Ep.74 The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market?
With Brendan Carr
Episode Description:
This episode features Brendan Carr, Community Engagement Curator at Reading Museum, discusses his role, the museum’s vast collections, and strategies for engaging audiences. Brendan was born and bred in Reading and has a wealth of experience in museums, including the last 25 years at Reading Museum.
The conversation delves into the evolution of Reading Museum, which is housed in the beautiful red brick Reading Town Hall and has been accumulating collections for over 140 years. He emphasises that the visible displays are just the “forefront,” while the vast reserve collection acts as the town’s “memory bank” for researchers worldwide.
The discussion touches on the vital topic of contemporary collecting and community engagement. Brendan stresses the importance of the museum acting as a “mirror,” where people can see their own culture and background reflected. Engagement strategies focus on a balance of “old school” simple, tactile interactives and leveraging digital platforms for a growing global audience.
Finally, the conversation covers the challenges of funding, and the success of strategic partnerships and crafting “compelling” projects that align with the needs of funding agencies. Brendan concludes by encouraging listeners to visit the free museum for discovery and its positive impact on long-term wellbeing.
Reading Museum Website: readingmuseum.org.uk
Reading Museum Social Channels:
Check out Reading Museum’s current exhibition: Reading’s Digital Evolution
Listen to the episode
Episode Time Codes
00:00 Welcome
00:55 An introduction to Reading Museum
04:41 How large is the museum collection and how much is on display
08:19 How Reading Museum decides what stories and objects to collect
12:23 How Reading Museum staff keep the collection relevant over time
18:29 Brendan’s role at the museum and what it involves: Community Engagement Curator
23:34 What works for engaging museum audiences
29:07 The data Reading Museum collect and how they’re used
35:02 What challenges Brendan faces in carrying out his role
41:07 Brendan’s final thoughts for listeners
Videos
Mirror Your Audience
How to Engage Your Audiences
Track and Use Your Data
Sourcing for Additional Funding
Key takeaways
Be a “Mirror,” Not Just a Platform: Customers must see themselves reflected in your product or service. Ensure your offerings and marketing reflect the diversity and current story of your target audience to establish identity and a feeling of belonging.
Craft Compelling, Aligned Partnerships: The museum augments its budget by raising funds through grant applications. The key is to craft partnership arrangements with communities and projects that fulfil the needs of the funding agencies/partners. Business owners should look for partners whose strategic goals align with their project’s outcomes, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
Proactive Asset Acquisition: Don’t just save records—proactively collect items, stories, and data that reflect your current history. Business owners should be capturing the tools, narratives, and artifacts of their current success (e.g. prototypes, early marketing materials, customer testimonials, team stories) as they happen.
Episode References
Explore Reading Museum’s work on the Reading Festival:
Cock’s Reading Sauce Advertising Poster:
The Happy Museum used funding from the Arts Council to commission two years of research with twelve museums to develop wellbeing that’s fair on people and planet. The findings show that museums improve people’s happiness and perception of good health, even after you’ve accounted for other factors that might be influencing them. The report shows that people value visiting museums at over £3,000 per year:
Learn about the collaboration between Reading Museum and Kala the Arts: