Social Media Strategies: A Conversation With The Tate & LaPlaca Cohen

This month, we're pleased to welcome Jesse Ringham and Selina Jones from the Tate (http://www.tate.org.uk/) in London, along with ArtsTech members Jeff Taylor from LaPlaca Cohen (http://www.laplacacohen.com/) and Francesca Merlino from the Guggenheim (http://www.guggenheim.org/), who will explore best practices in social media and integrated marketing in museums.

Hot off the presses, Jesse and Selina will present the Tate's new social media strategy as part of their overall marketing plan. Jeff will present informative and actionable findings from the Culture Track 2011 (http://www.laplacacohen.com/culturetrack/) national research study, and advise how cultural organizations can take advantage of current online and social media trends. Francesca will both introduce this exciting line-up of speakers and moderate a round table discussion focused on best practices after the presentations.

Have your questions answered! Submit your questions for the speakers in advance on Twitter with #ArtsTech. Hope to see at the Meetup!

SCHEDULE:

7:00pm - Doors

7:20-8:00pm - Presentations

8:00-8:30pm - Round table discussion

8:30-10pm - Socialize over beers & snacks generously provided by Pivotal Labs (http://pivotallabs.com/).

SPEAKERS:

Jesse Ringham, Tate (http://www.tate.org.uk/)
Tate's commitment to digital marketing is led by Jesse Ringham, Digital Communications Manager for Tate. Jesse leads on the strategy and seeks to embed good practice across the organization. This is a relatively new role in the museum's environment and has completely challenged the way Tate communicates with its many audiences.
Jesse joined Tate from the retail sector and has helped the organization reach a far broader audience with his accessible style, two-way communication and use of statistical evidence. Fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter have each increased by over 800% over the last 6 months, and the email bulletin list has grown by 39% in the last 4 months alone. Jesse is helping departments across Tate adapt to this more personalized and participatory style, which incorporates both Tate and visitors' views, photos and opinions.
Tate is at the forefront of museums and galleries in the UK in its innovative use of digital marketing media. New technologies makes it much easier to communicate with broad audiences on a regular basis, and help fulfil Tate’s brand mission of further democratising access to art.
Follow Jesse on Twitter: @jesseringham

Selina Jones, Tate (http://www.tate.org.uk/)
Selina has worked in Tate's communication for around 2.5 years and has been a key player in the development of Tate's social media community. In that time, she has been part of a small team that has made Tate's social media channels a place for engaging new audiences with art, telling the stories behind Tate's program and collection, and forging a new kind of relationship with our public. She is particularly interested in the content aspect and engagement with new audiences in these online spaces, as well as thinking about what the role of a gallery like Tate should be in the brave new world of social media. As a press officer for Tate, she brings to the table a nose for a good story, and is interested in how these can be told with maximum impact across many platforms.

Follow Selina on Twitter: @selinajones

Jeff Taylor, LaPlaca Cohen (http://www.laplacacohen.com/)
Jeff manages various advertising, design, and branding accounts for LaPlaca Cohen, coordinating with the firm’s Creative and Strategy teams to ensure each project complies with client expectations and quality standards. With a background in museum development and membership, Jeff brings his understanding of institutional needs to new business efforts, while also authoring and delivering presentations on a range of organizational concerns, leveraging his insight into new media platforms and technologies to inform audiences on social media strategy and industry best practices. Prior to joining LaPlaca Cohen, Jeff worked at both the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice. He has a BAH in Art History and Italian from Queen's University in Canada.

Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdtaylor

Francesca Merlino, Guggenheim Museum (http://www.guggenheim.org/) Francesca is responsible for developing strategic integrated marketing programs that leverage traditional, digital, and emerging media to support the museum’s vital operations, revenue-generating activities, and web-based initiatives. She established and administers the Guggenheim’s social media communities, and strives to innovate and engage with an increasingly diverse international audience through projects such as YouTube Play. A Biennial of Creative Video and the BMW Guggenheim Lab, opening in NYC August 2011. Francesca earned her B.S. in Business Administration from Fordham University with a concentration in Marketing and minor studies in Visual Arts and Art History.

Follow Francesca on Twitter: @frmerlino

About the Venue/Sponsor:

Pivotal Labs (http://pivotallabs.com/)create great software. We've developed products for multi-billion dollar companies and for early-stage startups. We've worked with the sharpest entrepreneurs and the top VCs. We build industrial strength code from Day One, which is why the biggest names in the web world have sought our expertise. Working together, we develop applications and institute development practices that enable them to scale their businesses to meet rapidly increasing consumer demand. We bring that same level of expertise and joint development to every project we work on, and we can bring it to your product as well.