Client:
Saint Louis Art Museum
Appeal Type:
January & May 2025 Acquisition Campaigns
Strategy
In 2025, the Saint Louis Art Museum built on its momentum in membership acquisition through a coordinated strategy designed to engage both lapsed members and new audiences with an exciting exhibition: Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939.
The Museum partnered with Daniller + Company to plan and execute two complementary acquisition campaigns—one in January and another in May—each aligned with the high-visibility exhibition. Together, these efforts provided consistent entry points for new and returning members, reinforced the value of membership throughout the year, and maintained a steady pipeline of engaged constituents.
The January 2025 campaign launched at the start of the new year, leveraging the excitement of the opening celebration of Roaring as well as their annual Art in Bloom. The larger package emphasized special exhibition access and year-round benefits, positioning membership as the perfect start to the new year.
The May 2025 campaign built on that foundation with a fresh package design and more targeted audience. The creative tapped into the glamour of Roaring, while offering additional incentives to drive immediate response.
Results
Together, the January and May acquisition campaigns demonstrated the power of coordinated, multi-wave acquisition marketing.
- The January campaign achieved strong overall performance, with response rates and average gift levels exceeding the prior year. This wave effectively re-engaged many recently lapsed members, strengthening the renewal file and creating a larger base for future upgrade and stewardship retention messaging.
- The May campaign reinforced that momentum, increasing response rates and converting a significant percentage of recently lapsed members who did not respond to January’s appeal.
- Combined, the two campaigns delivered steady new member growth across both quarters, improving cumulative response rates and overall return on investment compared to single-wave acquisition approaches.
Performance patterns confirmed that engaging audiences twice within the same fiscal year—using distinct creative approaches and seasonal offers—significantly improves overall acquisition yield and lowers cost per new member.
Conclusion
By executing two strategically timed acquisition campaigns in the first half of 2025, the Saint Louis Art Museum demonstrated how a sustained, multi-wave acquisition strategy can drive membership growth. Back-to-back acquisition efforts create multiple touchpoints, allowing SLAM to capture audience interest at different times of year. This dual approach leveraged seasonal momentum, exhibition relevance, and consistent brand storytelling to achieve stronger cumulative results than a single campaign alone—keeping SLAM top of mind for new and returning members and reinforcing the Museum’s position as a dynamic cultural destination.
