fred Duckworth presented the GenJean MacArthur’s Presidential Medal of Freedom; and eral with the idea of a creating a museum and repository countless other objects from him and those who served in Norfolk for the General’s library, papers, and other with him. There are also 4,000 objects of Asian art that the memorabilia. Norfolk’s offer of the old City Hall Building MacArthurs acquired largely from 1945 to 1964. (c. 1850) as the site for the proposed MacArthur museum appealed to MacArthur. On the condition that he and his The MacArthur Memorial Archives is housed in the Jean wife Jean MacArthur could be buried in the Rotunda of MacArthur Research Center. It contains General MacArthe museum, MacArthur entered into a partnership with thur’s original collection of 5,000 volumes augmented the City of Norfolk. The resulting MacArthur Memorial by gifts and purchases of books concerning the General, opened January 26, 1964. his times, and his associates. It is a non-lending reference
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and research library. The Archives proper hold some 2.5 million documents, 86,000 photographs, 200 photograph albums, and 300 motion picture films in addition to sound recordings, newspapers, rare books, scrapbooks, and microfilms. These items are accessed by over 3,000 researchers each year from all over the world.
In all cases, the Memorial is working closely with Virginia’s WWI/WWII Commemoration Commission to develop and coordinate efforts. More information on the Memorial and its activities can be found at www.macarthurmemorial.org.
The Memorial itself has permanent exhibits, while the Visitors Center contains a changing exhibit gallery. In addition, the Memorial has partnered with other museums in Hampton Roads and elsewhere to put on exhibits using items from the Memorial’s collections.
The Memorial’s Education Programs General MacArthur charged future generations to “look toward the future, yet not neglect the past.” To fulfill this mission, the Memorial pursues a robust education and outreach program using a wealth of unique historical materials contained in the museum’s collections, exhibits, and archives and bringing them to audiences of all ages. Programs are done both onsite and off-site and are tailored to each audience. Recently the MacArthur Memorial‘s education efforts earned the Virginia Council on Social Studies’ prestigious 2015-2016 Friend of Education Award. Details about the education program can be found on the Memorial’s website.
What’s Going On? The next few years are dynamic times for the MacArthur Memorial. Two major initiatives involve the First World War Centennial and anniversaries related to the Second World War. For the First World War, major international symposia are planned for 2017 and 2018, alongside the Memorial’s next temporary exhibit titled Over Here, Over There: America’s Homefront & Expeditionary Force in World War I (opening April 2017) about U.S. involvement in the war. The year 2016 marks both the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor and the 65th Anniversary of MacArthur’s relief, while 2017 is the 75th Anniversary of the Bataan-Corregidor and South Pacific (New Guinea and Guadalcanal) Campaigns. Programming plans for 2016 and 2017 will mark these anniversaries, and the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway.
Photos (from top): Top: The Memorial Rotunda, gravesite of General and Mrs. MacArthur. They are surrounded by quotes from the General’s life and flags of General MacArthur and various units that served with him. Bottom: The MacArthur Memorial Archives reading room. Photos courtesy of the MacArthur Memorial.
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Book Review
Friendraising: Community Engagement Strategies for Boards who Hate Fundraising but Love Making Friends (2nd ed.) by Hildy Gottlieb by Jennifer Thomas There seem to be countless books out there about “How to Fundraise,” or “Raising More Money.” This particular book appealed to me because it focused on a lot of activities that boards and staff of nonprofits could and should do before even thinking about fundraising. What could be intimidating about a book telling you how to make friends? For the most part, this book did exactly what I was expecting it to—it provided a lot of tips and techniques for nonprofits of all sizes (though mainly smaller and start-up nonprofits) looking to build their “friend” base. The book is divided into 4 major sections. “Know Yourself First” helps an organization focus in on the friends they already have, the talents and skills they have on hand, and what they need to know about their organization before they reach out to make new friends. “Making Friends” gets into all the sorts of activities that a board, staff, or group of volunteers can do to attract new friends to the organization. The last two sections, “Asking Friends for Help” and “To Make a Friend, Be a Friend” go into more detail on developing friendships, keeping new friends engaged, and moving to the next steps of the friend relationship, including asking for money. (Hint: it is all about follow through, and always saying “thank you”). One of the best elements of this book were the worksheets, and brainstorming exercises. These could easily be pulled out of the book and used in a board meeting or volunteer committee to jumpstart some conversations about friendraising. (In fact, the book has a companion workbook that I did not review, but could be very helpful). My favorite exercise was “Your Life List,” a multi-page worksheet to help board members and volunteers examine people from all different areas of their lives and see
how they could be useful to the organization—not as people to ask for money, but as people who can help make connections for you. Another great element of the book was the acknowledgment, and continual reinforcement, of the idea that many board members in particular are wary of asking people for money. This book offered ways to help in this friendraising process that didn’t involve making an “ask.” At the beginning of the book, the author talks about her own nonprofit, the Diaper Bank, and mentions a suggestion from her editor that the Diaper Bank be used as an example throughout the book of how volunteers put these ideas into practice. I felt that these constant examples were a bit much; perhaps it was only because the Diaper Bank wasn’t really a relevant example for me. The best thing about this book was that it broke activities down into bite-sized pieces, and provided options for all types of personalities—so even board members and staff who might be “afraid” of fundraising can get behind some of the activities in this book and really make a positive difference for their organization. The worst thing? It was hard to read it all the way through—many of the suggestions were in effect common sense (i.e. get to know your local paper and write articles to increase the image of your organization), and the topics were broken down into such tiny pieces that you really can’t read it as from cover to cover. My final review? This would be a valuable reference tool for small museums, particularly those who are run entirely by volunteers. I might even suggest assigning different sections to different volunteers to read and return to the board with the highlights, and which specific pieces of advice they think might work best in their community.
Save the Date March 18 - 21, 2017 10
VAM Annual Conference The Hotel Roanoke Roanoke, VA
Taking Advantage of Pokémon Go in Support of Your Mission continued from page 5 game and spend real money (this is where a small amount of your marketing budget might come in) on PokéCoins. These are the in-game currency of Pokémon GO. PokéCoins can then be exchanged for lures (as well as other game enhancements). An Example: • You can purchase 8 lure modules (so, four hours’ worth of increased Pokémon activity at your PokéStop) for 680 PokéCoins. That comes to 85 PokéCoins per lure module. • You can purchase 14,500 PokéCoins (you can certainly buy lesser amounts!) for $99.99. That is enough for 170 lure modules (14,500 divided by 85). • 170 lure modules will bring extra Pokémon to your PokéStop for a total of 85 hours (at a cost of less than $1.18 per hour). That is probably more than you’d want to purchase to begin with; you can always purchase a smaller bucket of lure modules. Experiment with the best ways to tell your audience about the lures and the best times of day, and days of week, to place them at your site. To summarize, it’s inexpensive marketing for your site that may be worth exploring; indeed, 15% of our survey respondents indicated that their sites had experimented with this marketing tactic.
Jumping On – or Off – the Bandwagon While it is true that it is part of human nature to feel the need for control, sometimes it is beyond reach. This has been the case as Pokémon GO has swept the world, with cultural institutions being significant “players” – even if they never signed up. For some, this is too unnerving, and the unknown is frightening. It will be the job of leaders within your organization to decide whether and how to react to this phenomenon. Each institution must do what it feels is best fitting to its mission and capacity. Regardless of your organization’s stance, it is important that the decision is thought-out and intentional. As with everything, there are negatives and unintended consequences related to Pokémon GO. We’ve all heard news reports of people being robbed while playing the game, or players trespassing after-hours to continue playing at, say, a municipal park. In the VAM survey, while 33% saw the game as having a net positive effect on their site, 29% indicated that they were experiencing both positive and negative aspects of the increase in visitation. One respondent remarked, “We have a lot of after hours players, and at first they left a lot of trash behind until we placed a trash can outside for them on the porch.” Places such as war memorials, cemeteries, and Holocaust museums are finding that the game is antithetical to their mission to memorialize people and events, and to offer visitors a place of quiet reflection and remembrance.
Visitor Etiquette & Policy Implications In a place such as a war memorial, it would be disrespectful for visitors to have phones out playing ANY video game, and this is no exception. While Niantic Labs does offer an online form for organizations to complete should they wish their sites removed from the game, it is also a good time simply to remind your visitors of your site’s ground rules and your raison d’être, so to speak. For the short term, this may mean that front-line staff need to spend a little more time than usual educating visitors and reminding them of your rules of etiquette. It may suffice to simply say to people, for example, “Welcome to our memorial. We are here to pay respect and recognize the sacrifice of people in the face of war. Please respect them by silencing and putting away all electronic devices.” The vast majority of visitors will understand this and not need further prompting. As is the case with public interface, others will need more direct remonstrance. The advent of this new use of smart phones may prompt the leadership at your institution to review and possibly re-evaluate some of its visitation policies. Cell phone and camera policies, in particular, may require scrutiny to ensure that they support a positive experience for all visitors. If you manage a site that closes at dusk and is outdoors or easily accessed after-hours, it is also a good time to review safety and security measures to ensure that visitors are only visiting during your open hours. If the leadership at your organization has determined that inclusion in the Pokémon GO game is not in alignment with your mission, the company has a place on their website where you can report issues with PokéStops and Gyms and request removal from the game. Our survey showed – with over 50% of respondents encouraging the trend – that most have chosen to embrace Pokémon GO and use it in service to their mission. After all, if someone had come knocking on your organization’s door asking to create an app for you that will attract new visitors literally to your door (or your outdoor sculpture, fountain, historic marker, or statue), and do it for your organization completely for free, would you have shut the door?
Fall 2016
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Director’s Corner attended my first VSAE meeting, I met 3 new association executives—not bad, not great. I was a little like a fish out of water, not quite knowing where to start. That might sound familiar to our newer VAM members. My next meeting I made a concerted effort to meet at least 10 new people—and the next meeting. It worked! Since that time, I have felt like one of the crew, welcome and able to drop into conversations and feel like I was a part of things. If you’re new to VAM, try the same technique—once you have those new colleagues, you are likely to feel much more comfortable in a big room full of VAMers.
Dear Members, The following is an excerpt from a recent VAM blog post. It underscores not only how I feel about the value of networking and truly getting involved in one’s field, but also how grateful we are at VAM that you have chosen membership with us. You can read the full post here: http://www.vamuseums.org/blogpost/1155695/Perspectives-from-the-Field. I joined the Virginia Society of Association Executives (VSAE) this year. VSAE is for me what VAM is for our members—a place to network and interact with other people who do the same thing I do every day, to learn from them and share challenges, and to build my expertise so that I can better serve our members. VSAE members are association staff from organizations of all sizes (one staff to over 100 staff!), budgets, and types (from the Virginia CPAs to the Road Construction Association)—any of this sound familiar? What I’ve also realized by joining another member organization is that it isn’t required. There is nothing that says I MUST belong to an industry association in order to do my job. My board didn’t require me to join VSAE. I chose to, because I thought it would be good for me and my career. Most of our members at VAM join for the same reason—not because they have to, but because VAM has done something, or offers something, that they think will help them get ahead, or do better. I thought my experience as a member of an association might help VAM’s members make the most out of their choice to join us. When I
Coming back to my thought at the beginning of this post—that associations aren’t REQUIRED—I just have this to say. I hope that all of our VAM members feel that we do all we can for you, and keep you coming back because we are worth it. I also hope, though, that you don’t take your choice to join for granted—put yourself out there, do something uncomfortable, give back—it will make your time with VAM all that more valuable. We are nearly a year in to our new membership structure, one that allows all staff, volunteers, and board members of member museums to receive full VAM membership. So far, this is allowing us to engage more of Virginia’s museum community than ever before. It is up to us, VAM staff and board, and you, our members, to keep those new members engaged and welcomed. Together, we are an amazing group of professionals—thank you for choosing us! Sincerely,
Jennifer Jennifer Thomas Executive Director
Our Governing Council President, Gary Sandling VP, Planning & Resources, Gretchen Bulova VP, Programming, Rob Orrison Secretary, Dana Puga Treasurer, Eric App Past President, Al Schweizer Ex-Officio Members, Robert C. Vaughan and Jeffrey Allison D i re c to r s Paige Backus Steven Blashfield Jamie Bosket Dr. Mikell Brown Karen L. Daly Charles Grant Debi Gray Joe Keiper, Ph.D.
Lisa Martin Jeffrey Nichols Robin von Seldeneck Scott Stroh Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, Ph.D. Sarah Whiting Charlotte Whitted Eric S. Wilson
O u r Sta f f Executive Director, Jennifer Thomas Assistant Director, Christina Newton Communications Director, Heather Widener Membership Coordinator, Rebecca Guest Accountant, Su Thongpan O u r Co nta c ts Phone: 804. 358.3170 Fax: 804. 358.3174 www.vamuseums.org O u r Vo i ce VAM Voice is published quarterly for our members. The editor encourages readers to submit article proposals. Contact the communications director for more information. O u r N e ws D e a d l i n e s Spring: February 15th Summer: May 15th Fall: August 15th Winter: November 1st Our Vision A united museum community inspiring the world around us. Our Mission The Virginia Association of Museums is a statewide network serving the museum community.
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