Marketing strategy

The promotional strategy of the Museum is reviewed each year in consultation with our advertising agents and media buyers. On their recommendations a themed campaign is devised and appropriate media selected. Recent campaigns include:

There is a limited budget available for such campaigns, and since television advertising is not usually possible within our budget, in recent years the choice has been to use the following media:

Poster advertising A 4-sheet poster on London Underground for the 'Skin Deep' exhibition, Easter 2002

London commercial radio stations click here to listen to our radio adverts or read the transcripts

Press advertisements

click here to view a high-resolution copy
of this press advert

Advert for the 'Time of your Life' campaign in the Dockland News












Poster for the 'Inspiring minds for free' campaign, 2006

Smaller posters for
distribution

click here to view a high-
resolution copy of this
poster and browse a
selection of NMM posters

Below-the-line

• distributing printed leaflets and posters to tourist offices, libraries, language schools, hotels, coach operators, museums and galleries

Press

The Museum's press office generates press coverage and media interest in all aspects of the Museum's work. It:

• keeps national and international media informed of all developments at the Museum sites
• responds to media requests
• monitors media coverage of Museum sites
• produces press packs and press releases
• develops new media contacts by special invitation, press launches and hospitality

click here to read some recent press releases

An image from the front cover of the Independent on Sunday, 24 March 2002, promoting the 'Skin Deep' exhibition.
click here to view a high-resolution
image of the entire front cover
of the Independent on Sunday

The press office also works in association with the press departments of the British Tourist Authority (BTA) and the national and regional tourist boards to host incoming journalists reviewing London attractions for their own foreign-language magazines.

Clipping from the Epsom Comet
click here to view high-
resolution clippings of
promotions and reviews
in local and national
newspapers

Research

Market research is an ongoing process at the Museum. We conduct a visitor survey four times a year, using structured interviews. The aims of this are to:

• find out who are visitors are
• provide information to aid marketing functions
• monitor customers' experience
• assess interest in proposed projects and exhibitions
• monitor awareness of other Museum services
• measure customer awareness of and satisfaction with temporary exhibitions

click here to view the
Museum's actual visitor
profile research

Various quality features are tested and improvements made in the marketing operation in response to the information gained.

In addition, controlled small focus group research is used to test marketing concepts. All research of this kind is carried out through external specialists, such as MORI.

Comment cards and surveys which visitors are encourage to complete for themselves are used to test customer reactions on site as part of the Total Quality Management Programme.

click here to read actual visitor comments

The marketing team may also refer to national statistics, surveys and reports.

Media choices

Some aspects might be handled in-house by staff of the attraction, for example phone calls to prospective customers, public relations activity, press releases or mail shots.

Trade advertising
Many tourists are travelling on package tours or have made travel arrangements that include local options. It is important that advertising and sales resources are used to target the companies that make the arrangements on behalf of tour companies. These are called incoming tour operators or handling agents. These specialist organisations know London well and can present a wide range of choices to their overseas clients to create attractive inclusive packages or as optional extras.

There are also a number of semi-commercial organisations that stimulate visits to museums. These may cater for educational, special interest or language schools.

Transport operators provide excursions or special offers to encourage travel on their coaches, rail services or riverboats.

Special schemes can be agreed with these operators to encourage visits to tourist attractions as part of the trip.

click here to view high resolution images of joint promotions

Group business
Thousands of people are members of clubs and societies that include travel as part of their annual programme. These can be very specific (e.g. military veterans, fine arts societies, historical clubs and astronomy groups), or of general appeal (e.g. senior citizens, Women's Institutes, Scouts, church groups, businesses and social clubs).

Tourist attractions will make an effort to advise clubs of features that will have special appeal to their members.

Specialist organisations
A number of specialist organisations serve the tourist industry. There are many tourism marketing consultancies that handle business for a number of attractions.

Tourist boards

Public Tourist Information Centres (TICs), central enquiry services, business development and world-wide promotion of Britain are all functions of the British Tourist Authority and the regional tourist boards. The BTA also has offices in many countries with expert staff to promote Britain.

The London Tourist Board publishes a trade manual and an accommodation list, and provides recorded telephone information services.

Images reproduced with kind permission from Greenwich Tourist Information Centre

Hotels
Hotels provide a variety of tourism-related services because of the need to obtain tourist and business guests. Some will have a tourist channel on their television equipment giving their guests a guide to local attractions.

NMM leaflets Others will provide a folder of attraction brochures (a 'bedroom browser') and most will have information services at their front desk. In larger hotels the head concierge will manage a team that will sell tickets for tours, admission tickets to attractions, organise theatre tickets, book taxis and provide tourist advice.

click here to view high-resolution images
of these and other NMM leaflets

London Planner Tourist guidebooks
Hundreds of tourist guidebooks published, mainly by giant international companies. Throughout the year they are constantly checking with the attractions and updating their information.

click here to view a high-resolution
reproduction of the inside pages

Brochure Display
This company provides leaflet racks in most London hotels, larger business premises, libraries and student accommodation. It keeps stocks of each attraction leaflet and its team tops up the racks regularly.

Listing for Time Out magazine

Listing magazines
London Planner, Time Out and Pocket Guide are just three of many publications aiming to provide up-to-date information on entertainment and attractions for the tourist.

click here to view a high-resolution
copy of the full listing


Internet sites
The Internet is becoming more important for travel planning and making advance bookings. We will have a list of key websites in our forthcoming web links section.