The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) sends a targeted year-end email campaign with a match opportunity to drive revenue during giving season. In 2021, Daniller revamped the campaign during the museum’s renovation closure to keep the campaign fresh and relevant and drive continued engagement.
RESULTS
The improvements to the series were a great success. Despite NMWA’s temporary closure, the 2021 year-end series was the top performing email appeal to date, exceeding income projections by 195%.
Copy and design featured the distinct Barnes brand, paired with engaging images from the exhibition. Compelling messaging invited recipients to join and experience the stunning, landmark exhibition with preview opportunities, free admission, exclusive tours, and more. The campaign highlighted that the Barnes was the only location for the exhibition, providing extra urgency and excitement.
With the opportunity presented by Modigliani Up Close, Daniller recommended expanding the campaign beyond the Barnes’ typical audience, reaching more households in fall 2022. The campaign arrived in homes ahead of the opening of Modigliani Up Close, providing recipients ample time to join and attend preview events. Other special offers were incorporated throughout the package to encourage recipients to consider higher levels of membership. In addition to the offers, the package highlighted the unique art experience available at the Barnes through exhibitions like Modigliani Up Close, as well as the renowned permanent collection and a packed calendar of member events.
Results
The membership invitation resonated with the Barnes’ audience. Campaign results exceeded projections with 11% more gifts received than projected. Net revenue achieved was 18% higher than anticipated, for a strong overall performance for the Barnes Foundation.
A direct mail campaign was developed to capitalize on this opportunity, centering on The Obama Portraits Tour, as well as the other special exhibitions on view at the museum in 2021. This was a particularly important campaign for the museum, as it continued its recovery from recent closures due to the pandemic where New York was especially hard hit.
Daniller’s creative team was tasked with incorporating the distinct brand for The Obama Portraits Tour with the museum’s brand, while highlighting the other exhibitions. The campaign used a #10 package with a new brochure layout to provide ample space to showcase each exhibition through stunning visuals and captivating descriptions. The four exhibitions were connected under the theme of art’s ability to bring people together and provide new perspectives, and recipients were invited to be part of the great art, big ideas, and courageous conversations happening only at the Brooklyn Museum. A combination of compelling special offers was included in the package to drive response, with strategically tiered opportunities to encourage higher-level giving.
Results
The campaign exceeded projected goals on all metrics, including earning 105% more gifts and 76% more income—making it the top performing acquisition campaign for the Brooklyn Museum in several years.
The campaign invited recipients to join the Guggenheim family and receive exceptional benefits, starting with the spectacular Vasily Kandinsky: Around the Circle exhibition, as well as ancillary exhibitions by living artists. The Kandinsky career retrospective exhibition was the focal point of the package, with the campaign strategically timed to arrive in homes before the opening.
Recipients were encouraged to respond quickly and attend the Member Monday Private Viewing of Vasily Kandinsky. To encourage higher-level response, an exclusive curator-led tour of the exhibition was included for select levels. Additional special offers were also included to drive immediate response.
A vibrant #11 package was mailed with a full-color outer envelope with Kandinsky’s eye-catching art; a letter with engaging copy; a three-panel brochure that creatively used space for member benefits, engaging images, and descriptions of all exhibitions and joyful art experiences; and an easy-to-read reply form.
Results
The campaign was viewed as an investment in the Guggenheim’s membership program and was expected to break even. Instead, it outperformed projections and exceeded the client’s expectations, receiving 161% more gifts and 203% more income, resulting in an ROI of $3.07.
After a temporary closure and other challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the centennial anniversary of The Phillips Collection in 2021 presented a prime opportunity to re-engage with lapsed members, secure new members, and grow the museum’s membership program. It was also an opportunity to show the Phillips point of view: to engage with significant and sometimes overlooked contemporary artists. With major special exhibitions slated for the fall and early 2022, The Phillips Collection leveraged the milestone anniversary to celebrate “100 years of seeing differently” and welcome a vibrant new era of diverse and experimental special exhibitions.
The campaign showcased two upcoming exhibitions by contemporary Black artists with roots in Washington D.C., and was strategically timed to arrive in homes in early October, just prior to the exhibitions’ opening. Recipients were encouraged to join online for fastest response, ensuring they could attend exclusive member preview days. To showcase the value of membership, the package promoted additional opportunities throughout the year, as well as a combination of special offers.
With vibrant imagery and motivating copy, the direct mail package was designed to stand out in the mailbox. Copy and design featured striking images from the special exhibitions, a focus on the significant anniversary at The Phillips Collection, and can’t-miss events and outstanding member benefits.
Results
The October 2021 acquisition campaign far exceeded expectations, more than doubling the projected gross revenue with a response rate of over 2%. Net revenue was a whopping 406% higher than projected.
The membership appeal arrived in homes in January 2021, ahead of the opening of Frick Madison in March, capitalizing on the opportunity for prospects to join and attend Member Preview Days.
Copy and design conveyed the unusual concept of a move to a new location, rather than having an extended closure while the Frick’s historic home on 1 East 70th Street is undergoing renovation. Viewing the Frick’s world-renowned collection in an entirely new context became part of the membership appeal, coupled with a warm invitation to join and special offers including the designation, “Frick Future Member,” to those who join during this period of exciting change.
The package design featured dramatic close-up images of signature art, including a Rembrandt and a Vermeer, highlighting the exceptional art experience at the Frick.
Results
The campaign was a tremendous success despite being conducted in a period of uncertainty and economic upheaval, achieving a response rate of more than 2% and an average gift of $145, with a ROI of close to $4.
