Introduction
Museums are for all. That’s a sentiment shared by the staff, curators and artists featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). Yet, many San Diego County residents do not see themselves reflected in MCASD’s home of La Jolla – a historically wealthy and affluent community on San Diego’s coast. Our mission was to help change that, and position MCASD as a welcoming and inclusive place for ALL San Diegans.
Our Objectives
Our objectives were to:
- Increase MCASD’s brand awareness among diverse communities in San Diego County through non-arts media
- Showcase the museum’s existing inclusivity and diversity – in its staff, programs, along with its collections and exhibitions
- Correct misconceptions about the museum, its location or its mission
We sought out to accomplish these objectives through a multi-faceted communications approach that includes media relations, influencer partnerships, digital marketing, and more.
The Outcome
Through creative public relations strategies, we highlighted a program to use art for lifelong learning among San Diego’s older populations in local broadcast and print media – resulting in the first-ever sold out workshop. Additionally, we placed stories in non-arts media throughout San Diego County, including in publications with significant audiences, such as the San Diego Union-Tribune, KPBS, and KSDY 50.
We also leveraged influencer and digital marketing to run ad campaigns for MCASD on Google Ads, monitored these ads weekly for performance, and coordinated partnerships with both arts organizations in San Diego and local influencers.
