AI-powered heritage marketing platform to launch in 2026

Heritage organisations have been invited to participate in the co-design of a new AI-powered marketing platform during its beta roll-out in the autumn.

The platform, which is currently named Goose, has received a funding grant of £249,951 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund through the Grow phase of its Heritage Innovation Fund, which will be used to create a product for beta testing. A full launch is expected in early 2026.

The project is a partnership between the Arts Marketing Association (AMA) and the digital innovation agency, Make Sense Of It. Rather than develop a generic AI tool, the team say they have opted to co-design Goose with the sector so that the advice it provides is shaped by the “collective knowledge of the heritage workforce”.

Once finished, Goose will provide heritage organisations with an AI-powered 24/7 mentor, coach, and virtual colleague to address a critical marketing skills gap in the sector.

Cath Hume, the chief executive of the AMA, said: “Goose is about democratising knowledge so that small grass-roots heritage sites can tap into the same expertise and support that large national institutions enjoy – no matter their resources or where they’re based.

“This project isn’t about imposing technology: it’s about empowering heritage professionals to shape how AI can best serve their audience development needs.

“By increasing marketing capacity, Goose can help to grow audiences and enable more people to enjoy and engage with the UK’s vast cultural heritage.”

Edd Baldry, the co-founder of Make Sense Of It, added: “The relentless pace of change in marketing makes it even harder for small organisations to keep up creating more barriers to reaching potential audiences.

"Rather than asking already stretched teams to become marketing specialists, we're excited to use AI innovation capabilities to give teams practical marketing assistance to translate their passion into audience engagement.”

The project is being guided by a steering group including Trish Thomas, head of digital innovation at London Museum, and Daniel Rowles, chief executive of Target Internet and a senior lecturer at Imperial College.

Heritage organisations interested in participating in the co-design process or beta testing can express their interest by emailing Goose’s Innovation Lead, Carol Jones, at carol@a-m-a.co.uk