Museum Membership Innovation: Unlocking Ideas for Audience Engagement and Sustainable Revenue by Rosie Siemer

Cultural organizations are entering an era of significant challenges Rising operating costs unpredictable funding sources stagnant membership and an increasingly competitive landscape for leisure activities indicate that these institutions have reached a critical juncture what has worked for them in the past will not work going forward At the same time massive shifts in demographics and lifestyles are driving changes in consumer behavior that threaten the survival of the traditional membership business model Drawing from a wide range of research spanning the disciplines of behavioral economics philanthropy and social psychology author and museum consultant Rosie Siemer explores the trends shaping the future of cultural organizations and offers innovative strategies designed to help them survive and thrive in today's rapidly changing marketplace Using museums as the primary subject matter of her research Siemer analyzes the challenges and opportunities for membership as a means of engaging existing members cultivating new audiences and keeping museums on track for sustainable revenue Tapping into the principles of design thinking and the lean startup methodology Siemer provides a fresh perspective into how museum leaders can adapt systems roles and metrics to encourage experimentation collaboration and agility within their organizations Change is reuired for museums to keep ahead of the curve and remain competitive Siemer writes Thankfully the time for taking steps to evolve has never been better New research bold experiments and pioneering leaders have helped to usher in an era of fresh thinking that challenges the status uo of the traditional membership model Loaded with thought provoking insights innovative case studies and practical applications for audience development marketing and membership Museum Membership Innovation offers museum leaders a framework for reimagining membership with an empathy first approach that prioritizes the needs of audiences