There has never been a more important time for Canadians to understand themselves and that means giving consideration to the role our national museums play as sources of reliable information. It is important to rethink how Canada’s national museums collaborate to build and communicate a single national museum brand that tells the Canadian story.
Read MoreYour organization may be compelled to rename itself for a variety of reasons that have been imposed by circumstances, or it may choose to do so for reasons all its own. Whatever the reason(s), launching into the creation of new name should be seen as a unique opportunity to redefine yourself and your purpose. Should you decide to do this, it may well prove to be one of the most challenging things you will ever undertake.. This is why we offer what we believe are the key considerations in the development and selection of any brand name so that you can go into this process with confidence and with eyes wide open.
Read MoreWhat does the brand name sound like? It’s particularly important to stop and consider what the creative convolution that is the new name may purposely and unwittingly evoke when spoken out loud? This is not something you’ll find much written about, yet it’s a critical aspect of brand naming.
Read MoreMany institutions and public entities are currently undertaking reviews of their own brand, and the trend that we are currently seeing and that is driven by our more enlightened attitudes as a society, is only likely to accelerate. Ryerson University is the latest to pull the trigger. Here’s just a sample of what’s about to hit them.
Read MoreThe Olympic rings are justly famous, but they still have to keep telling their stories. In order to compete for athletes, second-tier sports need to have their brands shown to wider audiences. Can individual sports federations go-it alone, or should they be under a larger umbrella?
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Imagine a world where larger charities were suddenly required to give more money away each year. Those funds would trickle-down to smaller organizations, right? Unfortunately, there is little evidence that suggests that this will be the case. Smaller organisations might want to consider fixing what ails them today instead of waiting for the playing field to tilt in their favour.
If telling a more diverse selection of stories represents a way ahead for society, museum publishing can be a catalyst for positive societal change. It’s also how museums themselves can get ahead. “Place” is limiting. If museums refine their approach to outreach they will secure new audiences, hold their attention, and earn their trust.
Read More“Disruption” applies to any industry, and it isn’t just doing things in a different way, it’s about changing the game. It means taking a look at an industry or a way of doing things that is set in stone and finding a way to do it differently. It’s also true of organizations with a centuries-old business model.
Read MoreFor museums, galleries, libraries and archives, digital transformation should actually be transformative, and not simply approached as an adjunct ingredient in an outmoded and limiting operational model.
Read MoreAs the leading association of museums in Canadas and the sector’s thought leader, the Canadian Museum Association should be coming up with ideas for a post-pandemic turnaround strategy, instead of delegating the task to the Ministry of Canadian Heritage, hoping that it would take responsibility for a new national museum policy.
Read MoreInvestors understand the importance of a diversified portfolio strategy in order to mitigate risk and limit their downside exposure. Putting all eggs in a single basket is never good practice, yet, it seems that when it comes to investing in their fundraising activities, most nonprofits still insist on this approach, rather than looking to diversify and evolve their strategies. Like all good portfolio managers, fundraising leaders need to assess their organisation’s tolerance for risk and combine a variety of different strategies to tackle the changing fundraising landscape rather than to continue to play it safe, by taking familiar but increasingly ineffective paths.
Read MoreEffective branding is an elusive concept for Canadian universities. They aren’t equipped to compete for mindshare against global competitors for whom the cycle of research, accomplishment, and communication is a deeply engrained practice because they don’t articulate their uniqueness or try embedding perceptions of themselves as thought leaders. Without this, they can’t position themselves as leaders in the marketplace of ideas. Queens’ University’s plan to become a “globally recognized brand” may be ill-fated if it fails to recognize the prerequisites to achieve their ambitious goal.
Read MoreThe Washington Post realized at some point that sticking to its original mission meant putting its future in jeopardy. Its transformation – from hyper-focused newspaper with a local identity, to highly-influential national news organization with global reach – holds lessons for organizations everywhere that are currently facing challenges.
Read MoreIf nonprofit institutions are to remain relevant and effective in addressing societal and cultural issues, the sector’s leaders must ask themselves what they can do, individually and collectively, to help America rebuild its diminished sense of community and mend its fractured values?
Read MoreIs the charitable sector in a fundraising crisis? Donations are down across the country, competition has increased, and the big players are receiving the lion's share of the donated assets. Competing for donations in this environment requires imagination and vision. Fortunately, answers may be hiding in plain sight.
Read MoreAccredited zoos are important environmental institutions. Their science-based work goes to the core of the survival of animal species, and produces crucial research on the effects of climate change in our global ecosystem. So why should they be struggling at this time of pandemic? That’s because, for the most part, their branding simply isn’t on par with their mission, and their revenue model is equally faulty.
Read MoreRolling Stone magazine’s A Race to the Bottom: Why Museums Need a Digital Strategy, is a testament to the timeliness, relevancy and urgency of this message to our cultural institution leaders everywhere. But why does it take media and culture publication, to tell cultural institution leaders what they should already know?
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