PART ONE: Philadelphia Museum of Art

Over the past five years, the Philadelphia Museum of Art has tripled its use of direct mail acquisition in conjunction with high profile exhibitions. This increase in mail has led to a 50% increase in the Museum’s membership base, supported the sale of exhibition tickets and members onsite, and supplemented its advertising and public relations efforts.

More Mail

The Museum has been very deliberate in promoting the benefits of membership related to special exhibitions, which include members-only previews, free tickets, discounts on programs and shop merchandise, and exhibition inspired premiums.

The direct mail packages highlight exhibition images that also appear in print and public signage (banners and billboards). The mail drops, usually four to five year each year, are timed to coincide with exhibition openings. E-blasts and customized landing pages on the Museum’s website provide multiple channels for response.

More Members

Since Fall 2002, the Museum has acquired nearly 50,000 new members and generated $4.2 million in revenue through direct mail alone. These campaigns have averaged a 0.67% response rate, $88 gift level, and netted $420,000.

More Tickets

The mail’s impact on exhibition ticket and onsite membership sales has grown with the increase in direct mail prospecting. Back-end analyses have measured these buyers/joiners influenced by mail at levels equal to those that respond directly to the acquisition appeals. 40% of in-bound calls for tickets are driven by the mail, more than all other media combined (newspaper ads, radio and TV, billboards, and word of mouth).

More Visitors

The Museum recognizes that direct mail marketing is a form of publicity which, unlike advertising, pays for itself in immediate returns. The mail has played a strong supplemental role in raising the Museum’s profile in the community and generating greater awareness of its special exhibitions.