Rethinking Media Partnerships

Jen Chapman

Head of Marketing & Communications

FACT

@FACT_liverpool

fact.co.uk

Media Partnerships

What if?:

• You’re not in London

• You don’t have ad budgets

• You aren’t working with big names

• The works are experimental or still in

development

• You don’t have much lead-in time

• You don’t have an established history of media

partnerships

Media Partnerships

What if?:

• You’re not in London

• You don’t have an advertising budget

• You aren’t working with big names

• The works are experimental or still in

development

• You don’t have much lead-in time

• You don’t have an established history of media

partnerships

Here’s two case

studies from the past

12 months..

Both of which start

from really considering

our target audiences

Case study 1

Little White Lies

Little White Lies

Science Fiction: New Death

Group Show: James Bridle, Jon Rafman, Mark

Leckey, Larissa Sansour, Ryan Trecartin, China

Mieville.

Explore how our relationship with technology has

blurred the lines between the real and the virtual.

Dystopian / Experimental / Academic

Little White Lies

Little White Lies

Target Audiences:

Contemporary Art Lovers

Science Fiction Fans

Film Buffs

Little White Lies

Contemporary Art Lovers

Science Fiction Fans

Film Buffs / Crossover Film

Little White Lies

Little White Lies

“the world’s most beautiful

film magazine”

International distribution

Large online film community

55.8k Twitter followers

Little White Lies

• No Advertising • No Exhibition

coverage • Print planned many

months in advance

Little White Lies

Already Planned: Open Call for homemade sci-fi movies to be displayed as part of our exhibition.

Proposal to LWL: This Open Call becomes “in association with Little White Lies”

• Promotes our competition (& exhibition) to a wider, international film community

• Hopefully leads to higher quality content

• Creates more talking points

• Gives the competition gravitas

Little White Lies

Little White Lies

FACT to:

• Host Open Call information on website

• Feature LWL branding in relevant exhibition print and

signage

• Provide technical support for short films and screening

event

• Cover travel for trip to FACT

Little White Lies

Little White Lies to:

• Promote Open Call on social media

• Watch shortlist of submitted films and judge best.

• Visit exhibition at FACT

• Host screening event at FACT to showcase best films

Little White Lies

Little White Lies

Little White Lies

Outcomes

• Sold out screening event

• Beautifully curated exhibition in public area of building

(right in front of the Box Office)

• Opportunity to align FACT with LWL through branding

and encourage cinema audience to visit galleries

• Over 80 film entries from a diverse, international pool of

filmmakers

• Raised awareness of FACT exhibition among film

community

• Established new relationship with LWL

Case Study 2

Grafik.

Grafik.

Type Motion

Archival Show: Over 200 examples of text and

typography used alongside the moving image.

Detailed / Diverse / Niche elements

Grafik.

Grafik.

Target Audiences:

Film Buffs

Literature Lovers

Design Aficionados

Grafik.

Target Audiences:

Film Buffs

Literature Lovers

Design Aficionados (especially typography fetishists)

Grafik.

Grafik.

“home of the world’s most

inspiring graphic design”

International reach

Strong online community

Read by design community

Grafik.

Grafik.

From Grafik;:

• Curate audience friendly part of exhibition to fill The Wall

• Liase with design community and commission content

• Feature two articles about content on Grafik.net

-----

• Feature four preview articles exploring exhibition themes

• Interview exhibition designers for Case Study article

• Social Media support

• Inclusion in newsletters

• Visit exhibition and review

Grafik.

From FACT:

• Credit Grafik as exhibition Media Partner – feature logo

on relevant print, signage and online

• Cover print & installation costs for The Wall

• Provide exclusive video use of clips from exhibition

• Provide clips in suitable format for Grafik.net

• Provide copy for preview feature articles

• Cover travel for trip to exhibition

• Social Media support

Grafik.

From FACT:

• Credit Grafik as exhibition Media Partner – feature logo

on relevant print, signage and online

• Cover print & installation costs for The Wall

• Provide exclusive video use of clips from exhibition

• Provide clips in suitable format for Grafik.net

• Provide copy for preview feature articles

• Cover travel for trip to exhibition

• Social Media support

Grafik.

Grafik.

Grafik.

Grafik.

Grafik.

Outcomes

• Stunning exhibition of posters in our Bar area (so popular with audiences that we auctioned them afterwards)

• Extensive coverage on Grafik’s website, newsletters and social media (ongoing)

• Stamp of approval from sector respected publication & raised awareness of FACT exhibition among design community

• Designers who went above and beyond to impress, and saw value in relationship

• Ease of attracting new sponsors such as GFSmith

• Established new relationship with LWL

in conclusion

In conclusion

1) Integrate with your marketing plans (and your programming conversations)

2) Be proud of what YOU can offer them. Smaller publications are likely to work harder for you

3) Take time to understand which publications your audiences really read

4) Think creatively – it gets your partners excited!

5) Use it to leverage other partnerships and sponsorships

6) Partnerships don’t have to mean money

7) Build equal, mutually beneficial partnerships

8) Be better than I’ve been at recording value and measurements – we will do more in future!

thanks!

Jen.chapman@fact.co,uk

@FACT_liverpool