Background

The Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL - Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe) is a municipal association with more than 20,000 employees. In doing so, it takes on important social, cultural and medical tasks for the 8.4 million people in the region. The LWL operates 35 special schools, 20 hospitals, 18 museums, two visitor centers and is one of the largest aid providers for people with disabilities. The LWL also plays a central role in the cultural sector: it operates numerous museums and promotes cultural projects related to the heritage and history of Westphalia.

Assignment

We were commissioned to provide communications support for the anchor exhibition “Das ist kolonial.” as part of the “POWR! Postkoloniales Westfalen-Lippe” theme year. The common goal was to develop short- and long-term measures to strategically position the exhibition and strengthen public awareness. The focus was on communicating content related to the region's colonial legacy and its significance for today's society. In addition, a sustainable communication and channel strategy for future exhibition projects was to be developed together with the LWL press and public relations office. After the experience of a shitstorm in the context of the previous exhibition workshop in 2023, our work particularly included advising on and implementing crisis-preventive communication measures.

Idea and Implementation

In close cooperation with the LWL, we were able to help design and implement the communication strategy for the anchor exhibition, from preparation to implementation and follow-up. At the beginning, we conducted a detailed analysis of the communication measures of the previous exhibition in order to identify strengths, areas for improvement and potential crises for the communication around this year's exhibition. Based on this, we developed a channel strategy for social media and classic media, preventive statements and FAQs for visitors. In addition, we provided editorial support for community management for the @dasistkolonial social media channel. We also developed detailed Q&A documents to prepare the communications team for critical (follow-up) questions in social media, at press conferences and at a conference of the German Museum Association on the topic “Showing Attitude, Defending Democracy! Museums in Times of Political Pressure”.

We also placed particular emphasis on the creation of core messages and holding statements to enable a quick and consistent response at all times in critical situations. These documents ensured that the LWL always presented a clear, coordinated message.

Throughout the entire project, we advised the LWL and helped to continuously evaluate and adapt the communication strategy.

Result

Orca van Loon and LWL were able to successfully implement an effective and consistent communication strategy for the exhibition “Das ist kolonial”. With our consulting support and close coordination, LWL was able to proactively address potential challenges. We also worked hand in hand on social media content, creating posts that explained the exhibition's topic in a way that was both understandable and appealing to a wide audience. This collaboration made it possible to successfully position the exhibition with the public and at the same time lay valuable groundwork for future projects.