How to promote myself.

Continuing with the possibility of designing museum displays/exhibitions/galleries I am considering how to market myself.

Personal Selling - This seems to be the most appropriate and possibily the most valuable of the marketing communication mix for me, as these organisations/businesses deal mainly with the public. Designers need to be able to communicate well to the general public and they would most likely appreciate someone who can talk to them face to face. Some museums ask for volunteers so perhaps this is a way of starting communications or to gain a work placement.

PR - Again the volunteer work could offer good PR, although this is time consuming and I would need to be careful not to start offering design work for free.

Advertising - Advertising in newspapers, magazines etc doesn't seem to be appropriate if I were trying to gain the attention of museums and galleries. It isn't necessarily inappropriate because my ad could be noticed by someone relevant but I don't agree that it is an ideal place to target my clients.

Promotions - Promotions is a possibility, along with the graphics for the exhibtion space other design is involved in the promotion of an exhibition. For example the branding, leaflets, posters, photographing the exhibition once opened, web pages to be linked to the home page of their museum/gallery. With so many different things to be included, there are ample opportunies for giving them more for their money. Photographing the exhibition space during the progress and once the visitors are in could easily be used for other promotional material and could be really useful for them. So that could be offered as the "extra".

Direct Marketing - I don't think that this is a way to gain new clients, however could be useful to get new work from old clients. For example, if I were to send them examples of new work I had been doing. I could even invite them to the openings of new exhibitions I have been involved in the design of. This means that not only am I gaining extra interest for the current exhibition, the previous clients will be reminded of me.

Task Two - ii

Currently I am considering design for museums/galleries/exhibitions as a career possibility. I have identified 4 examples of places that would need this sort of designer.
Locally: Urbis, Manchester
Nationally: Natural History Museum, London
European: Imperial War Museum, Poland
Transnational: Mid American Science Museum

The Natural History Museum rebranded in 2004 and repositioned themselves as an 'ambassador for nature' and their aims are to understand and protect the natural world. They also have a licensing business which they offer to people who have products to sell.
The economy in London has been effected badly during the recession, however is not as bad as the rest of the UK. The annual output growth has not been as low as the rest of the UK for the last 4 years and the last year the employment has been higher in London than the rest of the country.
The museum has been voted Business Venue of the year (Silver) and awarded Gold for Marketing/PR Campaign of the year. It also gained a people's choice award for best london for free experience. These all show good links with society.
On site are 350 scientists who work to ensure accuracy of products and over 10,000 images free to licencsees. Meaning it is likely they have good access to pre-existing technology as well as the potential to develop technology.