We worked with leadership and staff to develop the backstory and communications framework to support the strategic goal of “meeting visitors where they are”.
Sector
Arts & Culture
Brand Challenges
- Support increased visitation and engagement
- Speak powerfully to Native and non-Native audiences alike
- Extend a warm invitation to visitors of all backgrounds
Story Tools
- Brand Platform
- Backstory
- Logo and Visual System and Voice Guidelines
- SaaS-Based Brand Management Tool
At issue
In some ways, the National Museum of the American Indian serves as a kind of informal United Nations for the hundreds of Native Nations it represents. It is a place of pride and belonging for Native visitors. At the same time, the majority of visitors are non-Native. In keeping with the museum’s mission to foster “a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples,” the museum aims to appeal equally to non-Native visitors, too.
Story development
As a first step, we worked with leadership to develop an updated vision—of “equity and social justice for the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere.” We positioned NMAI relative to other museums with a regional or individual native nation-specific focus as the national museum of the American Indian that is global in scope, relevance and impact. The museum’s story is now one of inclusion, impact, and understanding about a place “where the many nations of America come together.”
Deliverables and outcomes
Brand Platform, Backstory, Logo and Visual System, Brand Style Guide and Voice Guidelines, SaaS-Based Brand Management Tool support increased visitation and engagement; speak powerfully to Native and non-Native audiences alike; and extend a warm invitation to visitors of all backgrounds.