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School of Business | Department of Marketing and Management | Marketing | 2009
Thesis number: 12145
Creating brand identity in art museums - A case study on three art museums
| Author: | Pusa, Sofia |
| Title: | Creating brand identity in art museums - A case study on three art museums |
| Year: | 2009 Language: eng |
| Department: | Department of Marketing and Management |
| Academic subject: | Marketing |
| Index terms: | markkinointi; marketing; kulttuurin markkinointi; arts marketing; taide; arts; brandit; brands; museot; museums |
| Pages: | 95 |
| Key terms: | arts marketing; branding; museum marketing; creative marketing; museum brand |
| Abstract: |
Creating Brand Identity in Art Museums – A Case Study on Three Art Museums
Research Objectives The marketing literature on identity and branding issues in nonprofit art museums is still quite remote. The objective of this study is to explore, how brand identity is created in art museums. More specifically, the purpose of the literature review aims to examine, what special characteristics the art context involves in branding and what are the elements of the art museum brand. The empirical study strives for describing and analyzing the branding process and the brand identity in three Finnish case art museums: the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, the Espoo Museum of Modern Art and the Didrichsen Art Museum. Research Method and Data The theoretical part of the research is based on a literature review that aims to provide an overview of the relevant topics and to adapt traditional branding theory to art museum context. The empirical study was conducted as a qualitative research through semi-structured interviews of the managers of the three case art museums. Research Findings Results showed that in every museum branding was considered as essential for the museums today. The museums´ art collections and exhibitions laid the foundation for the brand identity and the museums were strongly positioned by this core product. However, other symbolic, personality and organizational associations were used in creating the brand identity as well. Also accessibility was highlighted in two case museums´ brand position statements. Alongside the marketing mix, the relationship and networks marketing played an especially important role in the museums´ brand management – on the other hand, a strong brand also facilitated building relationships to various stakeholders. However, creative marketing seemed to be something worth capitalizing on more in the future. All in all, every museum had a strong brand identity; however, the results indicated that every museum could still improve the communicating of the brand to stakeholders |
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