Are you a big fish in a small bowl? Or…

How well do you understand your target audience and catchment area? For some museums, this is straightforward—particularly if they are funded by a specific community. However, for others, defining and reaching an audience without a clear strategy can lead to significant challenges. Welcome to Heritage Thinking Differently, where we explore audience development and marketing.

Understanding Your Catchment Area

For district and county museums, geographical and political boundaries often dictate their primary audience. However, practical challenges—such as transport links—may make it easier for some communities to engage than others. While these institutions have clearly defined areas of responsibility, some potential visitors may feel disconnected or underrepresented.

University museums, on the other hand, tend to have more fluid boundaries. Their core audience typically includes students and staff, but they also serve as a public-facing extension of their academic institution. In this case, catchment areas are shaped less by geography and more by institutional priorities.

For independent museums, defining a target audience is even more complex. These museums operate as consumer-driven businesses, relying on both new and returning visitors. While some niche institutions, such as those focused on industrial heritage, may attract dedicated enthusiasts, they often struggle to sustain repeat visits. Art galleries with rotating exhibitions may have more success in drawing repeat audiences, but many local museums must appeal to both residents and tourists—requiring a carefully balanced marketing strategy.

The Importance of Data and Local Knowledge

For most independent museums, focusing solely on local audiences is not a viable long-term strategy. Paywalled exhibitions, for example, often attract locals just once, after which they feel they have ‘checked it off their list.’ While special events may bring them back, consistent revisiting requires new audiences.

Limited marketing budgets make blanket-wide campaigns impractical. Instead, success depends on a combination of factors, including a museum’s visibility, transport accessibility, and historical visitor behaviour.

Learning from Past Mistakes: The Sheffield Case Study

A striking example of the risks of misjudging audience behaviour is the National Centre for Popular Music in Sheffield. This £15 million National Lottery-funded project was situated in a high-visibility location near the railway station. Its funding proposal highlighted the millions of people living within an hour’s travel, including large populations from Manchester and Nottingham. With direct trains and easy motorway access, it seemed like a guaranteed success. However, historical visitor behaviour was overlooked.

Despite its proximity, there was no tradition of Nottingham residents traveling to Sheffield for leisure. Instead, they had well-established habits of visiting Lincoln’s Christmas market or attending Nottingham’s Goose Fair. Similarly, while Sheffield workers visited Nottingham for entertainment, the reverse was not true. As a result, the projected audiences never materialized, and the centre closed within just over a year. This case led to changes in National Lottery Heritage Fund policies to prevent similar miscalculations in the future.

What Makes an Audience Development Strategy Successful?

Several factors contribute to a museum’s ability to attract visitors:

• Transport Links: Accessibility plays a major role in audience reach.

• Local Traditions & Behaviour: Understanding where people naturally travel for leisure is crucial.

• Marketing & Profile: A strong public presence and strategic messaging are key.

• Signage & Visibility: Well-placed tourist brown signs can make a significant difference in drawing spontaneous visits.

At Creswell Crags, for instance, I secured funding to install brown tourist signs on major routes leading to key towns and cities. This strategy, combined with targeted marketing, helped increase repeat visitors. While brown signs are intended as navigation aids rather than marketing tools, their visibility plays an undeniable role in attracting visitors.

Finding the Right Balance

For local authority museums, the goal is to serve their defined community without leaving anyone behind. University museums must balance institutional priorities with public engagement. Independent museums face the biggest challenge—avoiding the trap of being a ‘big fish in a small bowl.’

Large independent museums must constantly attract new visitors to remain financially viable. A strong product, combined with an ambitious marketing and audience development team, is essential for success. Expanding an audience base is a long-term process, but understanding historical behaviours and strategic targeting can make all the difference.

While broadening a catchment area requires patience and investment, those who fail to plan risk stagnation. Museums must view audience development as an ongoing process—one that, if done right, will lead to sustained growth and financial security.

Paul Baker