Olha Honchar:

Modern museums are not only collections of objects but also significant platforms for public dialog about the past, present, and future. They must maintain constant communication with the public. Using modern PR technologies, museums can attract the attention of new groups of visitors and popularize their exhibitions.

The Territory of Terror Memorial Museum of Totalitarian Regimes serves as an important communication hub, conveying two key topics to the public: Nazi and Soviet terror in Lviv. Additionally, we view our mission as enabling various communities and groups represented in contemporary Lviv – including Jews, Crimean Tatars, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and those who have lost relatives in the war – to share their stories. To achieve this goal, the museum hosts various events where people come together to exchange their experiences and reflect on what they have seen and heard.

The first issue to consider before developing a PR strategy is the availability of an employee who will be specifically engaged in promotion. It goes without saying that this responsibility involves the director and all other museum staff. The head of the institution is the primary representative of the museum and is therefore responsible for commenting on events, interacting with journalists and the public, speaking at conferences, and representing the institution publicly. Additionally, all museum employees serve as PR agents to some extent. They conduct tours, discuss the museum’s activities at national and international levels, and maintain their own social media pages where they showcase the museum’s activities.

The second consideration is the availability of solid technical infrastructure: the internet, a smartphone and laptop, etc., which can be used to communicate through the museum’s official website and social media pages. Museum staff should understand where their target audience spends their time – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube – and prepare content for the relevant platforms. An effective tool is to live-stream offline events, briefings, and Zoom conferences and publish them on the museum’s YouTube channel.

An important prerequisite for communication is that museum workers have a good command of Ukrainian and at least one foreign language. It will help them communicate with colleagues from other countries, establish cooperation, and seek grants.

Successful PR work requires the creation of a database comprising media contacts and partners. This involves continuous tasks such as gathering information about the media, looking for an approach to journalists, updating data, etc.

The information services of executive authorities and local self-government bodies can assist PR professionals in their work. Specifically, their structural units, particularly tourism and promotion departments, can aid in distributing the museum’s promotional materials and organizing press tours. Additionally, it is essential not to overlook social advertising on outdoor media within the city or posting museum announcements in public locations and in partner resources.

All of these PR technologies can be combined to create comprehensive campaigns to promote the museum and its exhibitions.