University Professors to carry out research on marketing of historic churches
09 Apr 2014
Historians, geographers, architects and engineers are invited to get involved in this cross-disciplinary work.
Dominic Medway, Professor of Marketing at Manchester Business School and Gary Warnaby, Professor of Marketing in the School of Materials are embarking on a two-year research project with The Churches Conservation Trust, a charity that protects English historic churches which are no longer in parish use.
The Trust is currently responsible for over 340 beautiful buildings that attract almost two million visitors a year. These range from virtually untouched medieval gems in idyllic rural settings, to ornately impressive Victorian buildings in busy town centres, as well as a small number of inner-city churches with serious repair problems.
Dominic said: “Our work will explore new marketing strategies the Trust could undertake to help ensure these historic buildings are kept open and remain in use at the heart of communities.”
Gary and Dominic’s work will involve visitor surveys, stakeholder analysis and input into the marketing decision-making processes of the Trust at national, regional and local levels.
Rosi Lister of The Churches Conservation Trust said: “I am delighted to be working with experts from the University on this exciting project and look forward to implementing its results and seeing the benefits over the next months and years.”
In line with the University's commitment to social responsibility and support for third-sector organisations, the research and will be carried out on a no-charge basis to the Trust.
Dominic and Gary invite anyone who is interested in getting involved in the research to contact them, especially as it is cross-disciplinary work that would be of relevance to historians, geographers, architects and, bearing in mind the building conservation agenda of the Trust, engineers.
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