Marina Hauer, Author at Heritage Pioneers

17Jun

By Marina HauerNo Comments

What does Brand mean for Heritage?

In the private sector, there's nobody who doesn't talk about brand. Brand marketing, brand recognition, brand development, brand valuation - much energy and money is spent chasing all these highly valued concepts. When I mention brand in connection with heritage, I get less enthusiastic responses. Responses ranging from 'that's nice but I don't know anything about it' to 'we don't need this'. Brands are either thought of as giant providers of consumer goods, or as designs. Neither is fully true. But what, then, is a brand? I'd like you to think of your favourite restaurant. Why is it your favourite? The food will be good (otherwise it wouldn't be your favourite), but what else? Do you have special memories there? What's the atmosphere like? What about the experience do you enj...

How to Reconnect with your Members post Covid-19

12Jun

By Marina HauerNo Comments

How To's, The Basics, Zeitgeist

How to Reconnect with your Members post Covid-19

As an industry that is based largely on interactions with physical sites or events, Covid-19 has hit the heritage sector hard. And while efforts have been made to provide financial support during the crisis, one aspect has suffered particularly: the direct connection to our visitors and members. The digital communication chasm Having to close sites and cancel events naturally has a direct impact on finances, and a third of third-sector organisations and community groups are concerned about surviving the summer. But the loss goes beyond the immediate numbers. Many heritage organisations, unused to doing a significant amount of their outreach online, have not stayed in touch with those audiences they rely on so heavily for support. And I'm not talking about a solitary email sayi...

11Jun

By Marina HauerNo Comments

Five things heritage brands can learn from Start-ups about Visibility and Reputation

Whether you're a global player or a small, local heritage site, brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. It is, at the end of the day, all about reputation. But reputation is a big word. It implies expertise, a certain degree of authority. Of knowing what you're doing. But first and foremost, it implies experience. To have a reputation suggests that you've done a certain thing for a certain amount of time in a certain way. Those that have experience are better off, because they've been around longer. They have put in the time and a reputation has been built. The longer the legacy the more reputable. After all, companies that can add 'Est. 1967" to their tagline MUST be doing superior work. We like to buy into this kind of thinking. But what then about al...

Controversial Heritage should unite, not divide us

10Jun

By Marina HauerNo Comments

Opinion, Zeitgeist

Controversial Heritage should unite, not divide us

Heritage is never simple. It is the product of extraordinary human activity and powerful human emotion. This means by definition that there is never just one side to the coin. I was born and raised in Austria but moved to the UK at the age of 21. I'm constantly surrounded by reminders of just how differently the events of, say, WWII are remembered. In the UK, a celebration of the righteous and selfless defeat of evil; in Austria, a matter of institutionalised shame and guilt. Neither side is wrong, but neither side tells the whole story, either. And of course, some aspects of history are more controversial than others. But while we rarely get to change history, it is important to remember that heritage does go with the times. Societies change, we gain new insights and our worl...

9Jun

By Marina HauerNo Comments

Welcome to Heritage Pioneers!

Welcome to Heritage Pioneers, a space for owners, curators, managers and custodians of cultural and heritage organisations. A space to discuss new ideas about visibility and reputation. A space to explore best practice of what it means to be a heritage brand. And most importantly, how to connect to 21st Century audiences successfully and in a meaningful way. I started this blog for two reasons: First, because I was looking for a space for custodians that wasn't just about technical advice on how to repair your thatched roof or apply for grant funding, but rather about building human connections around the topic of heritage - and there wasn't one. I have a heritage background (the picture is of me working on Salisbury Cathedral). But I've also been running my own branding business...