Running head: SAM PR PROFILE 1

Company Public Relations Profile:

The Susquehanna Art Museum

Mikayla Ickes

Messiah University
SAM PR PROFILE 2

BACKGROUND

History

The Susquehanna Art Museum, or SAM, was started in 1989 by a group of central

Pennsylvania art educators that recognized the need for an art museum in the state’s capital of

Harrisburg. With the help of community leaders, businessmen and women, and volunteers, SAM

became a reality. Originally, the museum had no concrete location, relying on the State Museum

of Pennsylvania and the Whitaker Center to host exhibits and programs (“About SAM,” 2011).

Laurene Buckley served at the museum’s executive director for three years, providing immense

assistance in fundraising for a permanent location. By 2015, SAM found itself moving into a

new space in Harrisburg’s Midtown region under their new director, Alice Anne Schwab.

(Hatmaker, 2015). During this location change, the museum also fell into a financial crisis, not

meeting its fundraising goals and falling “about $750,000 short of avoiding a default on its $3

million bank loan” (Vendel, 2015).

Despite all, SAM continues to grow, featuring work from local, regional, national, and

international artists. The museum also strives to educate and instill an appreciation of art for

individuals of all ages. For adults, it provides a variety of classes, lectures, workshops,

discussions, critiques, and more. For youth, SAM hosts various programs at the museum and

visit schools with their VanGo! Museum on Wheels, reaching thousands of students each year

and helping them to further develop their creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills

("About SAM,” 2011). Their efforts over the past two decades have deepened their dedication to

the arts as well as their community.

Mission

The Mission of the Susquehanna Art Museum is to “experience creativity and explore

meaning through the visual arts.” Further, it strives to serve “as a catalyst in the Commonwealth”
SAM PR PROFILE 3

through the various educational programs and diverse exhibitions that SAM provides. In order to

uphold their mission and implement their vision, those at the museum believe in the core values

of education, collaboration, creativity, cultural leadership, and human connectedness. Though

these, they strive to inspire life-long learning, build internal and external community, inspire and

honor creative ideas, present innovative approaches to art, and engage diverse audiences to

promote understanding and social discourse (“About,” n.d.).

ORGAZITONAL STRUCTURE

As a small and relatively new established organization, SAM has four full-time

employees, two part-time employees, 31 board members, and various volunteers. The four full-

time employees serve as the dominant coalition (DC), or top management of the organization

(Wilcox, Cameron, & Reber, 2015, p. 258). Executive Director Alice Anne Schawb is at the

forefront, followed by Director of Exhibitions Lauren Nye, Director of Education Tina Sell, and

Special Events Manager Ross Tyger. They also oversee Mark Bradshaw and Chris Conroy who

manage visitor services on the weekends. The dominant coalition communicates laterally with

one another in addition to the Board of Directors. The board is composed of various community

members, including Messiah President Kim Phipps, and helps to advise and guide some of

SAM’s decisions (A. A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18, 2019).

In terms of public relations, the work is not concentrated in a specific department or to an

individual. Given the size of SAM, the members of the DC divide and share the responsibilities.

They do use an outside organization for their graphic designs and had the help of a marketing

intern this winter, but everything else is handled by the museum. Further, they do not yet have

the resources to employ individuals to handle marketing, development, or even managing the

front desk, but are hoping to expand. Although the tasks do not directly fall under their job

descriptions, they are still relevant to their specific role. While everyone assumes various tasks,
SAM PR PROFILE 4

everything is finalized by Alice Anne, serving as the primary liaison between the museum and its

publics, specifically the media. Of the other members, Tina develops traditional media and

manages communication through email. Lauren oversees the website and social media pages that

include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Ross handles the event planning aspect, like booking

spaces and catering, and he also manages the VanGo! van. Although their intern is no longer

there, she assisted with writing press releases, scheduling social media posts, and revising the

museum’s media contact list (A. A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18, 2019).

As SAM continues to grow and raise the necessary funds, it would be helpful to hire at

least one public relations professional. In doing so, the other directors would be able to focus

more on their designated tasks. There would also be the potential that they would be able to

strengthen their relationships with the community and their publics considering that a PR

professional could dedicate their time to conducting research and taking the necessary steps.

Huang-Horowitz (2015) supports this, stating that the assistance of a PR professional “can help

small businesses manage their identity and reputation, either by providing counseling services,

training employees and executives, or simply be hired by the small business specifically for

identity and reputation management activities” (p. 352). Having just one person would also

maintain the small, tight-knit, and transparent relationship and communication that the four

members of the DC already have established. Ultimately, adding a public relations professional

would help SAM continue to meet their mission and vision.

PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE

With having various members of the organization carry out different public relations task,

conducting the necessary steps of strategic communication campaign development is not as

consistent. When asked about SAM’s PR practices, Schwab said, “Our main focus has been to
SAM PR PROFILE 5

survive,” and commenting that she knows that their ability to develop and maintain relationships

with their publics needs improvement (A. A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18, 2019).

When carrying out public relations practices, there is a segmenting of external publics.

These include but are not limited to featured artists, other local art museums and galleries, the

community of Harrisburg, SAM Members, nearby schools, and local media organizations.

Considering the museum is smaller and need to build rapport, they focus primarily on active and

activist publics who actively seek information and have the most influence on an organization

Wilcox et al., 2015, p. 179). For SAM, the publics they are most concerned with are their

members and the community of Harrisburg, but they still identify the need to grow their

outreach. Conversely, because of their size, there is not as great of a need to segment internal

publics, but they still account for the difference in communication toward the Board of Directors.

Research

In order to put their public relations practice into play, the directors of SAM partake in

research. Their primary purpose is environmental scanning, or “the constant reading, listening,

and watching of current affairs with an eye to the organization’s interests” (Wilcox et al., 2015,

p. 259-260). They also research in order to know their publics, especially when considering new

exhibits and displays. In order to do so, the museum uses both qualitative and quantitative

methods. Qualitative research relies less on numbers and more on interpretation attitudes and

perceptions while quantitative research uses sampling to generalize how publics may act (Wilcox

et al., 2015, p. 132). Both methods benefit the museum.

In terms of qualitative methods, SAM uses its Board of Directors and impromptu

interviews. Their Board of Directors includes various community members throughout Central

Pennsylvania, so they bring personal insight as to what the region may benefit from. They also

assist with various event receptions, so they are present for events and receive feedback from
SAM PR PROFILE 6

visitors. Similarly, when individuals come to visit SAM, the employees working may stop and

talk with visitors informally and impromptu to gain an understanding of opinions (A. A. Schwab,

personal communication, April 18, 2019). For quantitative research, they primarily use surveys.

Their use of voting ballots after certain displays helps to understand their publics reactions and

generalize what viewers want to see. One survey conducted showed that 93% of visitors want to

see impressionist art on display. Also important is tracking attendance. They sell tickets at

different rates (e.x. student price, adult price, children price), so that provides an understanding

of primary demographics. Through tracking attendance, they also found that 90% of visitors

come on the weekends (A. A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18, 2019).

Falling under both categories, SAM uses various analytic tools to understand their

publics and their habits. Through email analytics, they have found that those with “punchy”

subject lines yielded double the amount of views. Further, they have found that know that the

average email opening rate is only 25% of their list. They have also been partaking in workshops

to help understand and use Google analytics and others for their website and social media. From

that, they have found that Facebook is their most visited and effective social media platform (A.

A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18, 2019). Similarly, they have a visit book where

individuals can document where they are visiting from and leave comments about the museum.

They also have found that their primary audience falls under an older age demographic. This data

further helps them understand their publics and how to reach them more effectively.

For being a smaller organization, they conduct research frequently and routinely. To

improve, it may be beneficial to reach beyond only researching their target audience. While

developing those relationships are beneficial and important, there is already established loyalty

with members and visitors. In order to try and boost attendance and growth, SAM should
SAM PR PROFILE 7

conduct research with a broader audience to try and understand why certain publics are not

visiting, further planning to try and engage them.

Action Planning

Based on the research gathered, they can implement action plans to guide their public

relations practices. Part of this includes the development of and adhering to a mission statement

which SAM clearly states this on their website along with their vision and core values. The

museum has found this to be especially guiding and important when bringing in new exhibits. As

mentioned, most visitors want impressionist art to be featured. However, only displaying popular

art would not uphold the values of understanding and exploring diversity. As a museum that

rotates art and has no permanent installations, they must develop routine, standing operating

procedures (SOP) in terms of budgeting, contacting artists, legalities and insurance, installing the

art, planning opening receptions, and more. They also establish SOPs for their weekly events and

classes as well as taking the VanGo! Van out to schools. In the case that they decided to hold a

gala or partake in a community event like Arts Fest, they develop specific, single-use plans. To

plan accordingly, there are eight steps that PR professionals take. However, Alice Anne did not

walk through these steps or comment on their planning process to a great extent.

While SAM does an excellent job developing their mission and what they stand for, they

should ensure that they have plans clearly laid out. This would ensure that the expectations of

both the museum and its publics are met and help to avoid confusion or crisis. Creating plans

also allows the directors to have concise directions for various events and exhibits to ensure that

certain tasks are being completed or that people are not exerting time and energy trying to work

on things that have already been finished.

Communication and Implementation

SAM PR PROFILE 8

A large part of the public relations process is actually communicating with publics and

implementing developed plans to achieve certain objectives. Further, it is key for organizations

to maintain two-way, ethical communication in the process of enacting mutually beneficial

actions. To provide this, SAM maintains open communication and transparency between the

organization and its publics. The contact information of each director is located online if anyone

needs to get in touch with them, and someone is always present at the museum to either stop by

or call in to talk to. Further, all their press releases are accessible through their website for either

professional or personal use. The museum also tries to avoid any discrimination in

communicating their messages, which is important considering their values and the diverse

community they are located in. For example, Alice Anne discussed how a recent newsletter

alerted visitors to a change in hours because of Easter. However, she wanted to remain inclusive,

keeping in mind that Passover was also around that time, so she stated the change using the word

“holidays” (A. A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18, 2019).

In order to communicate and implement, SAM also uses various media outlets. In terms

of Hallahan’s integrated public relations media model that shows the variety and scope of certain

communication tools, they use all five types of media including public media, controlled media,

interactive media, events, and one-on-one communication (Wilcox et al., 2015, p. 173).

Respectively, they have advertisements on television, send out newsletters, use social networking

sites, hold events, and accept phone calls. By using an array of media, achieve Grunig’s first

communication objective of exposing intended audiences to messages in various forms (Wilcox

et al., p. 172). Further, they are able to reach a broader audience of both passive individuals who

may be aware of but not specifically interested in the museum unless prompted and active

individuals who seek information and engaged in SAM.

SAM PR PROFILE 9

To reach their publics, SAM mainly uses digital media. Email is their primary way to

connect with members, however, their research shows that it is not as effective. Their website is

the main source of information for the museum that the community has access to. They list all

their events and educational opportunities through the page and provide details about past,

current, and future exhibits. There are also links to their social media, a contact form and

number, and a link to sign up for the email newsletter. If individuals want to donate or reserve

venue space that is also completed online. They also use digital media to communicate with

calling for entries from artists. SAM will pay an entry fee to certain organizations that list their

submission openings on artist opportunities websites. They also post the call on their social

media and send emails to artists they know or are interested in. In terms of social media, they

connect with publics on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. However, they tend to use Facebook

more because the age demographic of their primary audience is older.

Their use of traditional media is much less but still important. They often will advertise in

the greater Harrisburg’s community magazine called theBURG or The Patriot News, the local

newspaper. They also recently invested in a billboard along Interstate 83 that runs through

central Pennsylvania. Depending on the event or exhibit they are promoting, Alice Anne will

contact WITF, Harrisburg’s local television and radio station, to advertise (A. A. Schwab,

personal communication, April 18, 2019).

The Susquehanna Art Museum upholds effective PR communication by using a variety of

channels and media to reach various publics and by providing publics with the opportunity to

give feedback. However, they would benefit from communicating and implementing actions

based on their research. Rettie (2002) found that emails gain significantly higher responses from

individuals between the ages of 30 to 34 years. Considering SAMs target public is composed of

older individuals, they should reconsider their use of email communication. Instead, they may
SAM PR PROFILE 10

benefit from using more traditional media. Sending out paper newsletters in the mail instead of

through email could potentially yield a greater response. For those who use social media, they

should conduct further research to more accurately target audiences. Reach (2013) states that the

average user age on Facebook is 41 years old. He also highlights how important it is to determine

the best social media platform to connect on in order to save time and resources (p. 68). Since

there is only one person running all social media pages, keeping in mind majority demographics

could improve how effective their social media is. They could also benefit from a more

interactive presence than just a factual one by hosting polls or running contests. In doing so, the

museum creates greater engagement with their publics, helping to develop and maintain

relationships.

Evaluation

Evaluation of PR practices and processes is important to understand how successful

efforts are and whether certain aspects need to change. For SAM, Schwab equates success to

attendance numbers (A. A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18, 2019). While measuring

the volume or numbers is important, there is an equal need to measure value or the impact.

However, it is understandable why a new and small organization is concerned with increasing its

numbers. At the museum, accounting for attendance also helps evaluate how well an exhibit was

received when comparing the numbers.

Schwab did not comment much on their evaluation process. This may develop with time

and resources; however, it is important to them to establish goals that are specific, measurable,

achievable relevant, and time-bound; having direct objectives may require them to reevaluate

some of their practices. Also, having these goals are important when meeting with the Board of

Directors. If they are only reporting numbers and have nothing to compare them against, there

may be a lack of initiative to ask for or offer guidance and assistance. The museum needs to
SAM PR PROFILE 11

establish better evaluation to ensure that they are meeting the needs of both themselves and their

publics.

Fundraising

As previously stated, the Susquehanna Art Museum suffered great financial troubles.

While a large part of their funds comes from applying for grants, fundraising is crucial to their

existence. In addition to planning capital campaigns, their main fundraising imitative is

establishing memberships to the museums. This is something the Schwab has done extremely

well, increasing memberships by 50 percent after only two months of being the director. To

create appeal and boost interest, she “launched a series of members-only events and other

benefits” (Vendel, 2015). Memberships are available from $30-$500, each level offering various

incentives.

Jung’s (2015) research provides recommendations for raising funds. His work highlights

the importance of fundraising from diverse audiences considering that “when arts are only

funded by a small group of people and their ideas are preserved and reflected in museum

services, the inclusive use of the commons is lost and social obligations are unmet” (p. 265). He

suggests relationship-based fundraising to build relationships with diverse publics and apply

two-way communication. This entails “internal changes in diversifying fundraising professionals

and board members, understanding different giving patterns of diverse communities, and

adopting alternative methods to building relationships and raising funds” (p. 265). The museum

would benefit even more from taking these initiatives considering they align with their core

values and the fact that SAM is located in a diverse city. They also could benefit from employing

someone with fundraising experience and expertise, however, the directors of SAM are doing the

best they can to fundraise considering the circumstances; it seems that improvement will come

with time and guidance.

SAM PR PROFILE 12

CRISIS PLANNING

Currently, the Susquehanna Art Museum does not have a clear crisis plan in place, even

having dealt with difficult situations. Developing a crisis plan is crucial to maintain their image

and sustain relationships with their publics. Combating issues when they arise creates a slower

process of action and may allow for sensitive information to reach publics without the say of the

organization. Research further highlights this importance, showing that customers are more

likely to trust a company and to engage in an exchange with it when it is the first to publicly

reveal the existence of a problem rather than staying silent about it (Beldad, van Laar, & Hegner,

2018, p. 159). Further, since it is an art museum and others’ work is on display, there must be

added precaution to maintain respect for the time and efforts of artists and establish trust between

them and SAM.

While there have not been many major instances, on August 17, 2018, a mother and

daughter visited SAM and destroyed a piece of art on display. Schwab was there at the time and

immediately alerted Sean Matthews, the artist. Situations like this entail further legal matters

considering that the piece was insured by the museum’s insurance company for $5,000, leading

to an investigation of the situation (Vendel, 2018). Schwab was very open and transparent about

the situation, offering Matthews and PennLive with the footage from the incident. The video

ended up going viral, even gaining international attention she discovered when she received a

voicemail about the incident in Portuguese (A. A. Schwab, personal communication, April 18,

2019). While SAM had no control over the women’s actions and the piece breaking, being

proactive in their crisis planning would have helped their recovery and image restoration as the

conflict management lifecycle suggests. In doing so, they would have been able to manage

themselves and their publics better.

PR ANECDOTES
SAM PR PROFILE 13

Success

One successful exhibit that SAM promoted is their current show highlighting Israeli art

and history. Initially, Schwab felt that featuring the art would be a reach considering it is not

traditional or of western culture. However, she wanted to uphold SAM’s mission and core beliefs

and reach audiences that would not know about the exhibit otherwise. Because of this, Schwab

really pushed various communication methods. She sent out postcards, reserved ads on various

Harrisburg websites, and took out spots on WITF. Because of religious ties, she also reached out

to the Jewish community in Harrisburg. The show opened at the beginning of February 2019.

Despite being held during the shortest month and facing two closures due to snow, SAM

recorded some of its highest attendance rates and received positive feedback from visitors.

Further, this helped grow their publics base through building relationships with new audiences.

Failure

One exhibit that was not as successful and yielded low attendance was another non-

traditional that featured architecture. It was the first show SAM hosted in their new location

which, along with their financial crisis, may have contributed to the lack of visitors; they were

still in an adjustment period. The show also followed a popular impressionism exhibit, while

architecture may not have been of public interest. Nonetheless, it felt negative effects in terms of

public relations. PennLive wrote a review of the exhibit and conducted a digital review featuring

Alice Anne. However, the footage was used for a completely different article that discussed the

negativity surrounding their financial state. While Schwab had no control over the footage, she

regards it as a failure in the PR aspect of media relations and representation (A. A. Schwab,

personal communication, April 18, 2019).

DISCUSSION
SAM PR PROFILE 14

An organization’s means of communication and public relations can be categorized by

various models. Developed by Grunig and Hunt, these include press agentry, public information,

two-way asymmetric, or two-way symmetric (Wilcox et al., 2015, p. 57). Using these models in

terms of the Susquehanna Art Museum’s public relations helps to explain their communication

and allows for further discussion on how effective it is.

Based on the given research, the Susquehanna Art Museum primarily functions in terms

of the two-way symmetric model. Even referring to their core values, they strive to educate and

engage with their publics for the good of their community. They provide opportunities for their

publics to voice their opinions, and listen, while still holding true to their mission. From this,

balance is created. Sometimes this does shift depending on the expertise of SAM or the need of

the community, but it seems that they work well together and mutually benefit. It is also

important to note that this has created some negative situations when control was in the hands of

the public over the organization, like with the damaged art. However, being a smaller

organization that relies on the support of its community requires the two-way symmetric model

to help build strong public relations. As SAM grows and changes, they may need to enact a

different model or use multiple ones to control information output and set boundaries, but for

now, their use of the model helps them communicate and develop relations effectively.

CONCLUSION

The Susquehanna Art Museum has undergone great change and growth in the past two

decades. Despite the odds, it continues to support and advocate for the arts in Central

Pennsylvania. The difficulties they have faced developed a need for improvement in various

aspects of their public relations practice, but many of these will come with time and further

development. They clearly express their mission, vision, and core values, which they account for
SAM PR PROFILE 15

and adhere to in their public relations practices. Ultimately, the directors at SAM understand the

importance of community and strive to serve and develop relationships with their publics.
SAM PR PROFILE 16

References

About. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.susquehannaartmuseum.org/about/

About SAM. (2011, July 15). Retrieved from http://www.susquehannaartmuseum.org/about-

sam-2/

Beldad, A. D., van Laar, E., & Hegner, S. M. (2018). Should the shady steal thunder? The effects

of crisis communication timing, pre‐crisis reputation valence, and crisis type on post‐

crisis organizational trust and purchase intention. Journal of Contingencies & Crisis

Management, 26(1), 150–163. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12172

Hatmaker, J. (2015, July 29). Susquehanna Art Museum names new executive director.

Retrieved from

https://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/2015/07/susquehanna_art_museum_names_n.ht

ml

Huang-Horowitz, N. C. (2015). Public relations in the small business environment: Creating

identity and building reputation. Public Relations Review, 41(3), 345–353.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.10.018

Jung, Y. (2015). Diversity matters: Theoretical understanding of and suggestions for the current

fundraising practices of nonprofit art museums. Journal of Arts Management, Law &

Society, 45(4), 255–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632921.2015.1103672

Reach, C. S. (2013). Choosing social media for client development. Law Practice: The Business

of Practicing Law, 39(2), 68–69. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=85969881&site=ehost-

live&scope=site

Rettie, R. (2002). Email marketing: success factors. Retrieved from

https://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/2108/1/paper.html
SAM PR PROFILE 17

Vendel, C. (2015, October 8). Newly-hired Susquehanna Art Museum director wasn’t told about

bank default. Retrieved from

https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2015/10/susquehanna_art_museum_alice_a.html

Vendel, C. (2018, August 28). Mom, daughter damage sculpture at Susquehanna Art Museum.

Retrieved from

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/08/mom_daughter_damage_sculpture.html

Wilcox, D., Cameron, G., Reber, B. (2015) Public relations: Strategies and tactics. Boston, MA:

Pearson Education, Inc.