Okay, what kind of blogger or marketer would I be if I actually did that? Recently, I’ve been pondering the possibilities so-to-speak. After reading Richard’s insightful post on the use of Twitter in museum conservation and then spotting Nick Brien’s article, Strategic Thinking 3.0, in ADWEEK, my fingers have been set on the keys with no clear song in mind. I’m overwhelmed by possibility. Sometimes it is comforting to have boundaries to narrow and contain one’s scope of thought. But in the coming years, I am not sure we will have that luxury because of technology.

Picking from Brien’s general media forecast for 2009, I would like to apply several of his predictions to the arts and the IMA in particular:

1. Digital media enables easier marketing access. Have you heard of Web 2.0? These tools are booming in the arts sector. With limited budgets and expertise, groups like dance companies and symphonies are using blogs and other tools to market to wider audiences with a direct focus. See the San Francisco Ballet Blog. How about providing digital perks for members? As I mentioned above, the range of tools is just going to become more expansive. At the IMA, I think our challenge will be to use these tools wisely. And with our crack team of Web programmers, designers and Nugget Factory, maybe we will push the limits with a few of our own.

2. Marketing means selling. Performance is always important but not always measurable. At the IMA, you have ads in the Star, on the radio and on billboards, while at the same time you’re sending out evites, traditionally mailed invitations, Facebook notifications and blog posts…you don’t even remember where you first heard about the event. While we try to capture this type of data as well as attendance on the IMA’s Dashboard, it’s worth faithfully tracking and rejecting the tools that don’t produce desired results.

3. Collaboration drives integration. This has been happening at the IMA for as long as I’ve worked there (more than a year). When Marketing, Development, New Media, Education, Curators, MIS, Horticulture and many others come together, it’s hard to tell who belongs to who. Diverse personalities and backgrounds allow for anyone to bring an idea to the table that may become the next golden nugget. Cross-departmental collaboration is key.

4. Data drives decision-making. Amen. I think this repeats #2 in making time for evaluation and being bold enough to let the data drive change rather than trying to do it all.

5. New players bring new perspectives. Both international and local competition in the arts and Museum world will awaken us to new thought and possible collaboration. Read our blogroll to check out what everyone else is up to. The IMA’s Professional Development team (which is cross-departmental by the way) is planning a staff exchange program with other institutions for just this purpose.

6. Social networks enable better listening. We’re working on this one. Through polls, comments, rating options, calls for user-generated content and social media applications on Facebook, the IMA is hoping you’ll talk to us. We truly desire a conversation and “raw” feedback on the material we are providing. Having this conversation can be difficult for an organization without a single representative or without time devoted to personal response.

7. Mobility matters. I predict we’ll see increasing opportunities for on-site interactivity inside and outside (think 100 Acres) the IMA galleries. The Newseum in Washington, D.C., does a nice job of creating popular and educational user-experiences in exhibitions with mobile devices.

So those are my current thoughts, which are not very well thought out because I’m busy trying to keep up with it all in real time. To speak to the IMA’s collection, you could say I’m just a girl at the piano recording sound.

A company called BetterWall allows you to buy those exhibition banners from around the world to become timeless works of art for your home or business. Started by a husband-wife team of environmental consultant and art historian, BetterWall works with museums through its “Recycle and Reuse Program” to help museums remain green by taking tons of vinyl banners off their hands and selling them, giving a portion of the profits back to the museums. I have a National Portrait Gallery, George Washington “Lansdowne” sign that used to be displayed on the Mall in Washington, D.C. framed in my living room, but this article by a Washington Post reporter was the first time I had heard of a company who made authentic museum advertising available to the public.

As unique objects produced in limited editions, the banners embody great art, great museums, and contemporary advertising trends. — BetterWall

Since you won’t find IMA signage on BetterWall, what happens to it all? To start out, indoor “case signs” that advertise upcoming and current exhibitions and programs are typically requested by IMA staff who would like them as souvenirs from the show. The exhibition’s curator always gets first dibs. Next, are the large, outdoor “facade banners” that hang over the front of building. (Roman Art from the Louvre was up last fall, and Breaking the Mode is currently up.) Because they are so massive, they are usually recycled in various ways by the IMA grounds crew for things such as tarps. The facade banners that do not advertise specific exhibitions are evergreen and are stored when not in use. The “perimeter banners,” made of the same mesh material as the facade banners, currently feature “It’s My Art.” When they are switched out in the near future, IMA staff will work with buildings management or the sign company who creates them to recycle them. And finally, the “trilon signs” at the corner of Michigan and 38th streets, are made of a durable material so they can look good regardless of the elements. Staff are looking into the possibility of an option for routinely recycling these as well.

So there you have it. It doesn’t look like authentic IMA signage is currently available for your decorating desires, but you never know what the future may hold. IMA members, check out your summer issue of Previews magazine at the end of April for a poster to put up in the office.