G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum 2020 Marketing Plan

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

To Our Friends at Visit Dothan,

With each new year comes new opportunities to learn from our mistakes and to celebrate the areas in which we’ve experienced tremendous growth.

In 2019, we discovered the passion and power hidden within an eager volunteer-base. It’s because of volunteers like our Board Members and the Young Professionals at The Carver that we were able to test out new events and have the courage to let go of events and programs that were no longer working.

In this Marketing Plan, you’ll find excerpts from our long-term strategic plan, which is ever-evolving. We intend to take the Museum in a stronger direction by developing new partnerships with universities and museums throughout the state. Those plans are not reflected in this Marketing Plan as we chose to focus on what would most interest you, our local Tourism Department leaders. In the coming weeks and months, we will begin to announce these new partnerships and are eager to hear your feedback. For now, please take a look at our plan to market to the Heritage Tourism Traveler.

We welcome our thoughts and ideas as we continue to navigate the fascinating world of tourism.

All the Best, Precious Freeman, Executive Director

MARKETING PLAN

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HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Longtime Dothan educator, Dr. Francina Williams founded the George Washington Carver Interpretive Museum with the help of the local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the City of Dothan, and local corporations and philanthropists. It has a rich history that dates back to 2000 when Dothan’s first Greyhound Bus Station, built in the 1940s, was converted into the museum we know and love today. Williams’ efforts to revitalize and transform a once segregated space into a hub for education and inspiration have yielded results that will impact its community for generations to come.

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Williams once said that African-Americans have a heritage of victimization that cannot be ignored.

She acknowledged that the victimization should be recognized, yet too often, the negative aspects seem to overshadow the positive moments in AfricanAmerican history.

Within its walls, one will find information on Dr. Carver’s life and legacy, local African-American ancestry, and notable accomplishments from black scientists, inventors, and explorers from the past and present.

In the famous words of our namesake, “When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.”

We aim to present the common in an uncommon way to encourage, enlighten, and inspire our guests near and far.

“It’s important to have some idea of yourself as a worthy person, as a capable person, and your heritage is a part of that message,” she noted. “When you constantly see yourself in a negative light, then it tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. And that’s what we do see. That’s what we’ve got to turn around.” (Williams, VOA News).

With support from our community partners and friends, The G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum continues its commitment to serve and enlighten visitors from both the Wiregrass area and beyond.

Today, in honor of Dr. Carver’s achievements, The Carver Museum hosts informative and engaging exhibits and events, guided tours and field trips for all ages, and a wealth of African American history.

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2.

ABOUT US

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MISSION

To educate individuals of all ages, races and creeds on the rich historical contributions of African-Americans.

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VISION

Through the power of the stories that we tell, we aim to enlighten the learner, to expose truth to the unaware, and to unite the divided.

VALUES

Legacy: We honor the victories of the men and women who lived under the oppression of slavery, the Jim Crow Era, and beyond. We work each day to preserve the legacies of African-American trailblazers -- known and unknown.

diverse backgrounds because we genuinely believe that we are better together.

Dialogue: We foster dialogue that sparks understanding and unity. Both our permanent and curated exhibits are designed and purposed to encourage an understanding of our collective history. Our exhibits provide a platform to discuss our past and how to forge our way into a better future collectively.

Stewardship: We value our donors and are committed to being good stewards of individual, corporate, and municipal contributions.

Cultural Awareness: Our goal is to provide opportunities to learn about the many ways that African-American History can be found, often in the shadows, interwoven with widely known American History. The purpose is to show how all of our histories combine to represent what indeed is American History. We encourage empathy and hope to promote collaboration between people of

Community: Our Exhibits and Programs, such as our curated art shows, Magic Summer Nights, and Concerts, are chosen explicitly with each type of community member in mind. While we strive to provide meaningful experiences for families, we also make room for people from all walks of life to have their place at the Museum.

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3.

TARGET MARKET

TARGET MARKET Work any given Saturday at The Carver Museum, and you’ll quickly come to realize that our typical visitor rarely resembles the historical figures featured on the Museum’s walls. As the racial tension of eras past slowly subsides, Heritage Tourism is seeing a significant increase. We gather, through discussions with our visitors, that Heritage Tourism Travelers are searching for truth and reconciliation and feel safer now more than ever before to go out into the world and explore.

National Trust for Historic Preservation defines Heritage Tourism as “traveling to experience the places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present.”

FACTS ABOUT THE AVERAGE HERITAGE TOURISM TRAVELER (Heritage Tourism Handbook: A How-to-Guide for Georgia, Page 6) • Well educated • Older • Influenced by women • Cosmopolitan • Accountability-driven • Generous in spending • More inclined to stay overnight in hotels and bed and breakfasts.

• More inclined to stay longer than the average traveler.

• More likely to visit a diversity of sites, cities, and regions than the average traveler.

• Wants high quality services • Interested in authenticity • Wants easy-to-do, accessible quality travel experiences

IN 2018, OUR VISITOR COUNT TOTALED 2,376. IN 2019, OUR TOTAL VISITORS INCREASED TO 3,107. #MagicSummerNights is our largest draw of the year and accounts for a little over 1/3 of our total visitors.

Field-Trip Groups continue to make up 1/3 of our total visitors each year.

Small events throughout the year make up about 15% of our total visitors each year.

Walk-ins account for another 15% of our total visitors each year.

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SWOT ANALYSIS

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STRENGTHS • • • • • • • • • • • •

Located within a historically significant building Low overhead Downtown location The uniqueness of the main exhibit Web presence Strong field-trip program Free entry Relationships Culturally Diverse Community engagement with hosted events Volunteers Relationships

WEAKNESSES • • • • • • • • • • •

Low funding Lack of assets (i.e., Museum does not own its own facility) Low donor engagement Small Team Lack of full-time leadership Low visitor count Outdated technological delivery of information Small facility Free entry Planning Board Strength

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SWOT ANALYSIS

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OPPORTUNITIES • We are the only black history museum within a 90-mile radius • Increased downtown development • Dothan declares itself to be the peanut capital of the world • Collaborations with other museums • Create a small gift shop • Take advantage of the sports tournaments to get the youth teams to visit the museum • Partnership with the local school system (cultural competency classes for

teachers and administrators) • Leverage current volunteers to build volunteer-base • Internship Program

THREATS • • • • • •

Local race relations Slow tourism industry Increased competition from other museums Being unintentionally left out of community publicity and events A decrease in school resources impacts field trip program Hotel across the street

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GOALS INCREASE MUSEUM AWARENESS Many of our weaknesses and threats documented in the above SWOT Analysis can be easily addressed by increasing awareness about the Museum. In 2020, we will focus on outreach programming and forging better relationships with our local government and school systems.

INCREASE CONTACT WITH DONORS AND VISITORS We have a full calendar of programs and events that we publish at the start of the year and make available at our local CVB and visitors centers throughout the state. We also highlight these events each month in our monthly newsletter (which reaches approximately 600 individuals). Moving forward, we need to develop strategies that will increase our contacts list and also make our e-blasts more specific by reaching out to our lists more than one time per month.

EXPAND EVENT MARKETING TO ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA Oftentimes, we have tunnel vision when marketing the Museum and we tend to focus only on Dothan and the Wiregrass Area. In 2020, we will strategically expand our event marketing to include cities in Florida and Georgia.

Because we are the only black history museum within a 90-mile radius, we can also capitalize on our proximity and create relationships with schools, churches, and civic groups outside of the Wiregrass Area.

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STRATEGIES AND TACTICS GOAL

INCREASE MUSEUM AWARENESS

STRATEGY #1

Utilize Digital and Print media Campaigns

TACTICS

- Develop individual Digital and Print Media campaigns for major exhibits and events held at the Carver Museum

STRATEGY #2

Increase Outreach Programming

TACTICS

- Schedule more than one storytime at Barnes and Noble - Initiate a partnership with the library - Increase in-school visits

GOAL

INCREASE CONTACT WITH DONORS AND VISITORS

STRATEGY #1

Monthly Newsletter

TACTICS

- Continue sending monthly newsletters about exhibits, events and educational successes to previous donors.

- Encourage guests to sign-up for our newsletter

STRATEGY #2

Targeted Solicitation Campaign to previous donors and recent visitors

TACTICS

Make targeted contact with previous donors and potential donors via mail, email and telephone to thank them for their previous donations and extend invitations to them to establish a continued and ongoing partnership with the Carver Museum

GOAL

EXPAND EVENT MARKETING TO ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA

STRATEGY #1

Leverage Radio and Television

TACTICS

Utilize Radio and Television to advertise Carver Museum related events to the Tri-State area

STRATEGY #2

Leverage use of billboards outside of Dothan for Advertisement

TACTICS

Utilize Billboards to advertise Carver Museum related events to the Tri-State area

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2020 CALENDAR OF EVENTS January 20, 2020 10am — 4pm MLK Jr. Day of Service at The Carver February 1 — February 29, 2020 Black History Month Special Museum Hours: Tues — Sat. 10am — 5pm February 1, 2020 Black History Month Kickoff: Families are invited to tour the museum and dress in traditional African attire (optional).

February 8, 2020 Storytime with The Carver at Barnes & Noble February 11, 2020 YP @ The Carver February 15, 2020 #MoneyMoves: Financial Literacy Class for Teens February 22, 2020 The Social Construct of Race with Vernetta Perkins, Esq.

June 13, 2020 Storytime Saturday at The Carver June 20, 2020 Soul Food Festival honoring Juneteenth July 3, 2020 #MagicSummerNights July 11, 2020 Storytime Saturday at The Carver July 14, 2020 YP @ The Carver July 31, 2020 Eric Essix: Six Zero Tour August 7, 2020 #MagicSummerNights August 8, 2020 Small Business Expo August 11, 2020 YP @ The Carver

March 7, 2020 Women’s History Brunch & Art Show

September 4, 2020 #MagicSummerNights

March 10, 2020 YP @ The Carver

September 8, 2020 YP @ The Carver

March 14, 2020 Family Fun Day

October 13, 2020 YP @ The Carver

March 23 - 25, 2020 Heroes of History Kids Camp

November 10, 2020 YP @ The Carver

April 4, 2020 Lecture Series: Black History & The Bible

December 5, 2020 Home for the Holidays: Celebrating Local African-American Artists

April 14, 2020 YP @ The Carver May 12, 2020 YP @ The Carver June 9, 2020 YP @ The Carver

December 8, 2020 YP @ The Carver December 19, 2020 Kwanzaa Craft Day

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2020 MARKETING BUDGET

ITEM

COST

BILLBOARDS

5,000.00 (already funded)

COPYWRITING (Press releases, social media posts, print campaign copy) EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

1,500.00

PRINT CAMPAIGNS

2,000.00

WEBSITE

$380.00

TOTAL

$9,000.00

$120.00

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