Art Fund: How marketing reframed a charity as a retailer

This case study shows how ArtFund, an arts charity, successfully increased brand awareness and subscriptions by adopting a more commercial branding strategy in the UK.

Executive Summary

The Art Fund charity was established in 1903 and has remained dedicated to its mission of securing works of art for the nation ever since. What has been less consistent over the organisation's history is the business model and marketing strategy that could turn this worthy purpose into a profitable one.

In an industry increasingly seduced by tactics rather than strategy, this paper reaffirms the power of long-term brand building. Not at the expense of short-term impact, but in addition to it.

The objective set in 2010 was to grow revenue by increasing the number of paying members....

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