Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum is a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest’s cultural landscape, showcasing a world-class collection and dynamic exhibitions that reflect the region’s creativity and global connections.

Founded in 1892, the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon is the only major art museum between Seattle and San Francisco, showcasing the work of artists from across the Pacific Northwest and the globe. A vital cultural destination and educational resource serving audiences who live, work, and visit the region, Portland Art Museum is internationally recognized for its special exhibitions and encyclopedic collection.

Two visitors view a glowing text art installation at the Portland Art Museum promoting mindfulness and reflection.

The Results

15+ Million

Impressions from campaigns, a 256% YoY increase

206%+

Increase in clicks to the website

100%+

Increase in recorded conversions with improved tracking and attribution in place

The Challenge

Portland Art Museum engaged Avenue to support digital advertising efforts during a pivotal moment in the Museum’s history. Amid an extensive campus renovation that temporarily limited the number of exhibitions on view, Portland Art Museum sought to maintain and grow its audience engagement by:

  • Expanding Brand Awareness: Portland Art Museum aimed to build visibility for key exhibitions, including Africa Fashion, Future Now, Psychedelic Rock Posters, and Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm.

  • Driving Ticket Sales and Visitation: Despite fewer exhibitions on view during construction, Portland Art Museum needed to sustain interest and encourage maximum foot traffic.

  • Increasing Membership and Exhibit Code Redemption: Digital advertising efforts were focused on supporting membership acquisition and ensuring exhibit-specific promotion codes reached and converted the right audiences.

Services Implemented

Paid Media Research & Strategy

Developed advertising strategies to maximize reach and engagement through optimized targeting and creative.

Ongoing Paid Media Management & Reporting

Executed and optimized ad campaigns to ensure efficient spending and maximize ROI, with consistent performance tracking.

The Solution

We began with a foundational research and strategy phase to uncover the most effective digital advertising opportunities for Portland Art Museum. This collaborative effort provided a blueprint for execution, tailored to Portland Art Museum’s unique goals and operating context:

Comprehensive Strategy Development

We conducted a deep dive into Portland Art Museum’s historical advertising performance, completed a competitive landscape analysis and identified key opportunities for growth.

This also included defining target audiences, budget recommendations and developing an integrated campaign strategy.

Campaign Launch and Optimization

With our strategy and roadmap in place, we launched paid media campaigns across Meta and Google Ads, focusing on driving ticket sales, awareness and membership growth.

We continuously optimized based on performance, leaning into A/B testing of creative, messaging and audience targeting.

Enhanced Measurement and Reporting

Recognizing the need for clearer attribution, we refined Portland Art Museum’s conversion tracking setup to better evaluate success and guide ongoing opportunities.

Regular performance reporting ensured transparent communication and data-informed decision-making.

This approach allowed Avenue to respond nimbly to exhibition timelines and shifting audience behaviors, ensuring campaigns were always optimized to maximize visibility, engagement and impact, driving over 15 million impressions, a 206% increase in clicks to the website, and a 100% increase in conversions.

At the cutting edge of sneaker innovation, the Future Now exhibit invites you to explore nearly 60 revolutionary designs that are setting new standards in the industry.

From 3D-printed sneakers to sustainable fashion breakthroughs, this exhibition, in collaboration with the

Bata Shoe Museum, is a groundbreaking showcase of how technology and creativity are shaping the future of footwear.

And for a limited time, save $3 on your ticket purchase with code: 2024SPSM3

For a limited time, take $3 off your

ticket purchase with code: 2023FALL3

Experience the timeless essence of African Fashion.

Spanning iconic mid-twentieth century to contemporary creatives through photographs, textiles, music and the visual arts, “Africa Fashion” tells the

story of the vitality and global impact of a fashion scene as dynamic and varied as the continent itself.

From Nov. 18 - Feb. 18, join us in this immersive exploration of creativity, history, and style.

Ready to get started?