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Could a simple text message boost your museum’s revenue and engagement? The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago has proven it can. Through a carefully crafted SMS marketing strategy, they’ve turned mobile notifications into a powerful tool for driving sales, attracting repeat customers, and building stronger connections with their audience.
At the MuseumNext Digital Summit, Abraham Ritchie, Associate Director of Digital Marketing at MCA Chicago, shared the story behind their SMS success – from initial setup to key lessons learned along the way.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, MCA Chicago faced significant challenges in maintaining engagement and driving revenue, especially for its museum store. Email campaigns and social media remained core tools, but the team wondered if they could do more to connect with their audience. SMS marketing emerged as an underutilised opportunity to deliver timely, impactful messages directly to visitors’ mobile phones.
The museum partnered with Attentive, an SMS marketing platform, to launch their campaign. Integration was key: MCA connected SMS messaging with Google Analytics, MailChimp, Facebook Ads, and their Shopify-based online store. This interconnected approach ensured a seamless flow of data, helping the team track engagement, sales, and overall effectiveness.
Automated workflows were a crucial part of their setup. New subscribers received an automated welcome message with a 10% discount code for the museum store, followed by reminders and updates. Additionally, automated abandoned cart messages helped recover potential lost sales, contributing significantly to revenue growth.

The team experimented with message frequency, timing, and content to find the sweet spot. They discovered that sending two to three messages per week, often around lunch breaks or after work hours, yielded the best results. Content was kept short, clear, and action-oriented, often paired with eye-catching images or GIFs.
Key campaigns focused on limited-edition product drops, discounts, and major events. Items like the Virgil Abloh-designed tea kettle and collaborations with Rihanna’s Fenty brand performed exceptionally well, highlighting the value of exclusive, high-demand products.
The financial impact of SMS marketing was clear. Since its launch, the programme has generated over $158,000 in revenue, with impressive return-on-investment figures. In addition, the initiative contributed to building MCA’s email subscriber list, demonstrating the cross-channel benefits of SMS.

One key takeaway was the importance of responsiveness. SMS is a two-way communication channel, and customers often reply with questions. Timely responses can make or break a sale, underscoring the need for team members to actively monitor the platform after campaigns are sent.
Additionally, audience segmentation became vital. The team learned that audiences attracted by exclusive product drops might not respond as well to other types of campaigns, such as membership promotions.
The staffing question matters as much as the message: who will answer when a customer replies? For a small trial, choose one retail audience, explain what subscribers will receive and make the stop route easy to find. Review attributed orders alongside discounts, message costs, returns and staff time before deciding whether to send more often.
The guides to fundraising email planning and fundraising through a museum shop offer related questions about the message and the shopping experience.
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Abraham Ritchie, Associate Director of Digital Marketing at MCA Chicago spoke at the MuseumNext Digital Summit 2023.
Manuel Charr is a journalist working in the arts and cultural sectors. With a background in marketing, Manuel is drawn to arts organizations which are prepared to try inventive ways to reach new audiences.
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