At MKR, we believe that the best media strategies don’t just reach an audience—they grow a community. This past April, we put that philosophy into practice as the media strategy, planning and buying partner for the Milwaukee Art Museum’s annual Art in Bloom event.
From April 16-19, 2026, the Museum’s galleries were transformed into a living tapestry of floral installations. It was a weekend of vibrant color, sold-out fashion shows and a record-breaking celebration of spring.
The Challenge: Growing Visitation in a Competitive Market
Milwaukee is a city full of entertainment options, from sporting events to comedy shows, concerts and more. That meant we had to create a media plan that would not only stick out within this competitive market but also resonate enough with our audience in order to drive them into action.
As the Museum’s dedicated media partner, our goal was clear: drive high-intent traffic to the Museum during the four-day event and ensure the Museum’s visitation goals weren’t just met, but exceeded. To do this, we designed a multi-layered media ecosystem that surrounded the Milwaukee area with beauty and urgency.
Our Strategy: A Full-Spectrum Media Bouquet
We knew that a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t cut it for an event as multifaceted as Art in Bloom, so we developed a thoughtful mix of traditional prestige and digital precision:
- Digital Precision: We leveraged Paid Search (Google) to capture those actively looking for “things to do in Milwaukee” and utilized Meta for highly visual, thumb-stopping creative that showcased the floral designs.
- Audio Storytelling: We took over the local airwaves with placements on WUWM-FM and WYMS-FM (88Nine Radio Milwaukee), supplemented by high-frequency Pandora streaming audio to reach listeners on the go.
- Hyper-Local Print: To reach Milwaukee’s dedicated arts and culture enthusiasts, we placed strategic ads in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Magazine, and Key Milwaukee.
- The Power of Placement: We used digital display (both programmatic and geofencing) to target art lovers where they live and work, ensuring Art in Bloom was top-of-mind.
- Community Presence: We utilized high-impact placements on OnMilwaukee and established a bold digital outdoor bulletin presence, ensuring that no matter how you moved through the city, you saw the beauty of the Museum.
The Milwaukee Art Museum also asked our team to help produce creative materials to advertise the event, including social media posts, emails and the event program. This involved our creative team working closely with members of the Museum’s team to align on messaging strategy, tone and brand voice.
The Results: A Museum in Full Bloom
Thanks to the synchronized efforts of the Museum’s internal team and MKR’s media and creative executions, Art in Bloom 2026 was a massive success.
The visitation goal for the event was not only met—it was surpassed by over 6%.
The Floral Fashion Show on Friday night was a total sell-out, and the Saturday “After Hours” event saw a surge of new visitors eager to experience the newly refreshed Modern Wing through a floral lens.
Looking Ahead
MKR is proud to continue supporting the Milwaukee Art Museum in its mission to bring world-class art and culture to our city. We will continue to help drive visitation to the Milwaukee Art Museum at future events, such as MAM After Dark on May 15, and the Lakefront Festival of Art on June 12-14. Seeing people come together to enjoy one of Milwaukee’s greatest cultural institutions is why we do what we do.
Curious how we helped the Milwaukee Art Museum exceed their visitation goals by over 6%? We’d love to share a blueprint for your next campaign; reach out to start the conversation.
