The Importance of a Data-Driven Approach
After government subsidies were cut in 2017, the National Museum decided to charge an entrance fee for their museums. A deliberate step, says Søren: “Some people think more visitors will come if you make entrance free, but it doesn’t work that way. What does work is making your product more relevant and attractive, thereby making your potential visitors aware of what you offer.” A data-driven strategy was key to this. Through data research, they gained more insight into what visitors need and how they can attract new audiences.
''A data-driven strategy helps make your product more relevant and attractive.''
How Did the National Museum Start?
The National Museum began with market research to find out how the public perceives them and where opportunities for change lie. During this market research, both current visitors and non-visitors were surveyed, giving the museum a clear picture of the desires and motivations of different target groups. The research revealed that non-visitors consider the museum important but feel it is an obligation to visit. “For people who don’t regularly go to museums, it’s something they only start appreciating after a few visits,” Søren explains.
The museum conducted market research and held focus groups. Based on this data, they developed personas to segment different target groups. To expand their audience, the team looked at how they could engage non-visitors with their programs. So, how do you make the right offerings visible to the right audience? This strategy brought a 42% new visitor rate to their Viking exhibition.
The Four Steps of Data-Driven Work
“Before working with data, it’s important to know the purpose of the data and how you will use it,” Søren explains.
Data Collection
Data can be collected in various ways, such as having visitors fill out surveys or, like the National Museum, using focus groups or market research.
Data Interpretation
Interpreting data is important because data never speaks for itself. That’s why it’s essential to employ people who know how to interpret the data correctly.
Data Acceptance
The results from the data won’t always be positive, so it’s important to accept the data as it is, so you can work with it.
Data Implementation
Data indicates where improvements can be made and what is already working well. To make data valuable, it’s important to actually implement it within your organization.
Want to start using data in your organization? Use the Taskforce Publieksdata’s step-by-step guide.
Start with Your Goals
With KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), you can measure your organization’s performance and clearly see what is working and what isn’t. At the National Museum, they measure the following KPIs:
- Awareness
- Visitor numbers
- Education (The museum aims to attract visitors with lower educational backgrounds as well)
- Last visit
- Age, demographics
- Tickets and other purchases
For exhibitions, the National Museum has a KPI goal of 40% new visitors. By measuring this, they gain insight into which exhibitions attract new visitors and which do not. These insights are then used in the curation of new programs.
The Data Squeeze: Organization-Wide Effort
Once KPIs are set, it’s important to work on them organization-wide. Everyone in the organization contributes to the data-driven approach within their role. At the National Museum, they call this ‘the data squeeze,’ and it looks like this:
Director/senior management:
- Sets strategic KPIs
- Drives the data-driven approach
- Changes work culture
- Strategic planning and budgeting
Employees:
- Are guided by the KPIs
- Drive the data-driven approach
- Request new data and insights
- Deliver KPIs to management
More articles per topic
