Waikato Museum bounces back from covid

 Marketing executive – Annabel  Henderson Morrell talks about marketing the museum during Covid and their new exhibition “Our Moon”

The Waikato Museum – Te Whare Taonga O Waikato is situated in the heart of Hamilton. It continues to bring the Hamilton hapori (community) closer together; connecting Māori and western history and immersing visitors in art experiences.

Trip Advisor rated Waikato Museum #2 recommended by visitors to the Hamilton region. The museum recently struck international interest because of its brand-new exhibition, Our Moon, which includes a 4-metre replica moon by British artist Luke Jerram. It tells the story that led to humans standing on the moon for the first time – the 1969 space race.

Annabel
Henderson Morell – the marketing executive at the museum started her role in
2021 after working in a similar position at Hamilton Gardens. Her job is broad
but is primarily making sure “people know what exhibitions are going on”.

Annabel also
covers a lot of the internal communication within the museum “such as the
communication between our director and staff members”. The widespread science,
art, and culture in the muesum interested Annabel the most.

Waikato museum has a partnership with Tainui and Annabel says the relationship with local Iwi provides a place to connect with culture and to make sure tangata whenua stories are shared. The art gallery displays important Māori carving and art “a really simple way for the community to connect with what we are doing and enjoy it”.

In 2021 many
small businesses, including the museum, struggled through uncertainty of covid.
Extensions were put in place for events and exhibitions, but this continued to
cause major disruptions to the museum’s plans. “Having the doors closed is
really unusual” Annabel says “You don’t want to promote an event or have too
many people there and create a situation that’s unsafe for the community. It’s a
tricky balance”

 One of their latest exhibitions ‘Thanks From Iso’ showcases the stories of many New Zealanders in managed isolation in the last 2 years.

Moving forward now it’s safe to say the museum is “back in the groove of having our exhibitions open” as more people come to visit. There has been a major emphasis on domestic tourism since covid 19. Despite the pandemic, Annabel says the museum remains accessible to everyone with free entry and by being open every day except on Christmas Day.

The museum has had a major marketing push toward digital channels through photos on Instagram and online videos. Annabel says “This gives more opportunity to promote it” but raises concern over people’s motivation to see the museum themselves. There’s a perception in marketing that if you put too much on Facebook then people won’t come in person, Annabel says this is “a false perception. I don’t agree with it at all. Seeing a photo on Instagram or Facebook inspires them to see it in person”

Waikato Museum is pushing toward making it more accessible for people on social media, it’s not evident that branding on social media feeds will stop people from going to the museum.