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As promised in the last issue, CCI is proudly sporting a new look—a
strong corporate identity including a newly developed logo and graphic
standards package.
In response to the Institute's new directions, a comprehensive
marketing plan was developed early last spring. The plan included
initiatives to promote and market the products and services of each
division individually, as well as CCI as a whole. As many of these
initial activities were based on direct mailings to targeted audiences,
the production of promotional materials was essential to the success
of the marketing plan. The information contained within these materials
was compiled with direction and input from CCI staff, clients, potential
users of the services, and marketing experts in the cultural field.
In November 1997, the first of the scheduled mailings took place,
including a letter from the Director General, a CCI services brochure,
and a fee schedule clearly explaining the new structure. This package
was distributed to more than two thousand Canadian museums, galleries,
and related heritage institutions. To help Canadian organizations
become more familiar with the wide range of services offered by
the Institute, a series of service-specific brochures was designed.
Each brochure describes a specific service: treatment and restoration,
examination and scientific analysis of objects, preventive conservation,
on-site testing, and the CCI library, to name a few. These brochures
were used in several mailings in February 1998. Recipients of the
information packages included provincial museum associations and
organizations, educational organizations offering museology programs,
and past users of CCI services.
To complement the mailings, a variety of other
marketing initiatives took place simultaneously: CCI was represented
at several conferences with a refurbished trade show 'booth', advertisements
were placed in carefully selected magazines, and visits to the Institute
were encouraged through an open house and private tours.
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While the external elements of the marketing plan were being carried
out, changes were also taking place internally to support the results
of these initiatives. To monitor information requests and responses
to marketing efforts effectively, a new project tracking software
including a powerful, multifaceted client database was designed
for the Institute. This tool will help to maintain a high level
of client satisfaction and ensure cost-effective mailings, in addition
to guiding future marketing directions.
Readers of the new brochures will notice reference to 'client services'.
Using existing resources, this new service function was developed
to ensure that all information inquiries are answered quickly and
efficiently.
The long-term success of these marketing initiatives depends greatly
on the Institute's steadfast commitment to preserving Canadian heritage
and supporting conservation and heritage institutions in Canada.
As CCI continues to monitor the results of these marketing efforts,
develop new services and products to fulfill identified needs, and
modify the marketing plan where necessary to guide future directions,
your help will be needed. Please feel free to forward your comments,
questions, or suggestions to the Marketing Division at CCI.
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