1 - The importance of digital transformation for museums

Let's take museums as an example. What is the importance of a digital strategy for these institutions? Two main objectives:

Offering a unique experience

Some apps provide additional information on the exhibited works, such as videos, interviews with artists, or enriched multimedia content.

This is, for example, what the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris offers with their mobile app smartapps, a subsidiary of the Arenametrix group.


In the museum, permanent and temporary tours are available, offering visitors access to paid in-app content alongside an interactive map. Each user's points of interest can be marked as favorites, enabling them to learn more about each one, including their preferences, and to have a broader view of the works most observed by the public.

2 - Ensuring a smooth digital transition

Digital transformation requires a reconfiguration of operations to meet current challenges.

• • After purchasing a ticket online, future visitors are invited to subscribe to the Hall des Lumières newsletter, thereby enriching its database.
    
    
  • After the visit, an automatic email is sent to evaluate the experience and better understand what motivated them to purchase their ticket initially.

Step 2: Analyze the Collected Data

In the next phase, data analysis allows for a better understanding of visitor behaviors and preferences. This analysis can be enriched by centralizing ticketing information, access control, purchase timing, or satisfaction surveys.

But once this data centralization is done, how do you navigate all the available information? Which indicators should you monitor to enhance your strategies for understanding and retaining your audiences?

At Arenametrix, we recommend focusing on 5 types of data-marketing indicators:

• • The proportion of qualified contacts
    (ratio between the size of your database and the quality of contacts)

  • Sociodemographic information

  • Contact loyalty and lifecycle

  • Consumption data

  • The performance of your marketing campaigns

Arenametrix is THE CRM platform dedicated to cultural organizations, integrating your data through a native connection to over 150 sources (ticketing, Excel files, GuestViews visitor feedback devices, etc.), centralizing them, and enabling relevant analysis upon which an adapted strategy is based.

3 - How to Manage Visitor Consent?

We have thus demonstrated the relevance of using visitor data for museums and cultural structures. However, this use is regulated and must be secure.
With great power comes great responsibility.

In 2018, the GDPR came into effect in the European Union, involving drastic changes in the collection of personal data—that is, any information that can identify a natural person. This regulation notably requires obtaining consent that is: 

• • Freely given: It must not be forced, influenced, or involve negative consequences in case of refusal.
    
    
  • Specific: The processing of these data serves only one purpose (for example, subscribing to a newsletter). If there are multiple purposes, the person must be able to accept or refuse each purpose independently.
    
    
  • Informed: The person must have certain information regarding the processing of collected data (processing, purpose, right to withdraw consent, contact details of the data controller).
    
    
  • Unambiguous: Consent must be given by a clear and positive act (for example, checking a box or providing a signature).

Despite this regulation, many people feel that their privacy is exposed without their consent. According to a study conducted by KPMG in 2021, 68% of respondents said they were concerned about the amount of data collected by companies, and 86% declared that the confidentiality of these data was a real concern for them.

This impression of lack of control can affect people's willingness to share information, especially when it comes to sensitive personal data. This is why some institutions opt for simpler means and build visitor trust. For example, Château de Versailles Spectacles has set up a form that allows spectators to subscribe to newsletters of their choice according to their preferences. The teams are also very transparent about the type of content contacts will receive following their subscription.

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In Conclusion

Arenametrix supports cultural actors in embracing digital transformation and unlocking its full potential. Our mission is to help museums adapt to current expectations while remaining faithful to their mission of education and mediation. Museums can encourage their visitors to share information by creating a relationship of trust, to better tailor the offered experience and improve services.

Thanks to Arenametrix, cultural venues can finely segment their audiences and target their communications according to the different groups created. In addition to the features available on Arenametrix, museums are supported throughout the process by a team of experts in cultural communication. This enables them to receive expert guidance on strategies for retaining and engaging visitors.