PART TWO: Norton Museum of Art

Since 2002, the Norton Museum of Art has mailed twice a year — fall and spring — averaging 100,000 prospecting appeals annually. Each campaign is based on the special exhibitions presented for the season and features an invitation to an exclusive members event, be it a preview, open house, director’s reception or private viewing. This consistent use of direct mail has been of great benefit to the Museum’s membership program and its promotion of these exhibitions.

Contributing to Growth

Direct mail generates 20% of the Museum’s new members and 23% of rejoins each year. This represents a vital and predictable source of membership growth and reduces the dependency on onsite membership sales, which are subject to decline when the Museum’s attendance fluctuates. Direct mail also contributes to additional sales of memberships and tickets by Museum visitors, a similar benefit noted last month for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Upgrade Appeal

Since 2007, the Museum has added an upgrade appeal to its seasonal mailings for new member acquisition. Using a modified version of the acquisition package, current members are invited to increase their membership support in return for one-time discounts, premiums, additional benefits and invitations to special events. These upgrade appeals have had a two-fold benefit: they have increased the overall value of the Museum’s membership base (as measured by average gift) and generated net revenue to help offset shortfalls in acquisition.

Return on Investment

Since 2005, Museum members acquired through direct mail have renewed at an average of 48% (which exceeds industry standards for first year members). Renewal rates in subsequent years have increased to over 80%. In addition, direct mail-acquired renewals have represented 20% to almost 30% of annual renewal income. This is compelling evidence that direct mail acquisition, even when incurring shortfalls, represents a strong investment in future net income from renewals.