Final Report Summary - COMAR EUROMAN (Marketing Conservation Services - a European Manual)
A summary description of the project objectives:
In spite of the supragenerational importance of the conservation services that aim to preserve the cultural heritage in the best possible way, one can observe that the communication between the providers and prospective beneficiaries of these services is rather imperfect. It is also observed that few actions aiming to raise the social awareness of the need for appropriate care of cultural heritage (especially that remaining a private ownership) and – consequently – the public demand for conservation services. The negative results of these communication failures can be compensated if appropriate marketing tools are introduced that aim to enhance the commercial accomplishments of a conservation service provider and to raise the social awareness of how the cultural heritage should be appropriately taken care of.
A literature review reveals that still insufficient attention has been paid by the academics to the services provided by professional conservators. The nature of their work as well as any aspects of the conservation market have so far not been adequately explored by economics of culture. In the few existing studies dedicated to marketing of cultural heritage, the issue of conservation is only marginally referred to.
This research project is a continuation of a project carried out within the framework of a Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship that focused on an empirical analysis of the Maltese heritage conservation market. Within its framework an extensive analysis of the demand and the supply side of the local conservation market was conducted that aimed at providing basis for constructing theory in the novel field of marketing conservation services.
The present research aimed at verifying the extent to which findings made in Malta are typical of the whole conservation branch in Europe. Its specific objectives were the following:
1. To broaden the fellow’s knowledge of the European conservation market.
2. To construct a theory of marketing conservation services (derived from the empirical observation)
3. To draw up a European manual in marketing for conservators
A description of the work performed since the beginning of the project:
In order to meet the above objectives, the fellow created an extensive questionnaire consisting of 48 questions. This questionnaire was distributed online in three language versions (English, German and Polish):
http://conservationmarketing-en.questionpro.com(opens in new window)
http://conservationmarketing-de.questionpro.com(opens in new window)
http://conservationmarketing-pl.questionpro.com(opens in new window)
This questionnaire was answered by 519 conservators worldwide (77% thereof work in Europe; 93,2% of the European respondents work in the EU-countries). The questions asked aimed to determine the interdependencies emerging between the professional situation of the particular respondents, their experience, working environment and perhaps the country of operating and the marketing mentality their represent, their marketing know-how as well as their consequent, respective behaviour. Thus, it was possibly to verify the extent, to which the interdependencies that had been observed between the players of the Maltese conservation market can be considered typical of the whole conservation branch. The fellow’s knowledge about the European conservation market has been considerably broadened.
Basing on the findings of the above empirical research, on the findings made within the Marie Curie IEF in Malta and on the literature research referring to related or analogue fields (healthcare marketing, marketing environmental protection, relationship marketing, marketing culture etc.), a set of principles, additionally verified by carrying out the international survey among the European and non-European heritage conservators, was identified that should help to as accurately as possible describe and explain the phenomena occurring between the conservation service providers and their customers. Creating such theoretical frameworks basing on the findings from one country only would have been risky, as it might have been biased or tainted with country-specific characteristics. The findings of the international research have helped to clarify what previous observations can be considered universal and typical of the whole branch in question. This objective was therefore fully reached.
The elements of the conservation marketing theory were described and presented in form of clear guidelines to be followed by providers of conservation services who wish to improve the communication with owners of historical objects. In particular, the customers' beliefs and behaviour, as well as problems faced by the supply side (providers of conservation services) were analysed. The suggested practical solutions were presented and discussed in details. A set of marketing tools pertaining specifically to conservation services (which, being highly professional services have their own specifics that ought to be taken into consideration in this respect) were proposed.
A description of the main results achieved so far:
Within this research project a brand new branch of marketing has been developed, which as such is a crucial contribution to the state of the art. This should encourage other academics to further investigate the subject and to perform an in-depth analysis of marketing aspects of heritage conservation services. A draft version of the handbook has been compiled. It is now subject to final editing and it should be published in 2015.
The expected final results and their potential impact and use (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far).
Whereas the most common understanding of the term marketing is usually associated with a money-making activity, conservation marketing not only help the practicing conservators to improve their business prospects; it should primarily serve to raise and improve the social awareness of the need of sustainable heritage preservation and to enhance the communication effectiveness between the providers and beneficiaries of conservation services. This emphasises the high social value of this project.
From the socio-economic point of view, this research project has generated the following impact (or impact potential):
• improving of mutual understanding between the providers of conservation services and the owners of historical objects (and the general public)
• finding ways of how to address the existing and prospective customers in a more effective way
• making the conservators aware that, while caring for the cultural heritage, they have to identify and concentrate on their customers and their needs
• handling a particularly difficult area (expensive services, entrusting valuable objects, creating needs and demands that may have not existed before, not only for the commercial success of the conservators but also (primarily) for the sake of the cultural heritage
• emphasising more effectively the economic benefit of a proper conservation treatment carried out on time
• changing and positively influencing the thinking patterns among the general public
• raising social awareness and promoting good practices among the general public
• improving the general public’s participation in the appropriate care of the cultural heritage.
In spite of the supragenerational importance of the conservation services that aim to preserve the cultural heritage in the best possible way, one can observe that the communication between the providers and prospective beneficiaries of these services is rather imperfect. It is also observed that few actions aiming to raise the social awareness of the need for appropriate care of cultural heritage (especially that remaining a private ownership) and – consequently – the public demand for conservation services. The negative results of these communication failures can be compensated if appropriate marketing tools are introduced that aim to enhance the commercial accomplishments of a conservation service provider and to raise the social awareness of how the cultural heritage should be appropriately taken care of.
A literature review reveals that still insufficient attention has been paid by the academics to the services provided by professional conservators. The nature of their work as well as any aspects of the conservation market have so far not been adequately explored by economics of culture. In the few existing studies dedicated to marketing of cultural heritage, the issue of conservation is only marginally referred to.
This research project is a continuation of a project carried out within the framework of a Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship that focused on an empirical analysis of the Maltese heritage conservation market. Within its framework an extensive analysis of the demand and the supply side of the local conservation market was conducted that aimed at providing basis for constructing theory in the novel field of marketing conservation services.
The present research aimed at verifying the extent to which findings made in Malta are typical of the whole conservation branch in Europe. Its specific objectives were the following:
1. To broaden the fellow’s knowledge of the European conservation market.
2. To construct a theory of marketing conservation services (derived from the empirical observation)
3. To draw up a European manual in marketing for conservators
A description of the work performed since the beginning of the project:
In order to meet the above objectives, the fellow created an extensive questionnaire consisting of 48 questions. This questionnaire was distributed online in three language versions (English, German and Polish):
http://conservationmarketing-en.questionpro.com(opens in new window)
http://conservationmarketing-de.questionpro.com(opens in new window)
http://conservationmarketing-pl.questionpro.com(opens in new window)
This questionnaire was answered by 519 conservators worldwide (77% thereof work in Europe; 93,2% of the European respondents work in the EU-countries). The questions asked aimed to determine the interdependencies emerging between the professional situation of the particular respondents, their experience, working environment and perhaps the country of operating and the marketing mentality their represent, their marketing know-how as well as their consequent, respective behaviour. Thus, it was possibly to verify the extent, to which the interdependencies that had been observed between the players of the Maltese conservation market can be considered typical of the whole conservation branch. The fellow’s knowledge about the European conservation market has been considerably broadened.
Basing on the findings of the above empirical research, on the findings made within the Marie Curie IEF in Malta and on the literature research referring to related or analogue fields (healthcare marketing, marketing environmental protection, relationship marketing, marketing culture etc.), a set of principles, additionally verified by carrying out the international survey among the European and non-European heritage conservators, was identified that should help to as accurately as possible describe and explain the phenomena occurring between the conservation service providers and their customers. Creating such theoretical frameworks basing on the findings from one country only would have been risky, as it might have been biased or tainted with country-specific characteristics. The findings of the international research have helped to clarify what previous observations can be considered universal and typical of the whole branch in question. This objective was therefore fully reached.
The elements of the conservation marketing theory were described and presented in form of clear guidelines to be followed by providers of conservation services who wish to improve the communication with owners of historical objects. In particular, the customers' beliefs and behaviour, as well as problems faced by the supply side (providers of conservation services) were analysed. The suggested practical solutions were presented and discussed in details. A set of marketing tools pertaining specifically to conservation services (which, being highly professional services have their own specifics that ought to be taken into consideration in this respect) were proposed.
A description of the main results achieved so far:
Within this research project a brand new branch of marketing has been developed, which as such is a crucial contribution to the state of the art. This should encourage other academics to further investigate the subject and to perform an in-depth analysis of marketing aspects of heritage conservation services. A draft version of the handbook has been compiled. It is now subject to final editing and it should be published in 2015.
The expected final results and their potential impact and use (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far).
Whereas the most common understanding of the term marketing is usually associated with a money-making activity, conservation marketing not only help the practicing conservators to improve their business prospects; it should primarily serve to raise and improve the social awareness of the need of sustainable heritage preservation and to enhance the communication effectiveness between the providers and beneficiaries of conservation services. This emphasises the high social value of this project.
From the socio-economic point of view, this research project has generated the following impact (or impact potential):
• improving of mutual understanding between the providers of conservation services and the owners of historical objects (and the general public)
• finding ways of how to address the existing and prospective customers in a more effective way
• making the conservators aware that, while caring for the cultural heritage, they have to identify and concentrate on their customers and their needs
• handling a particularly difficult area (expensive services, entrusting valuable objects, creating needs and demands that may have not existed before, not only for the commercial success of the conservators but also (primarily) for the sake of the cultural heritage
• emphasising more effectively the economic benefit of a proper conservation treatment carried out on time
• changing and positively influencing the thinking patterns among the general public
• raising social awareness and promoting good practices among the general public
• improving the general public’s participation in the appropriate care of the cultural heritage.