Running Head Coleman Art Museum
Case study, Coleman Art Museum
Case Recap
To start off , the museum has shown a loss for the previous three years, so Mercer and Smith were give the monumental task of finding why and turn it in the right direction. The museum has a good location and convenient parking, and even though the new facility was relatively close to its previous location the move may have changed the demographics plus the museum seems to have not changed their marketing approach. The museum is also faced with a hindrance, they can not display all their collections at the same time and they might want to rethink this process based on the demographics of the immediate areas. Giving more time to the certain displays taking in account everything from age to the ethnic background of the populous of the surrounding area. The bottom line in this entire case is that you have to address the important issues and exhibits that are most important to the community.
Problem Identification
First off that it took three years to identify there was a problem, makes the task of Ashley Mercer and Donald Smith that much harder. Although the move took place several years earlier it appears to be part of the problem, because six blocks in a large city can change the demographics more the the museum was willing to admit. Another part of the problem can be seen in the space limitations at the current location but the need for adequate parking orchestrated the move in the first place. This gets down to the fact that maybe the move was not well thought out and complicated by the lack in not addressing the make up of the new demographics.
Root Cause
By offering art and history they can only adequately do justice to one or the other and this is a challenge for even the best run facilities. The museum director Randall Brent III, said that having both art and history is both an opportunity and a challenge. In reading through this case study it seems to be more of a challenge, that seems to be getting away from the museum and with this it also takes the opportunity with it. The museum has to work on improving their image in the city before any of their problems can be solved, like their misconception that increased visitation leads to high membership and increased revenue. Getting people to take a higher interest in the museum has to become the number one focus going forward.
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