HMUS 538 - Introduction to Museum Marketing 3 s.h.

Museums compete with everything from big box stores to the internet for the public’s time, attention, and dollars. This course will examine why it’s both true and dangerous to believe that a museum’s best prospects are the ones that most resemble its current patrons and supporters. Students will learn how to stretch the marketing envelope while comparing why marketing methods that work for one institution might fail for another. In addition to building a plan for expanding membership, patronage, and support, each student will study how to weigh the value of marketing tools such as conventional advertising, snail mail, electronic magazines, e-mails, and internet sites such as YouTube, MySpace, and others.