La Trobe University Museum of Art Brand Analysis - Case Study Example

LUMA (La Trobe University Museum of Art) Brand analysis Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name 27, 10, 2010 Outline Executive Summary Introduction LUMA background Brand description Competitive environment The market objectives i. Target market ii. General market Aspects of the brand i. What it consist of ii. What it has done iii. Brand’s effectiveness Other aspects of the brand i. Points of difference ii. Brand elements iii. Market support programs iv. Brand leveraging v. Brand extensions (existing and future) Brand’s equity in CBBE model Brand success in the following aspects i. Identity ii. Meaning iii. Response iv. Relationship Conclusion (With regard to the objectives, i.e. market objectives and brand aspects) References Executive Summary La Trobe University Museum of Art –LUMA has concentrated on its objectives for the over 40 years it has been in business. The LUMAs’ brand analysis indicates that most of its clientele are knowledge workers in the domain of creative arts and scholars. With this clientele base, the brand has built itself a good niche of the educated and exemplary artists therefore making it a very attractive brand in the market. Though the art collections are unique and the market exceptionally lucrative but with view clients, LUMA has been able to outshine its competitors and be recognised as one of the world’s leading knowledge sharing and art collections museum. The association of LUMA brand with one of the top ten universities in the social science and art studies category has made it one of the most authoritative contributors in the performance of La Trobe University. The changing art environment and the continuous research programs shall always necessitate changes in LUMAs brand strategies. Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 5 LUMAs’ background 6 Brand description 6 Competitive environment 7 The market objectives 8 i.Target market 8 ii.General market 8 Aspects of the brand 9 i.What it consist of 9 ii.What it has done 9 iii.Brand’s effectiveness 9 Other aspects of the brand 10 i.Points of difference 10 Unique products 10 Cost effectiveness 10 Academic background 10 Continuous research 11 ii.Brand elements 11 Logo 11 Slogan 12 iii.Market support programs 12 Design 12 Public programs 12 Affiliation with the university 13 Disabled visitor access 13 Cafes, bars and restaurant 13 iv.Brand leveraging 13 v.Brand extensions (existing and future) 14 Brand’s equity in CBBE model 14 Brand success in the following aspects 15 i.Identity 15 ii.Meaning 15 iii.Response 16 iv.Relationship 16 Conclusion 17 References 17 Introduction LUMAs’ brand has grown over years overcoming various challenges as it tries to achieve its core objective of art knowledge sharing and preservation of historical and contemporary art products. In order to achieve this, the museum has made strategic alliance with the University which has a large pool of expertise in knowledge sharing. LUMA has been able to leverage on the La Trope University’s brand name and this has seen the museum access the University clientele and expertise locally and internationally (Michi, Pfoertsch & Kotler 2006). The report analyses LUMA brand of art collections and knowledge sharing based on market analysis and brand audit based on the customer based brand equity model which indicates the market strength of the product. The report therefore gives a detailed performance analysis of LUMA. LUMAs’ background La Trobe University Museum of Art was established in 1966 for the purpose of honouring and appreciating the significance of artistic collection in learning environment. The main campus of museum is situated at Bundoora and hosts a collection of past and modern-day wonders of art. The organization has applied creativity to promote and educate the artists in Australia while participating in important and educative projects. The college offers various programs and encourages research on art with the intention of upholding the creative themes of related to political, cultural and socio economic importance. The inter-Universities world ranking has placed the La Tropes University which is the parent brand of LUMA as one of the most competitive Universities in the world simply because of its competitive creative arts study programs which has solid support of the museum. Brand description The museum La Trobe, as a brand is described based on the continuous collection of sceneries and artistic materials that have led to its popularity in Australia and other parts of world. This was achieved from the engagement of the institution in large number of activities and events such as collection of art materials, involvement in government and international projects. The brand is not only know for upholding creativity and art but also facilitating development in the domain of contemporary art and other creative sciences. The museums’ education and other public training programs have facilitated the exploration of social-political relationships with the creative arts. The museum is one of the appreciated collections of artefacts and historical souvenirs in Australia thereby becoming one of the epitomes of Australian heritage (Keller 2003). The brand has also a wide range of exhibitions and Sculpture Park which form part of its education and recreational facilities. Competitive environment LUMA (La Trobe University Museum of Art) brand is an academic, commercial and heritage related product that uniquely puts La Trobe University on the world rankings as one of the best institutions. The uniqueness of the brand has made it possible for it to be competitive in the market even though the environment of the brand is not purely commercial. With other institutions of higher learning putting up different programs to enhance their academic products, LUMA’s Brand has been given a niche as regards artistic collections and study based on its heritage collection and supporting academic history. The competition on the market is mainly offered by art galleries around Australia and other international Museum which have been in existence for a long period of time hence having accumulated large number of antiquated relics of art. The market objectives i. Target market LUMAs’ brand just like any other academic brand has its market being the potential scholars mostly from secondary and tertiary institutions. Various schools and colleges do visit the museum as part of their learning process. This facilitates the understanding of social sciences and other humanities mostly taught in these schools. Art industry is very competitive and dynamic implying that the supporting institutions have to offer exemplary products that will meet the market demands (Malhotra 2006). Post graduate scholars doing their research also do find the museum as an important resource. ii. General market LUMAs, brand market also do include the public. The public are not only the consumers of LUMAs’ brand but also a very critical supplier of artistic knowledge and creative interpretations. Through active interaction with the public in the course of public programs, LUMA is able to incorporate the social, cultural and economic themes in their creative art programs and training thereby producing a market driven products (Lehu 2007). Since the public are also the consumers of art, relevant knowledge of the market makes the public a very critical stakeholder of LUMA. LUMA is a recreational facility to the public especially over the weekends and public holidays; it has a collection of art products that have contributed immensely to the Australian culture and progress. This has made the museum a must visit site in the Victorian region of Australia. Aspects of the brand i. What it consist of LUMAs’ brand entails a wide range of creative and artistic products. It promotes educational and public discussions aimed at enhancing research into the various social-political themes in art. The brand also is also closely associated with the management of the La Trope University art collections which is a very important heritage not only for the university but also the whole Australian nation. LUMAs’ brand is not complete without the mentions of various artistic publications and sculpture collections which also form part of the huge heritage. ii. What it has done LUMAs brand has been able to assemble a huge collection of historical artefacts that forms part of the traditions of various Australian residents. These collections have contributed immensely to the heritage of Australia. LUMA (La Trobe University Museum of Art) has not only helped in the preservation of heritage but also facilitated effective learning process for research scholars. Through the public and educational programs, the museum has become a resource centre for art and creative studies, integrating with the community. The public interaction programs have enable the museum enhance its research into creative arts (Kapferer 2002). With the proceeds from the sale of artistic collections and publications, the museum has been able to improve the economic status of most artists thereby enhancing the development of art as a career. iii. Brand’s effectiveness LUMAs’ brand has endured the test of time and sustained itself through the over 40 years of business because its relevance in an industry that requires historical collection and uniqueness of products. The brand generally has been relevant in the mind of the Australian art scholars as part of the holistic training. Equally the public have appreciated the various training programs that have been organized by the brand. Other aspects of the brand i. Points of difference Unique products LUMAs’ brand has unique collection of product that no other gallery or museum has in the region. The artistic collections of Dunmoochin, ethnographic, FM Curtis collection, trendall and Chinese propaganda posters are exceptional artistic collection to LUMA (La Trobe University Museum of Art). Other products includes exhibitions, education and public programs, publications and sculpture park The availability of these products gives the museum a niche in the market. Cost effectiveness The museum is a not for profit institution but even though it is funded through donations necessary admission fees are usually charged. For the case of LUMAs brand most of the public programs are free therefore making them affordable for many audience. Academic background The solid academic foundations on the curative processes, historical associations of the artefacts, research discoveries and different discourses related to the museum gives uniqueness to the brand. The inputs of the university in the products of LUMA makes them outstanding and authoritative museum in the domain of art. Continuous research The promotion of public-academic discourses on various art collections in the museum makes the museum an agent of various dimensional views on the different arts. The continuous research brings out new knowledge in the area of creative arts and the general arts industry. ii. Brand elements Brand name The brand name is an important element in creating market awareness of a product to customers. Customers do associate a product with a name therefore brand name is a compulsory element of a brand. LUMA (La Trobe University Museum of Art) is a unique name that is associated with art gallery in Australia but the acronym LUMA still needs further promotion or total change to make popular. Logo La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMA has no particular logo that can be associated with the museum. This makes the brand dependant on the university logo which is uniquely identified with the academic programmes. LUMA should therefore design a logo relevant to historical artefacts storage and depicting an idea of museum work (Glynn 2009). Slogan La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMA has no official slogan or mission statement that has been developed. This makes the product lack the driving philosophy or associated vision statement. iii. Market support programs Design The original design of La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMA is artistic making it the right environment for the exhibition of artistic collections and sculptures. The various sculptures in the fields in of the university resonate very well with the museum brand and creativity. The environmental message outside the museum communicates creativity and art making it a relevant location for the museum. Public programs The public education and discussion programs coupled with the interactions with various leading artists in various domains of arts and creativity has been one of the main contributors to marketing through human networking and relationships. This has been an effective marketing tool where not only does the public gains from the expertise information but also does the museum gain from the public opinions on various pieces of art. Affiliation with the university The University name has been used in the museum making it an affiliate department of the university. The association has given the museum access to the various university stakeholders as the client base of the La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMA. This affiliation has also given the museum the ability to access the various university experts in the area of Art and creativity. Disabled visitor access Being compliant to the needs of the disabled in the society, La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMA has curved itself a niche in being concern to the less privileged members of the society. With such affirmative action being taken by the museum, it makes its one of the institutions to be emulated in Australia with regard to being responsive to the rights of the minority and physically challenged. Cafes, bars and restaurant Museum business isn’t complete without the subsidiary services of cafes, bars and restaurants. La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMA has licensed cafes, bars and restaurants making it conducive environment for a whole day visit. These services also attract clients to the museum as much as the museum does the same to them thereby making them supportive at the same time strategic services (Chan-Olmsted 2006). iv. Brand leveraging La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMAs, brand has been leveraged on the University name. This has given it the international status that the university holds and access to the university clientele. Leverage on the already existing brand name gave the museum an upper hand as regards access to the university expertise and clientele. This is also a challenge in that the services of the museum must conform to the university standards so that it may not be a source of discontentment on the existing university clients. The leveraging on the university name also does indicate an intricate relationship between the two products that has to be natured by both entities so that the original brand may remain relevant in the market. v. Brand extensions (existing and future) Brand extension and leveraging are also most synonymous but there’s a difference in that brand extension involves the actual used of the brand name and logos without modifications while brand leverage is taking advantage of the relationship between two brands. LUMA’s brand being a creative art brand can also be extended to commercial artistic designs in clothing, paintings and even sculpture work since it has an existing relationship base with clients. Brand’s equity in CBBE model The model will depict the strength or weakness of La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMAs, brand. Customer Based Brand Equity- CBBE mode will indicate the perceived knowledge, awareness, loyalty and association with La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMAs’ brand. CBBE model will evaluate the brands value to the firm, customer and trade. The evaluation will be based on the analysis of the brand identity, customer response and relationship. Brand success in the following aspects i. Identity La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMAs’ brand is associated with the university education. This is because of the brand extension offered by the La Trope University which is world renowned brand in the higher education services. LUMAs’ brand in reality deals with art collection, promotion of public debates on art and facilitating education. The brand has wide acceptance as an embodiment of Australia’s contemporary and historical art and artistic collections (Bjerre, Knudtzen & Heding 2009). ii. Meaning La Trope University Museum of Art- LUMAs’ brand though a very unique brand has curved itself its own niche in the art galleries and collections museums in Australia. The brand is associated with features of unique artistic collections, great artistic debates, inspiring public programs and ingenious exhibitions. The various novel artistic collections in the museum are educative on its own especially to the education institutions and history and art scholars (Agarwal & Rao 2000). This differentiates the brand from other available art galleries in Australia. The great art debate in the company of leading artists and other art scholars is a unique feature related to LUMA is a source of knowledge. This has made LUMAs’ brand the only art collection which supports research and knowledge sharing in Australia. Inspiring public programs meant to educate and share art knowledge with the leading artists is also aspect that describes the LUMAs’ brand. It is in line with the parent brand strategy of knowledge sharing (Aaker 2007). The presentation to the public by various renowned artists on varying art genres is associated much with LUMA brand. Ingenious exhibition and sculptures associated with LUMA brand are qualities which are not replicated in other art galleries making LUMA brand unique and competitive. Most of LUMAs’ customers perceive the brand as of class and associated with people higher knowledge as regards art and fashion (Randall & Jonathan 2003). The brand has created itself an image associated with the leading art scholars and professionals hence for one to have a mastery of art it has to have had an exhibition with LUMA. iii. Response Regarding customer responses, LUMA has enhanced itself as one of those brands every art scholar wants to be associated with. The various researches in conjunction with LUMAs’ collections form some of the widely read art publications and reference journals. Customers perceive LUMA as a high quality art collection brand and with reliable contemporary and historical art knowledge. Customers of the brand have also appreciated the invaluable nature of LUMAs’ collection to the heritage of Australia. iv. Relationship LUMAs’ brand for the last 40 years has built strong relationship with its clientele. Most of the LUMAs’ brand consumers have shown resilience by going to an extent of making donations to the museum. This indicates that clients have feelings beyond just the quality services of the museum but also intimate relationship of trust and support of the brand. The brand has been associated with quality, elite class, creativity and ingenuity features (Wirth, Olmsted & Albarran 2006). LUMA has been viewed also a providers of world class services and is a trusted art museum. Conclusion LUMA brand had the objectives of conserving the historical art products and promoting knowledge sharing on art as a genre of creativity. The brand has positioned itself strategically by leveraging on an already existing higher education brand of Le Trope University thereby getting the right environment to undertake its education and knowledge sharing responsibilities. On the side of collecting contemporary and past art products, LUMA has been at the forefront facilitating exhibitions and sale of contemporary art publications and products. From the analysis, LUMA still needs more awareness creation in order to resonate with every Australian citizen and also exert itself in the world market. References Aaker, JL 2007, ‘Dimensions of Brand Personality’, Journal of marketing research, Vol. 34, no.3, pp. 347-356. Agarwal, MK & Rao, VR 2000, ‘An Empirical Comparison of Consumer based Measures of Brand Equity’, Marketing letters, Vol. 67, no.4, pp. 1. Bjerre, M, Knudtzen, C, & Heding, C 2009, Brand management: research, theory and practice, Taylor & Francis, London. Chan-Olmsted, S 2006, Competitive strategy for media firms: strategic and brand management in changing media markets, Routledge, Sydney. Glynn, M 2009, Business-to-business brand management: theory, research and executive case study exercises, Emerald Group, London. Kapferer, J 2002, Strategic Brand Management: creating and Sustaining Brand Equity Long Term, Kogan Page, Sydney. Keller, KL 2003, Strategic Brand management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity, Prentice Hall, Melbourne. Lehu, J 2007, Branded entertainment: product placement & brand strategy in the entertainment business, Kogan Page, Thousand Oaks. Malhotra, N 2006, Marketing Research, 2nd ed, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Michi, I, Pfoertsch, W, & Kotler, P 2006, B2B brand management, Mc-Graw Hill, Canberra. Randall, T, Karl, U & Jonathan, G 2003, ‘Laddering Theory, Method, Analysis and Interpretation’, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 28, no.1, pp.13-20. Wirth, M, Olmsted, S, & Albarran, A 2006, Handbook of media management and economics, Routledge, Sydney. Read More