Digital Revolution
The Vernon Public Art Gallery (VPAG) is a key part of cultural tourism in the region and serves as a center for educational and cultural activities in the Okanagan. The gallery’s mission is to exhibit, collect, and preserve art of the highest standards locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Its goals include promoting visual arts in the community, providing education and inspiration, encouraging appreciation and participation in the arts, and offering a facility for the citizens of Greater Vernon.
Like many organizations, the gallery faced challenges in digital transformation, especially as a non-profit dependent on diverse funding sources. To address this, VPAG conducted a comprehensive three-year digital strategy and enlisted our help to implement the identified priorities.
The scope of our work with VPAG included:
- Digital marketing strategy
- PPC ad campaign management
- Social media strategy and management
- Documentary film production
- PR and communications strategy
- Public consultation survey and data review
- Website strategy
- Website design, development and launch
Details about this project
Challenge
Upon the completion of a comprehensive three-year digital strategy conducted by a third-party research-based company, it was concluded that the top priority for the Vernon Public Art Gallery (VPAG) was to develop a new, user-friendly website featuring an online gift shop, third party inventory management tool and CRM.
In addition to the digital strategy, VPAG faced significant challenges, including an upcoming municipal election that included a public referendum that would decide the future of a new facility.
VPAG also encountered unexpected protests against a series of proposed artistic murals aimed at addressing mental health. A documentary was produced to narrate the story of the heated debate, supplemented by an intense public consultation process to address concerns and engage with the community.
Solution
Strategic marketing played a crucial role in shaping the messaging for the “Yes for Culture” campaign. Aligning voters’ values with the benefits of the proposed facility was key to garnering support for the referendum, ensuring effective communication of these messages.
Our strategy team collaborated closely with VPAG staff to develop a comprehensive website strategy aligned with our digital plan. Clear communication and open review channels were pivotal in bringing the website to life, resulting in a well-executed digital platform that effectively conveyed the campaign’s core messages and engaged the community in supporting the referendum.
In response to a heated debate, our digital team swiftly crafted deliberate messaging across various digital channels and traditional PR outlets. This broad media exposure highlighted the project’s significance and its message on mental health. The film team also prepared multiple versions of the documentary for early release, reinforcing the campaign’s narrative.
Results
Our team played a key role in the successful “Yes for Culture” marketing campaign. We leveraged PPC ads across multiple platforms to drive traffic to an engaging landing page for data collection. Additionally, we created a detailed infographic that was widely distributed and prominently featured on the website.
Although the murals were not installed in Vernon, the exhibit gained national media attention, sparking conversations about mental health. Now touring Canada at supportive galleries, it continues to seek recognition. The accompanying documentary received critical acclaim, earning an Honourable Mention from the Toronto Commffest Film Festival, highlighting the project’s success in engaging the public and fostering dialogue about mental health.
The new website features a clean, contemporary design with engaging animations and transitions. Since its launch, traffic has increased, boosting both digital and in-person visitors, as well as sales. This success highlights the positive impact of the enhanced online presence. Additionally, full integration with third-party collections management software fulfilled the gallery’s digital transformation goals.
