The AAUW Online Museum: How to Reach a Broader Audience
By Nancy E. Schwartz

Last March, after months of creative effort, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) launched the organization's first ever online museum. The online exhibits, organized in four main wings, feature the history and accomplishments of the organization, which for over 123 years has promoted equal rights and access to education for women and girls.

In this Getting Attention exclusive interview, AAUW Director of Communications Ashley Carr outlines why the online museum was crafted and the marketing and communications benefits it brings to AAUW.

Getting Attention: Why did you launch an online museum and why now? What marketing challenge were you trying to solve?

Carr: We faced two marketing challenges: To inspire and retain our members and supporters and to attract others (particularly those in their 20s and 30s) who have an interest in AAUW's issues but know little about the organization. Getting Attention: How did you land on an online museum?

Carr: I came to AAUW with a desire to help share history in a way that would be accessible to more people. We wanted to reach additional audiences, in a way we hadn't before. What could be more relevant than bringing the AAUW to life online, where our prospective members and supporters are all the time?

Getting Attention: Was the idea readily approved by your colleagues or were there concerns about trying something this innovative?

Carr: AAUW leaders supported the concept of memorializing our history and were intrigued by the novelty of an online museum. Though the museum was labor intensive to develop, it was inexpensive to produce, which contributed to a "win-win" scenario.

Once the museum was launched, members, staff, and others responded immediately and enthusiastically.

Getting Attention: What was the development process and approximate cost?