In 2021, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) received an endowment to create a curatorial division focusing on Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability. To support this initiative, ROM invested in a series of programs and exhibitions geared toward informing the public about Climate Change's global impacts and grass-roots initiatives to turn the tide. To understand the ROI of these initiatives, ROM undertook a series of research projects to gauge how each of the programs and exhibitions was received by the public. By leveraging insights into the change in perception and opinions around climate change after exposure to these initiatives, ROM was able to map and build a longer-term plan for Climate Change and Sustainability education, programming, and exhibitions at the Museum. This presentation will focus on the impact of a series of ongoing research projects around climate change and sustainability initiatives launched at ROM in 2022 and 2023, including public understanding of the topic, visitor engagement with the programs and exhibitions, as well as internal planning for future programs, events, and exhibits.
Manager Audience Insights, Royal Ontario Museum
Eva Tolkunow, Manager Audience Insights, Royal Ontario Museum Eva Tolkunow strives to go beyond the numbers, and to use research to tell a meaningful story and provide strategic insights. Eva brings more than 20 years of market research experience to the table, from the client and supplier sides of the industry, but it is her audience insight work at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) that truly inspires her. A long-time museum goer, Eva enjoys the challenge of using her research and analytical skills to share visitor stories with the many departments across the ROM that depend on data and insights to drive decision-making. Prior to her work at the ROM, Eva applied her unique analytic lens to client-side market research at Hallmark Canada and World Wrestling Entertainment, and supplier-side market research at Synovate and Numeris (formerly BBM Canada).