Case Study: Identity Crisis The Problem: Public recogition of museum name dwindled as population grew When “Old City Park” was founded in 1966, the name suited the outdoor history museum well. Dallas was still small enough that most people knew that “Old City Park” was the 13-acre collection of historic buildings located on the edge of downtown Dallas, on property that was the city’s first-ever city park established in 1876. Over the years, however, the city’s population grew and changed. By 1970, an estimated 844,500 people lived in Dallas. By 2003, the population in the Metroplex had bloomed to over 5,500,000. Many naturally assumed that “Old City Park” was an old municipal park like any other city park. They never thought of it as the region’s leading accredited, award-winning museum of history and culture, one that charged an admission fee and offered tours, and one that served over 25,000 school children and 25,000 adult visitors every year. In addition to the population swelling, the choices of cultural attractions and entertainment venues multiplied. The museum was losing market share. Spending money on advertising was not feasible for this small nonprofit. The museum needed to upgrade to a name that helped define who it was and what it did. In the 1990s, an attempt to update the name was thwarted by a handful of key board members who, citing tradition, blocked a name change. The Solution: Evidence, professional help and gentle persuasion In 2005, Mary worked closely with the president of the organization to find a way to upgrade the institution’s name. Mary helped identify and was liaison to Publicis, a well-known ad/marketing firm that agreed to donate its services. Publicis conducted focus group studies to capture current public perception of the organization as well as explore possible new names. Mary assembled easy-to-understand documentation of ongoing public confusion over the current name. All information was presented in a calm and encouraging manner to the Board. Although some Board members were initially skeptical, the majority of the Board saw the wisdom in updating the organization's name. The Board was presented with a selection of names that tested well with focus groups, and it chose “Dallas Heritage Village” as the new name. The Results: Museum better positioned for the future The new name was ushered in with a large reception at the museum. A new logo, brand colors, merchandise, brochures and plans for transition were put into play. For several months, staff referred to the museum as “Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park” to help ease the transition. By 2008 the museum was able to use “Dallas Heritage Village” on its own. In addition to the new name, Mary took steps to change the museum's main address from little-known “Gano” street to the widely-recognized main artery street, “Harwood,” on its eastern border. “Harwood” not only was the street address for other well-known museums in downtown Dallas, but was also the future front gate entry street for Dallas Heritage Village after museum expansion. The name and address change will help the museum position itself in the market by making it more readily identifiable than before, even to people new to Dallas.