The Ashmolean Museum, Britain’s first public museum with collections splanning from Egyptian mummies to modern art, sought to deepen its connection with a key growth audience of “Children-First Families.” This segment represents visitors whose primary motivation for a museum trip is to provide a rewarding and educational experience for their children, creating shared family memories. Our approach was framed by experience design – how can the Ashmolean better design the visit experience and its communications to shift preconceptions and the emotions of families so that they feel able to step through that imposing front door, and they leave smiling and wanting to return.

To effectively engage this audience, the museum partnered with us to conduct formative branding research. The goal was to understand how the museum’s existing brand identity and communications could be adapted to be more welcoming and appealing to these specific visitors, ultimately guiding future strategy for galleries, marketing, and family-focused offerings. Flow created a highly actionable guide to be used by their marketing, design, exhibitions and public programming teams to respond to the needs of this audience as they go on to build this offer. 

Our research was designed to gain qualitative insights directly from families who fit their audience profile. The methodology involved a multi-pronged approach that included:

• Consultation and Interviews: We conducted in-depth interviews with families, including both adults and children, to capture their perspectives on the museum. These interviews took place both online and in-person at the museum and out in the city centre.
• Audience Profiling: We built upon the museum’s extensive existing audience research to create a comprehensive profile of Children-first Families, exploring their motivations, priorities, and potential barriers to visiting.
• Visual & Messaging Testing: During the interviews, we presented participants with various visual and messaging concepts related to brand identity, including different fonts, colors, imagery, and key messages. This allowed us to observe their reactions and preferences in real time.

This blended approach allowed us to gather rich, actionable data that provided a holistic view of the audience’s needs and perceptions in order to deeply understand their experience.

The research yielded a number of key insights that will inform the museum’s future brand strategy. Through our strategic research, we provided the Ashmolean Museum with a clear, data-driven roadmap to tailor its brand for a new generation of visitors. We provided a working guide for the museum to leverage their aesthetic approach to better resonate with families and signal a dedicated, welcoming experience. 

The result is a powerfully revitalized brand identity that not only preserves the museum’s gravitas but also confidently communicates its child-friendly approach. Our work has empowered the Ashmolean to develop communications and experiences that speak directly to the needs of Children-first Families, overcoming their hesitations and fostering a lasting connection that will pave the way for a lifetime of museum enjoyment.