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CONTENTS1 - Introduction to the Brand Strategy

2 - Research

3 - Target Market

4 - SWOT Analysis

6 - Brand Strategy

WHAT IS A BRAND?A brand is a collection of images and ideas representing an economic producer; more specifically, it refers to the concrete symbols such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme. Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the accumulation of experiences with the specific product or service, both directly relating to its use, and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary. A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to a company, product or service. A brand serves to create associations and expectations among products made by a producer. A brand often includes an explicit logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols, sound which may be developed to represent implicit values and ideas. It

is represented by the staff and by what is experienced at the museum. it evokes emotion, and is the personality. The brand, and “branding” and brand equity have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being described as “cultural accessories and personal philosophies”.

In non-commercial contexts, the marketing of entities, which supply ‘ideas’ or ‘promises’, rather than product and services (e.g. political parties or religious organizations) may also be known as “branding”.

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The purpose of this document is to assist Red Location Museum, a museum in a township that is ‘out of the way’ in creating an effective Brand Strategy that is easy to implement.

This Strategy Plan for the brand development will set the direction for Red Location Museum. This will unite the staff and all the supporters of Red Location Museum in a clear direction, and with the same vision for this brand. It will enable priorities to be agreed upon, and assist in allocating

resources to these agreed priorities. It will give evidenceto all staff’s commitment, vision and accountability to this brand. It will anticipate problems and also recognise the opportunities.

The short term goals are outlined in this strategy. The medium term (up to 3 years) and the long term (up to 10 years) can be outlined in the workshop.

WHAT IS A BRAND STRATEGY?

The proposition this brand strategy makes must be very compelling, attractive and unique among competitive offerings, such as Bayworld, the Nelson Mandela Municipality Art Museum and the South End Museum. The proposition must also be consistently reinforced throughout all phases of an organisation, from senior executives to customer service, research and development, business development and even your business partners. The bottom line - set the museum (and the experience, and your contribution or part of this), apart from any other completely!

Marketing may be broken down into four essential parts, namely:research, development, planning and implementation. This brand strategy encompasses these elements, although research has not been thoroughly conducted, and once this is completed the results of the research could assist in finalising the planning and implementation.

The information used in compiling this document comes from three areas, namely ‘focused’ Red Location Museum marketing research, as well as sound IN

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ONmarketing and design principles. Market research is still to be conducted.

A strategy is in place, and parts of this strategy are being implemented. However, this strategy needs to be adjusted and updated - i.e. re-developed. The staff and stakeholders need to have broad agreement on what

1. Red Location Museum stands for:2. The issues it is facing:3. The direction in which it is heading:

We will have a look at logo’s to-day, and perhaps we will be better equipped to finalise that logo after this presentation. Only once the logo and the research is complete can the strategy be finalised and the planning be implemented.

In researching Red Location Museum, Advertising Empire has visited the site on numerous occasions and has been conducted on a thorough tour. All services, the building and the attractions have been inspected. Information on the target markets and facilities offered, the marketing objectives and the essence of Red Location Museum has been provided by the

marketing manager of Red Location Museum over the past 22 months.

Red Location Museum, like any new entity, has specific requirements that need to be met to generate success. It is essential for any venture – new or existing – to have a practical brand strategy. To further enhance Red Location Museum’s likelihood of success, all communication emanating from it must support its strategy and clearly reflect its values and positioning. This must be a living document.

The step-by-step process of this project is detailed in the next few chapters.

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Through various discussions with the marketing manager and other staff over a substantial period the following important points were made: • Existing visitors are school groups, pensioners, education institutions, the local Metro community at large, the local unemployed community, pensioners, disabled persons, high profile dignitaries, service providers, historians and researchers, family groups, volunteers, tourists, celebrities.

• A large percentage of the existing visitors are from Nelson Mandela Bay.

• Visitors appear to be emotionally touched by the exhibitions - a visitor book has been implemented which records some of this info.

• The museum is open to the public Mondays to Saturdays.

• The Red Location Museum offers facilities for events which creates an opportunity for celebrities and other international visitors to South Africa to come to the museum, such as the World Cup

Soccer event, Netball events, visits to the community centre, exhibitions and partnerships.

Difference between an Event and and a Programme:

• An Event is hosted be the RLM, but organised by a 3rd party.

• A Programme is organised and hosted by the RLM.

Success depends on a number of elements, one of which is a knowledge of the market. Red Location Museum will be better prepared to make the decisions that can make or break it’s success if it understands it’s market. We suggest the use of market research as a guide. Whether Red Location Museum wants to expand the museum into a new area or introduce a new market, market research can provide valuable insight to assist.

Unless Red Location Museum does market research on more than *10 000 respondents, an accurate result will not be obtained by the surveys and the research might be pointless. To conduct comprehensive and accurate research, a dedicated team would need to be employed or a professional company hired to perform the research. It is suggested that if this is not possible, an ‘alternative’ marketing department be utilised for this purpose, such as the local university by introducing this into the 2009 curriculum.

Once the market research has been completed and a thorough understanding of Red Location

2.1. INTERVIEWS WITH THE MARKETING MANAGER, RED LOCATION MUSEUM.

Museum as seen by the market has been obtained, can the implementation of the brand strategy take place.

*market research needs to be conducted

2.2 MARKET RESEARCH

To develop this brand strategy, one must define the target market. Without market research results in hand we provide the following:

3.1. BACKGROUND

Red Location Museum engages the public and visitors in raising awareness on arts, culture, and heritage. Seeking to attract national and international tourists to depict the apartheid narrative and the horrors of institutionalised racism, this museum also seeks to educate, redress and empower the local community, community development and transformation.

3.2. PRIMARY MARKET

The Local CommunityThe Larger New Brighton and surrounding areas, consists of low income and the unemployed group living in mostly informal shelters or in RDP housing. The Museum exists because of this target market, seeking to memorialise and depict the apartheid narrative and the struggle, and seeks to address poverty alleviation and entrepreneurship and initiatives within this community. This portion of the Primary Market harbor long-held fears, have difficulty with access, and there are the issues of indoctrination that need to be addressed.

Local Schools and Pre-SchoolsConsisting of crèches, grades R - 12 and tertiary learners and their educators, both genders, all races, visiting in controlled groups with their school.

Residents of Nelson Mandela BayAll residents of Nelson Mandela Bay, all races, age groups and genders predominantly lower to middle income. This is a fairly conservative market who are not used to visiting museums and art TA

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galleries. They consist of young business people with tertiary educations, soccer moms, educators, community leaders, elderly couples and pensioners. They are not well traveled.

International Visitors and TouristsTo Nelson Mandela Bay include the African Diaspora, Tour Operators, Tourism Indaba, mainly middle to up-per income, male and female tourists, ages of 20 - 70.

National Visitors and Tourists(domestic visitors) to Nelson Mandela Bay, mainly urbanites, middle to upper income, both genders, all ages.

Red Location Museum is looking into installing a “touch and feel” area for toddlers.

3.3 SECONDARY MARKET

InstitutionsStudents and educators looking to do research. Attending or employed by universities or colleges, lower to middle- income, ages 18 - 80, both genders, all races. Potential partnerships with the university, other institutions, the local soccer stadium and all other such local facilities.

3.4 TERTIARY MARKETS

Companies and corporate and professional visitors In and around Nelson Mandela Bay. Game Lodges, architects, Bed & Breakfasts, guest houses, tour operators, hospitality industries and past customers. Middle to upper-income, all ages, both genders, predominantly with a tertiary education.

3.5 NEW MARKETS

Co-operative advertising partners and sponsors, ambassadors of the Red Location Museum, other museum’s and volunteers.

4.2. WEAKNESSES• Red Location Museum is in it’s infancy, and is therefore a relatively unknown entity.

• Difficulty in getting resources (financial, Friends of the Museum, sponsors etc.)

• Not sufficient market research.

• Visitors experience difficulty finding the museums location.

• Red Location Museum is not well signposted and is well off the main roads.

• Employs staff relatively new to the museum industry (Reword)

• Museum shop currently not operating.

• Trading spaces currently not operating.

• Marketing not aggressive enough due to insufficient marketing capacity.

• Not all exhibitions completed do to insufficient capacity.

• Red Location Museum is situated in a ‘township’ from the apartheid era, so is seen to be dangerous’ to access by previously privileged ‘white’ people.

• Insufficient IT infrastructure and internet connection for e-marketing official website not working - it requires professional design and structure. Only an interim website at this stage.

• Policy and Procedures of the Nelson Mandela Bay don’t cover many areas of concern for for the staff of Red Location Museum.

• Red Location Museum is at this stage largely unknown.

• The museum is lacking media partnership and support.

• Standard of experience for the visitor can be improved.

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S 4.1. STRENGTHS• Red Location Museum offers a unique township museum experience in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and is situated on a site of struggle.

• Extremely reasonable and flexible pricing structure.

• Ample secure parking - 24-hour security personnel at the museum.

• Large open spaces for children from the local community to play at the museum.

• Red Location Museum is ‘twinned’ with the World Culture Museum in Sweden.

• Partnership with Tyne and Wear Museum Services in North England. • Daily guided internal & external tours by ‘front of house’ staff.

• Red Location Museum offers a wide variety of experiences under one roof (the museum, an art gallery, contemporary art displays between memory boxes, exhibitions, a large outdoor screen for events, open outdoor event areas, corporate function facilities, restaurant facilities, museum shop facilities, 12 trading niches with the potential to offer more).

• Areas/services that can be rented out for functions and conferences, such as the Auditorium.

• Red Location Museum holds international awards for it’s architecture. Noero Wolf Architects worked on the premise of the unique architecture drawing in the visitor to he experience offered, whilst the architecture and layout for the museum also offers a different experience to the visitor.

• Red Location Museum holds national and local awards for cultural content, public programmes, marketing and research. • No visitors have ever had an incident involving crime (safe).

• Ease of access to the primary target market

• The museum is close to heritage sites i.e. the cottages and bridge.

4.4. THREATS• Other attractions in Nelson Mandela Bay are better marketed and draw potential visitors away from Red Location Museum.

• Access to the museum is difficult due to lack of posted signage on main roads.

4.3. OPPORTUNITIES• With appropriate support, many new markets may be penetrated - marketing funding could be obtained from ‘Friends of the Museum’ or corporate companies and other donors.

• Red Location Museum has the potential to increase this under-utilised service/experience that it offers.

• It is possible to become the largest and best known museum in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, or even nationally.

• Red Location Museum is yet in it’s infancy, and has every potential to be-come a unique, national and internation-ally known brand.

• Co-operative advertising can be ex-plored to penetrate the market.

4.5. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSISThis is another tool to help the planning team assess the outside factors that will influence Red Location Museum’s operation and future direction. These include cultural, economic, social and political, and legal influences, such as economic growth,increased tourist numbers (2010 Soccer World Cup) etc, may influence the plan. Also, changes to the Local Government and Municipal Acts can influence the museum’s operating environment.

4.6. GAP ANALYSIS• Ascertain where we are now, and where we want to be

• The reasons for this gap

• Possible way to bridge this gap

Examples: In the number of visitors to Red Location Museum,in the quality of the product delivered (exhibitions), service delivered etc.

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YSpecific requirements have been identified that need to be met in order to ensure the successful brand development. Focusing on available limited resources, maximum return and development are to be made. This series of integrated actions are all aimed at leading to a sustainable competitive advantage for Red Location Museum.

The visualisation of the corporate strategy is the CorporateIdentity. The Corporate Identity is the company’s being; it is its essence. The following three key areas to be developed in order to ensure the brand implementation:

• Corporate Identity development • Internal Brand Development

• Corporate Communications Package

6.1. CORPORATE IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

Images will be formed as the result of the series of stimuli that the recipient receives directly or indirectly from Red LocationMuseum. An image is a unit of meanings through which we get to know Red Location Museum and through which people describe and evoke Red Location Museum. It is the interaction of beliefs, ideas, feelings and impressions that Red LocationMuseum causes on people. Red Location Museum is created to satisfy the community’s (local, regional, national or global) needs. By producing a strong visual Corporate Identity, Red Location Museum can keep a brand positioning or niche.

This will include:Logo Design

One of an entities most effective means of communicating its professionalism and positioning is through its Logo – which appears on all communication material.

Corporate Positioning Statement (‘Strap Line’)

An extremely valuable, rather short sentence that describes Red Location Museum’s offering - Red Location Museum currently uses “Seeking to remember the past in many ways”.

Full Corporate IdentityOnce the name and logo have been finalised, a full corporate identity will be developed.

Style Guide

This formal document will be the brand ‘bible’ or set of rules that ensures that all application of the logo and visual communication are standardised and conform to the corporate identity.

The corporate identity is the system of communication that will be incorporated in Red Location Museum’s global strategy and must be present in all its manifestations, productions, properties and activities.

To this end a Style Guide will be developed. The Style Guide will be applied to all visual material.• Letterheads• Business cards• Compliment slips• Fax template• Email signature• Brochures• Signage• Internal branding and signage (including • Red Location Museum ‘display’ at airport)• External signage• Street signage• Vehicle livery (when and if required)

6.3. CORPORATE COMMUNICATION PACKAGE

A corporate profi le in the format of a brochure has been developed, and along with a corporate DVD and postcards will be presented in a Corporate Folder. 1. Corporate Presentation

Visual technology to be employed to market Red Location Museum. A corporate DVD is to be created for use at the Tourism Indaba and at expo’s, at schools, etc. to set RLM prospective visitors at ease and gain their trust. It will show Red Location Museum’s professionalism, and that Red Location Museum is capable of delivering a product that is unique, which will make the visitor think and feel, and which will enrich the visitors lives. This presentation will not only look great but will follow a careful sales sequence to be effective. Prospective customers and visitors must buy into Red Location Museum. They will increase their knowledge of your offering and why this museum is a ‘must visit’ destination.. Corporate Brochure

This is an indispensable document that allows prospective customers, at their leisure, to gain an understanding of the product offered by Red Location Museum. Furthermore, this document conveys your organisations professionalism and can set Red Location Museum apart from the competition.

3. Corporate Folder

4. PostcardsBRAN

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Y6.2. INTERNAL BRAND DEVELOPMENT

To be clearly defi ned, and made known to all stakeholders in order to promote consistent behavior and correct decision making. To this end a Staff Induction Document and Program to be developed. Staff Induction Program:A staff Induction program to be created in which the following will be communicated:Red Location Museum’s corporate identity, ethic and attitudes, so that those who work for the Museum share the same spirit and communicate the identity to those related with it.

1. A Staff Induction document to consist of the following elements:

• The Vision and Mission of Red Location Museum• Logo, usage and Corporate Identity for Red Location Museum• The brand Values of Red Location Museum• Ethics of Red Location Museum• The ‘Customer’ • Procedures used in workplace

2. A Staff Induction Workshop

All Red Location Museum staff and relevant municipal staff to attend a staff induction workshop.

3.Service Excellence Training

In terms of service delivery for Red Location Museum, and representing our Nelson Mandela Bay brand, it is suggested that all staff attend the Nelson Mandela Bay Service Excellence Training Programme.

4. Peer review

Red Location Museum to be reviewed by their peers, namely South End Museum, Bayworld, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, and this information should be utilised in gathering information about the current state of the organisation.