#109 Jun 25, 25

The Digital First Approach: Frederique Irwin on Reimagining Women's Historical Narratives

Frederique Irwin, President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, discusses her transformative vision for the museum to become a dynamic, digital-first institution reaching audiences nationwide. She reflects on her diverse career, starting from founding 'herCorner' to leading impactful initiatives at the Sorenson Impact Center. Fred highlights the significance of empowering women and her unexpected yet strategic move into nonprofit leadership. The conversation also covers the museum's advocacy for the Smithsonian’s New Women's History Museum on the National Mall, their digital-first strategy, and the campaign 'She’s Not a Footnote and Neither Are You.' The interview underscores the importance of storytelling, authenticity, and adapting to market needs as vital components of influence.

Takeaways:

Simplify Your Message: As Frederique shared, her mother taught her to make complex stories accessible. Translate complex information into simple, relatable terms that your audience can easily understand and engage with.
Embrace a Digital-First Approach: The National Women's History Museum has successfully adopted a digital-first strategy, making their content accessible online. This is critical for reaching a broad audience, especially in today's digital age.
Test and Iterate: Before committing to a complete overhaul (like a new website), test smaller initiatives to see how your audience responds. Frederique emphasized the importance of trying out different ideas and gradually amplifying what works.
Focus on Authentic Storytelling: Authenticity is key. Frederique’s strategy involves consistent storytelling centered around women’s achievements. Real stories resonate more with audiences compared to generic, heavily messaged content.
Know Your Audience: Identify and prioritize your primary audience to maximize impact. For the National Women’s History Museum, the focus is on educators and students, both inside and outside the classroom.
Use Contemporary Campaigns: The 'She’s Not a Footnote' campaign highlights the importance of making historical content relevant and engaging today. Find creative and modern ways to package and present your content to maintain relevance.
Listen to the Market: Pay attention to your audience’s feedback and be willing to adapt your strategies based on market responses. This iterative approach is fundamental in entrepreneurship and critical in ensuring your efforts align with audience needs.

Quote of the Show:

"I stay aligned with what feels genuine, keeping my message focused on women and making sure that comes through clearly on LinkedIn and social media."

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederiquecirwin/
Website: https://www.womenshistory.org/

Episode Video

Creators and Guests

Host

Anthony Shop

Anthony Shop believes in the power of people-centered branding and marketing to create a bright future. He chairs the National Digital Roundtable, the premier convener of digital innovators, leaders and policy shapers. Anthony also is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver, a digital services firm that helps companies and non-profits establish winning strategies with social media, websites, creative, and advertising. An enthusiastic presenter and teacher, he has led executive-level training for Amazon, PepsiCo, NASA, The British Embassy and the Bipartisan Policy Center. He has been recognized as an “OUTstanding LGBT Role Model” by The Financial Times, “40 Under 40” by The Washington Business Journal, and Business Leader of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce. A former newspaper reporter, Anthony was the first new media professional elected to the National Press Club’s Board of Governors. He currently serves on the boards of Leadership Greater Washington and LearnServe International. He earned his MBA from The George Washington University School of Business, where he teaches as an adjunct lecturer.

Producer

Amanda Goyette

Guest

Frederique Campagne Irwin

CEO of the National Women's History Museum

Producer

Robert Krueger

Robert is an Executive Director for The Communications Board, an organization with the mission of providing high-quality professional development for every communicator in every location. He is also the Global Lead for Partnership Communications at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture and design firm. Prior to his current role, he performed executive and CEO communications for Gensler, and was the senior director of public relations and social media at the Urban Land Institute. He obtained an MA in Communications and an MA in History from George Mason University. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition, Robert has taught communications at universities including George Mason University, West Virginia University, and the University of Florida. Robert currently serves as Immediate-Past President for the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) -- the nonprofit’s largest chapter.