Over the last year, two significant digital transformations occurred within SCMA’s Marketing and Communications (Marcom) Office. The first was the cross-campus expansion of the Social Media Team (SMT), and the second was the launch of a fully accessible version of the online annual report, SCHEMA. Both have led to positive outcomes, partnerships and collaborations.

While the museum was closed during the pandemic, the goal of the SMT was to keep the Marcom department informed of all the staff work happening throughout the museum via cross-museum staff representation. Last year, we extended SMT membership to marketing and communications staff across other departments on the Smith campus.

Bimonthly SMT meetings offered an opportunity to develop new digital collaborations. It was a place to share campus events happening in the Botanic Garden, the Kahn Liberal Arts Institute, the Smith libraries and the Office of College Relations. This team not only supported one another’s program promotions but also allowed a space for sharing best practices, troubleshooting platform issues and learning new social media strategies, as well as sharing vendor recommendations.

With the group’s shift in focus, we all benefited from each other’s expertise and had the chance to support one another and collaborate in new and exciting ways. SCMA’s attendance numbers and expanded audience outreach have been positively impacted by these social media partnerships.

The goal of the second digital change, moving SCHEMA online, was to create a mobile-friendly, accessible and image-centric digital home for the content found in the print version of the annual report, all while maintaining the SCMA online brand.  The Marcom team worked with Last Call Media, Inc. to envision and launch this publication. Starting in February 2023, we had weekly sync-up meetings where both teams discussed progress, provided feedback and answered questions about the development process for our Drupal-based website platform.

We spent five months with the Last Call team designing, formatting and streamlining the online layout, followed by three months of populating, testing, editing and tweaking imagery and design. In early September, the online publication went live.  The information shared in the annual report will now be accessible in a more user-friendly way and will help bring our stories to a wider audience. The investment of time and resources into this template will benefit SCMA for years to come.

The Social Media Team expansion and the new online SCHEMA were two digital resources that were added to SCMA’s Marketing and Communication digital toolbox. Today, both modes of communication are utilized by the Marcom department, while our team continues to remain flexible and adaptable to the needs of the institution and to our audiences.
 

The Marketing and Communications team focused on expanding the museum’s roster of creative vendors in the past year. SCMA has welcomed back new audiences, spreading the word through multiple digital, print and press channels. As our efforts have evolved, we have collaborated with local businesses and consultants to support staff initiatives.

Digital marketing requires flexibility and responsiveness. The production cycle for marketing is quicker than pre-pandemic processes—visitors expect more information before making a decision on an exhibition or program. As a result, we have added more visual information across our communications channels. Online marketing thrives on engaging photo and video assets.

Our team opened up a review process for existing SCMA vendors and invited new candidates to meet with us. We worked with community and campus partners for referrals outside of our usual networks. Our efforts to cultivate new vendors aligns with our social media campaigns, digital annual report and cross-campus partnerships. In addition, we have considered our organizational DEAI goals, working toward a more culturally and geographically diverse pool.

Our communications have improved based on a stronger vendor pool. We have been able to create materials with a clearer brand identity and improve internal workflow. SCMA has benefited from the creativity and new voices of our marketing collaborators and vendors.

top: Cover art of the first online SCHEMA, 2021–2022: The Year in Review; bottom: Three visitors look at art in the third-floor galleries. Photo by Derek Fowles Photography