May / 15 / 2013
Marketing of the Bronx Museum
by James Heaton
Museums exist in particular places. The Bronx Museum exists in the South Bronx, it's a contemporary art museum located right in the middle of the poorest community in the continental United States. A community that could not be more distant from the stereotype of the white-wall, high-art tradition underpinning much of the aesthetics and behaviors that permeate the world of contemporary art.read more
April / 29 / 2013
Museums and Motivation (Intrinsic: Motivation that Works)
by James Heaton
Intrinsic motivation comes from inside, from deep-seated interests or from pleasure derived directly from the activity. They are the most effective kind for supporting sustained, highly engaging behaviors—the kind I suspect you really want. How does this translate into an experience at a museum, zoo, or historical society?read more
April / 27 / 2013
Marketing is Not Optional
by James Heaton
"There are only two things in a business that make money – innovation and marketing, everything else is cost."
—Peter Drucker
read more
Branding and Marketing Discovery Workshop
by James Heaton
How well do you really understand your brand consumers?
Which consumer target should you prioritize?
Do you know if you have a product issue, or a marketing issue?
How can you convince key players in your organization to take the actions necessary?
You need answers to these questions.read more
April / 23 / 2013
"I Don't Need a Brand. I Need a Product."
by Laura Zwyssig & James Heaton
When saying "I don't need a brand. I need a product." the speaker was saying she doesn’t need McDonalds, she just needs fries—any fries for that matter. She doesn’t need HP, she just needs a computer or printer—any computer or printer will do. She's assuming her consumers will behave this way. I think they will not.read more
April / 16 / 2013
Tronvig Group To Brooklyn Navy Yard
by James Heaton
On April 18, 2013 Tronvig Group moves in to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Taking up new larger offices in Building 280 of a re-envisioned and evolving, eco-friendly industrial park.read more
April / 10 / 2013
Museums and Motivation (Trouble with Gamificaion)
by James Heaton
How can museums use motivation more effectively to engage visitors and other constituents? What are the dangers and opportunities of the "gamification" trend, and what can museums do with insights obtainable from the motivational factors within games?read more
March / 18 / 2013
Mixing Motivation: Danger of Extrinsic Motivation
by James Heaton
"Virtually every type of expected tangible reward made contingent on task performance does, in fact, undermine intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, not only tangible rewards, but also threats, deadlines, directives, and competition pressure diminish intrinsic motivation because, according to cognitive evaluation theory, people experience them as controllers of their behavior." —Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deciread more
March / 12 / 2013
Tell them the truth.
by James Heaton
"Tell them the truth. First, because it is the right thing to do, and second, they'll find out anyway." —Paul Galvin
Ahh the truth. That thing to be finessed if you want to succeed in marketing...NOT.read more
February / 28 / 2013
Consumer Insight: Singles (Family Life Cycle for Museums Part 1 of 8)
by James Heaton
Singles, age 18-35, are a very large and growing population, particularly in metropolitan areas, even relatively small ones. This makes them a very desirable consumer target. They are also important because the habits formed during one's single life are tenacious and strong.read more
February / 15 / 2013
Kids Games for Museums
by Herminia Din
When thinking of games for museums it's hard not to let your mind think of hits like “Angry Birds” which had 200-million downloads by May 2011. Players worldwide spend 200 million minutes (=380 years) on the game each day. This demonstrates that people do love to play well crafted snack food style games that have optimized game play mechanics (easy to learn, hard to master) that are addictive and fun. Should museums try to replicate or imitate this? Probably not.read more
January / 24 / 2013
Get Found Naturally (SEO and the art of Internet dating)
by James Heaton
Is your content useful, timely, relevant, needed? Is it adding something valuable to the MASSIVE conversation that is the contemporary internet? It should be.read more
January / 10 / 2013
We Make Mistakes
by James Heaton
"To swear off making mistakes is very easy. All you have to do is swear off having ideas."
—Leo Burnett
We Make Mistakes. The trick, of course, is to learn—and to make process changes from that learning—so that on our next pass through that same or a similar gauntlet we exhibit more finesse.read more
December / 19 / 2012
Guantánamo Public Memory Project
by James Heaton
The Guantánamo Public Memory Project uses first person accounts, "Stories;" historical context, "Timeline;" and geography, "Place;" to create a rich picture of this unique place. Our final design presents a metaphorical window through which you can now see the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base—as a place, as a history, as a collection of real people's stories—more clearly.read more
December / 5 / 2012
The Ideal Client
by James Heaton
We want to make the world better, and for us the way we can do that most effectively is through our clients. So it is important that we choose our clients well. These are the ten questions we currently ask ourselves when we consider if a potential client is likely to be the ideal client for us.read more
November / 26 / 2012
The Journaling of Jane T. Heaton
by James Heaton
Written with a pen from the funeral home where my Dad was cremated just two months ago, these are my Mom's last words. They are written in her journal.read more
November / 3 / 2012
Hurricane Sandy Beachfront Experience
by Kira Brodskaya
My Monday night—the night Hurricane Sandy came ashore—was spent in my fourth floor apartment on Manhattan Beach. On one side I watched the ocean waves cover the roofs of the homes on the beach. On the other side, I watched the Sheepshead Bay canal waters rush in over cars and through buildings. As I saw all this I was wishing I had packed an inflatable boat in my "to go" bag.read more
November / 2 / 2012
Social Media, Communities, and Disaster
by Tanya Kuznetsova
It's day 4 after Hurricane Sandy hit, and I'm just as anxious as I was waiting for the storm. Fortunately, my home is located in a safe zone. Unfortunately, many of my friends' and loved ones' homes aren't.read more
October / 3 / 2012
Customer Personas (What Sally Can Show You)
by James Heaton
A persona is a kind of mental model—an imaginary person with a name, history and story who has a way of doing things. A persona should have enough psychological detail to allow you to conveniently step over to the persona's view, and see your products and services from her perspective.read more
September / 19 / 2012
The Science and Art of Marketing
by James Heaton
As marketers we must never be in a position where we are just throwing shit up on the wall to see what sticks. We should be applying our creativity and artistry in execution of a strategic hypothesis that is based on research and genuine insight.read more
September / 11 / 2012
Stories About My Father: Dr. Dale L. Heaton
by James Heaton
Here I write a short hero story. It may ring true for others who loved (and hated in short bursts) their fathers, who wanted to be like them and wanted not to be like them, who were proud and ashamed, who will dearly miss them when they are gone.read more
August / 29 / 2012
How Not to Vacation
by James Heaton
Last year I wrote about taking a solid two-week vacation and described taking the family to our remote Canadian island with no electricity and no running water. That was a really good vacation. This year, I blew it.read more
August / 23 / 2012
Can You Hear Me? Consistency and a Hearable Message
by James Heaton
I came upon the Jerry Seinfeld, "Don't break the chain." reference twice in two days this week. If you have not heard it, it's a recollection from Brad Isaac of some useful and practical advice he was given by a then up-and-coming Jerry Seinfeld.read more
August / 1 / 2012
I Want a New Website
by James Heaton
"I want a new website." There is a certainty in the eyes and voice that pushes back my objections. "That's what we need. Here is what we want it to do. How much will it be?"
This desire and clarity of purpose is supported by the belief that a new website will make things all better, like a mommy's kiss.read more
July / 24 / 2012
Consumer Insight: Find Your Trim Tab
by James Heaton
What can you do that will be effective at getting the word out, but will not break the bank? Is there a relatively inexpensive tactical shift can you make right now that will yield significant long term results? The answer is yes. It's just a matter of finding it. It will not be obvious or easy.read more
July / 19 / 2012
Reversible Destiny Website
by James Heaton
The new Reversible Destiny Foundation website is a metaphorical extension of their persistent and active interference with death, and the death dealing habits that populate a normal life. She aims no lower than to free you physically and mentally from the confines of assumption about your body, your perception of the world—and very literally—to free you from death.read more
July / 11 / 2012
Historical Game Characters for Museums
by James Heaton
We have had to create a few historical game characters for games targeted at kids. Along the was we have acquired some insights that may be useful to others doing the same or similar things.read more
July / 5 / 2012
Marketing Mindset: Not to Market is a Crime
by James Heaton
If your mission, your reason for being in the world—regardless of weather you are a non-profit, a for profit, a museum or an educational institution—is good, then you have no excuse not to market yourself.read more
June / 26 / 2012
Optimism Bias in Marketing
by James Heaton
The warning label which works contrary to our tendency toward optimism and self-indulgence misses the potential leverage point because the possible event of a future consequence can be set aside, rationalized away, and, most importantly, simply ignored because we (most of us) are biologically wired to pay little attention to such warnings.read more
June / 8 / 2012
Google Makes You Stupid
by James Heaton
Always knowing that you can easily find out anything you might want to know without actually having to recall it is really quite new. It strongly undercuts the drive to try and store a lot of different things in your head.read more
May / 31 / 2012
Museum Marketing: Think Like a Consumer
by James Heaton
Odds are you already deliver on what people need. The trick in museum marketing, as in any kind of consumer marketing, is to think beyond what you do or how you do it, and focus on why your target would want it.read more
May / 25 / 2012
Call me trim tab.
by James Heaton
So what do you call this thing that does NOT take massive effort, but has the potential for great positive effect far beyond its seeming capacity? I think one very good answer to this question was was provided in 1972 by Buckminster Fuller when he said the following in an interview:read more
May / 4 / 2012
Why Museums Must Engage: Impressions of AAM2012
by James Heaton
Although I'm not sure it is generally seen in these terms, the call for more effective engagement is a recognition of the reality that museums ARE in heated competition.read more
April / 10 / 2012
Museum Marketing for Non-marketers
by James Heaton
Marketing is a big term. What is it in the context of a public facing institution like a museum? What is it when you do not have a large or consistent marketing budget or even a dedicated marketing department?read more
March / 29 / 2012
Advertising in the Facebook Age: Bronx Museum Free Campaign
by James Heaton
We launched the Free advertising campaign for the Bronx Museum this week as they announce to the world, and particularly to the Bronx, that they are going free to the public. Museum advertising often speaks primarily to the converted. This is an attempt to start up a conversation with museum virgins.read more
January / 18 / 2012
My Birthday on Facebook
by James Heaton
My family is not really on Facebook much. They forgot my birthday. This reminded me of traveling in the Yucatan as a 22 year old and utterly forgetting my own birthday. Somehow the group I was with knew when it was even if I did not, and they actually engineered a make-shift surprise party for me. That was perhaps my most memorable birthday, though I'm not sure I would recognize any of those kind people if I bumped into them on the street today.read more
January / 4 / 2012
Brand Question: Who Are You?
by James Heaton
The key question a brand must answer is, "Who are we?" The best answer to this is one that is short and clear. The answer cannot be, "this, and this, and, oh yes, this." No matter how complex the reality is, a brand's keynote expression must be immediately graspable if it is to have real power. And it still needs to be true.read more
December / 20 / 2011
The Difference Between Marketing and Branding
by James Heaton
What is the difference between marketing and branding? In a recent conversation with a very senior person at a financial institution my colleague was told, "I think private wealth managers will have a hard time seeing the value of branding—they see marketing as a cost center, not a driver of sales." Hold it. How did we go from branding to marketing in one sentence like that?read more
November / 9 / 2011
Sloppy Copy
by James Heaton
Tronvig Group has launched the DiMenna Children's History Museum website as part of the New-York Historical Society website. Featured on this new website is a kids section that showcases the first of three kid-friendly educational games: Sloppy Copy.read more
October / 5 / 2011
Adaptation and Loss
by James Heaton
In August I took a two week vacation during which I was totally disconnected—off of emails, phone calls, any kind of electronic communication. I became (by the second week) very comfortable with my slowed down and uninterrupted life. I adjusted enough during that short span of two weeks that when I came back to the office I was—for a while—a kind of foreigner there. That was back at the end of August. Now it's October, and I have fully recovered.read more
October / 3 / 2011
Open House New York Website
by James Heaton
The result of this design effort, done in collaboration with their Paul Lombardi, is a sprawling, image-driven website that showcases the rich architectural treasure trove that is New York City.read more
September / 21 / 2011
Visual Multitasking
by James Heaton
One of our new designers is fresh out of school and exudes talent and potential. She also spent her first few working days instant messaging her friends and watching TV shows on Hulu WHILE doing her assigned design work. She was doing what might be called visual multitasking. My art directors, who range in age from their mid 20's to their mid 50's, were shocked by these work habits.read more
July / 26 / 2011
Apparent Failure Focuses the Mind
by James Heaton
Probably the two most valuable things that have happened to me as a business person were: 1) Being laid off from a corporate job and having to start a business on my own, forcing the question of how to survive and support a family without a regular salary, benefits, or anything to rely on but myself. 2) My former business partner's choice to walk off with all our clients, leaving me with the company debt and virtually no business.read more
July / 18 / 2011
New-York Historical Society Museum Website
by James Heaton
Last summer Tronvig Group answered a proposal request to redesign and rebuild the New-York Historical Society's institutional website. Last week it became a living, breathing entity on the web.read more
March / 28 / 2011
Radiation, Disaster & Hubris
by James Heaton
What impresses me most about nuclear materials is the inhuman scale of their behavior. For example, what does it mean that some radioactive materials, like Plutonium 244, have a half life of 80 million years? This "half-life" is 8,000 times longer than all of recorded human history. This has to make you wonder, at least a little, if we are out of our league when we mess with this kind of stuff.read more
March / 14 / 2011
The many forms of intelligence: Is Snooki the smartest guy in the room?
by James Heaton
"Reason should investigate its own parameters before declaring its omniscience." — Immanuel Kant When I was in junior high school, I remember being both arrogant and stupid. I say this because I remember thinking I was the smartest kid in the class. I thought this because I got the best grades and I spent time thinking about things that did not seem to interest others. Only later did I learn there is many forms of intelligence.read more
January / 31 / 2011
Chinese Mothers
by James Heaton
A friend of mine sent me the Wall Street Journal article "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" a few weeks ago. It was sent to me, I assume, because I have a Chinese mother in my own house—the mother of my children. The article excerpts and promotes the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Professor Amy Chua, and it was actually sent to me by a few different friends.read more
January / 2 / 2011
Brand Fatigue
by James Heaton
My concern with brand fatigue is not that people become tired of a brand, but rather that a businesses and non-profit becomes prematurely tired of their own brand presentation and, as a result, push to change it before it has had the opportunity to fulfill its mission or even fully register and build power in the minds of their brand consumers.read more
December / 10 / 2010
Brand Health
by James Heaton
A strong brand is not a luxury to be enjoyed only by companies like Nike or Coca-Cola. It is a key factor in the success and prosperity of all businesses and non-profits, regardless of their revenues. Your brand health is guaranteed to have a significant impact on the consumer awareness of your brand AND your bottom line. It directly affects your ability to sell, to fundraise, to hire the best employees, and to grow. A healthy brand is the hallmark of a company or non-profit that is prepared to prosper.read more
September / 20 / 2010
Brand Truth
by James Heaton
Our statement about brand truth—”We prefer truth. It gets you farther faster and holds tremendous power.“—was recently criticized on Twitter for being “grand and presumptuous.” My first reaction to this criticism was humor: “We just like it better than the alternative, and it’s a lot easier to keep track…”read more
June / 7 / 2010
MDLF First 15 Years: Underwriting Democracy Through the Fourth Estate
by James Heaton
The Media Development Loan Fund, or MDLF, is a pioneering international non-profit organization formed in 1995 by Sasa Vucinic and the late Stuart Auerbach with seed money from George Soros' Open Society Institute. The idea behind MDLF was to create a loan fund for the free press in fledgling democracies. Now celebrating 15 years and nearly 100 million dollars in loans, 200 projects in 24 countries around the globe, MDLF wanted to create a book to commemorate its achievements.read more
May / 27 / 2010
BP Brand Lesson: When Brands Lie
by James Heaton
Much has been written and commented about the ongoing BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. This story most certainly has a brand lesson. I wonder if the big companies and the agencies that market them are paying attention?read more
May / 15 / 2010
Why Documentary Style Photography?
by James Heaton
People and relationships are critical in business to business transactions, and so a strong B2B brand should communicate a sense of personal connection. It should speak to who the key players are and what it will be like to work with them. Great people photography facilitates this tremendously.read more