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 in the private sector for a few years. I know how much the heritage sector could benefit from good commercial practice. To create an overlap was logical.
And second, because many heritage organisations are still running their setup in what I would call a 20th Century fashion. And that worked fine, for a time. But it is no longer working today.
When the information age set in with a vengeance, the world became more connected.
New ways of communication and information sharing began sprouting like mushrooms. We see them booming and then going out of vogue in a few short years. Technology became more involved. Everything became much more user-centric.
And organisations used to dealing with the slow pace of history are finding themselves overwhelmed and outpaced.
I’m a millennial. I will happily admit that it is hard to keep track of all the emerging technology trends and media. It is, in fact, a full-time job. One of a growing number of jobs that didn’t exist when either of us were born. We know that children born today will most likely have a job that hasn’t been invented yet. We also know that the pace of technological change will continue to speed up.
The trick for the heritage is not to be at the leading edge of this change. All that’s required is to ride its waves with some capacity to steer, rather than being tossed about by it like a dinghy in a storm.
21st Century visibility
is less about knowing the ins and outs of technologies (they change almost daily, after all) and more about mindset. A mindset which is customer-centric, strategic and builds on established best practice from one of the most competitive arenas: the private sector. Such a mindset is the basis for strategies that will help your organisation stand out.
You’ll be able to introduce your fantastic assets to new and broader audiences. At the same time, you’ll be having more meaningful interactions and generally better engagement. People will understand your value and their role in keeping it alive. People who are fans rather than one-time visitors or disillusioned members.
Bridging the gap
I can’t stand the idea of culturally invaluable organisations being left behind. Struggling day in and day out, throwing precious resources at tactics that won’t work, when a simple shift in thinking could make all the difference.
This is what this book is designed to do. To teach you how to develop a 21st Century heritage mindset, which will allow you to not just survive and protect the status quo, but to actively add value. A mindset that allows you to honour your organisation’s legacy while celebrating and shaping the future.
Bridging the gap between the past and the future is what heritage work is all about. Protecting the work of previous generations for future generations is the name of the game.
Yes, it’s about survival – but that survival doesn’t have to be a daily struggle.