Guest post by Morgan
Devlin, Marketing Manager for Historic Sites Coalition of Rhode Island,
Preserve Rhode Island
This summer, my son and I have a new way to explore Rhode
Island. We are following in the footsteps of a colorful, cartoon rooster named
Rhody the Rambler. It just so happens that I also spend my days at work with
Rhody. He is the mascot for a new summer adventure for families at historic
sites in Rhode Island.
Historic sites, like all museums, need to engage younger visitors
with programs that will attract them and their parents. The good news is that
many sites are already doing programs and events for families. The challenge is
that most sites have limited staff time and budgets to market these events to
their prospective audience. Enter Rhody the Rambler.
Rhody was born out of a desire to increase the reach of
members of the Historic Sites Coalition of Rhode Island. The coalition, a
program of Preserve Rhode Island, is open to all historic sites in the state which
are accessible to the public. The sites range from large oceanfront mansions to
historic farms to smaller historic homes. Formed in 2007, the Coalition has
worked together on collaborative marketing projects in the past such as joint
open house days, but this is the largest marketing initiative it has undertaken
to date.
The Rhody Ramble did not require participating sites to
create new events. Instead, we asked them to submit all existing summer events
for children 5-12 and their families. We anticipated 8-12 places would
participate in this new program. So, we were delighted when we ended up with 21
sites! Despite our familiarity with the organizations, it was eye-opening to
see how many were offering programming for kids. During the process, some did
get inspired and added new events. The resulting activities range from
Breakfast in the Barnyard to a Favorite Doll Tea to a Concert under the Elms to
a Civil War Re-enactment Weekend. For a complete list, visit www.RhodyRamble.org
From small to large, the participating organizations were
all enthusiastic about being part of this new program. As so many in the museum
field know, the collaboration model is a wonderful way to expand your
traditional audience and cross-market with other sites. Since the programming
was already in place, the sites’ role was primarily to help market the program
by sharing it with visitors and members, as well as assisting with program
evaluation. The centralized marketing relieved the burden from individual sites
of taking a piece of the project in addition to their
list of other responsibilities.
Rhody is based on the iconic Rhode Island Red rooster. He is
truly a representative of his home state and its unique historic treasures.
However, both the graphics and the name Rhody Ramble were designed to conjure
up a playful, family program. While we do not hide the historic nature of the
participating sites, we chose to create a look that is very different from most
historic house marketing. By creating a brand that did not present history
first, but focused on the family theme, we could leap beyond the perceived
boundaries of those who do or do not ‘like’ history.
We need to be clear that not all historic sites or museums
are a good fit for young children. Simply repackaging those experiences in a
‘family-friendly’ brochure will not change the visitor experience. Instead, we
need to focus on what works for families and offer them good ways to visit our
sites and engage with them. Visitors who come to a family concert in the garden
and get to peek inside the house may decide to come back for a tour. They may
become members. They will most likely tell their friends about their
experience.
So, how do you connect with families? From Facebook and
‘mommy bloggers’ to libraries and neighborhood coffee shops, the network for
reaching families is there. With a very modest marketing budget, the Rhody
Ramble had to focus on the most cost-effective ways to spread the word. Working
with talented graphic designers and a web developer, we created a
passport-style brochure and an event web site. We reached out to local media,
tourism partners, and family web sites. We put up posters and dropped off
brochures. We talked to friends. We posted on Facebook and we even Tweeted
about it!
As I write, we are one month into our three month summer
program. There is still much work ahead of us to spread the word, raise
awareness and build future partnerships. However, the response has been great.
At a recent weekend concert, I walked around handing out brochures to families.
Some had heard of the program and many had not. But the response was almost
uniformly enthusiastic. Parents are always looking for fun activities to do
with their kids. Most of us would like share meaningful experiences with our
children, where we can both learn about our culture and our community. We often
just need someone to point us in the right direction. Who better than a cartoon
rooster named Rhody?
Join the ramble this summer at www.RhodyRamble.org.
A few logistical details…
- Preserve Rhode Island (PRI) secured a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation to cover most of the administrative costs of the project.
- PRI hired a marketing consultant and an evaluation consultant to manage the new program.
- Each site joined PRI as an institutional member to support the joint marketing effort.
- A steering committee reviewed site event submissions and provided guidance on the program.
- A unique identity based on the program concept, and not the group name, was selected to help broaden the potential audience.
- A graphics set was developed that could be used for all materials. The marketing campaign includes a ‘passport’ brochure, a web site with event calendar, a poster, email communications, a Facebook page and Twitter account.
- Each site was surveyed about their experience with evaluation and the data they collect about visitors. They are responsible for recording data about the events participating in the Rhody Ramble.
- The evaluation consultant and a summer intern are traveling to a sampling of the summer events where they are conducting brief surveys about visitors’ familiarity with the Rhody Ramble and the site.
- At the conclusion of the campaign, each site
will be surveyed about their experience with the marketing collaborative.
