Branding in the new museum era

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Keywords: Museum Marketing, Museum Branding, Cultural Marketing, .... 2008; Keller, 2009) and the emerging role of social media (Buchalis, 2015; Zaglia,.
Branding in the new museum era ZOE - CHARIS BELENIOTI1, CHRIS A. VASSILIADIS 2 1Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece 2 Department of Business Administration, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece a)Corresponding

author: [email protected] /[email protected]

Abstract: Undoubtedly, museums play a vital role in the economy and tourism constituting a significant unit of cultural tourism. However, facing either rival competition within the leisure industry or funding cutbacks museums are now adopting for-profit strategies aligned with marketing principles. Today museums have redefined their role and activities to conclude newer and more active experiences and entertainment, shifting to experiential notions of “edutainment” and “artertainment”.This paper extends the current knowledge by drawing on a review of 40 papers this study presents the fundamental components of brand concept within the museum industry. Precisely, essential elements of branding such as brand equity, brand loyalty and brand resonance are discussed and set to museum sector. This study makes an important contribution to the field of tourist and cultural marketing by advancing our understanding of museum branding and by proposing both new research topics and valuable managerial implications to museums practitioners and scholars. Keywords: Museum Marketing, Museum Branding, Cultural Marketing, Cultural Tourism, Tourism & Destination Marketing

Introduction Recent developments at socioeconomic and technological level exhort museums and Non-Profit Organizations’ (henceforth NPOs) to the application of for-profit strategies aligned with marketing principles. Specifically, economic downturn and funding reduction (Mclean, 1994; Cole, 2008), fierce competition with other leisure proxies (Cole, 2008) along with the technological advances- such as the rise of Internet- (Kolb, 2013; Cole, 2008; Griffin, 2008) and rapid change of behavioural patterns (Kolb, 2013; Kawashima, 1998; McLean, 1995a) have heightened the need of branding within museums as a tool of museums’ sustainability (McLean, 1995; Kotler et al., 2008; Rentschler & Osborne, 2008). According to Griffin, (2008) and Kolb (2013) the new era of museums began in 1970, when museums had to strive for their financial viability due to funding cutbacks. Indeed, today museums brands are ubiquitous. For instance, Tate Modern or Victoria Albert have become such a successful brand that London has been associated as the epitome of museum sector. Thus, to build strong, vivid and memorable brands with high brand equity is the next big thing for any NPOs employee. Especially regarding museums’ sector vast researchers acknowledge and call for the need to brand the culture (Rentschler & Osborne, 2008; Griffin, 2008; Kotler et al., 2008;

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Bradburne, 2001). In the same vein, Vassiliadis & Fotiadis (2008) confirm the contribution of segmentation to the successful museum branding and marketing. Despite its efficacy, little discussion exists about branding and more specifically brand equity models. Thus far, however, scholars have paid far too little attention to brand equity models and customer based equity models (Camarero et al, 2010; Camarero et al., 2012; Liu et al., 2015). This is the first paper that attempts to remedy this problem by categorizing the recent literature on museum brand equity.

Review of Museum Branding Museum Branding; a diachronic term in infancy Museum is defined as a “non- profit making, permanent institution, in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches and communicates, and exhibits for the purpose of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment” (ICOM, 2007). Today museums face several challenges deriving both from economic downturn and from social and technological variables (Sargeant, 2008). The literature has emphasized the importance of marketing and branding application (Hudson, 2008; Padanyi, 2008; Kavoura, 2014). Previous studies within museum branding have linked branding with identity and psychological associations between the cultural products (artefacts/collection) and its audience (Scheff, 2007; Rentschler & Gilmore, 2002). Pragmatically, to Rentschler & Osborne (2008) a museum brand has functional and emotional attributes. Venkatesh & Meamber (2006) and Mclean (1994) also articulate the central role of identity for cultural products. Likewise, King (2015) confirms that through brand identity a museum boosts the familiarity, the loyalty and it encourages partnerships. Moreover, studies remark that museum branding is now becoming more than necessary (Williams, 2011). Almost every scholar -called as brand advocate- argues for the benefits of branding application such as boost of income, boost of stakeholders' engagement, boost of the museum experience, viability and values (Rentschler & Gilmore, 2002; Rentschler & Osborne, 2008; Ames, 1988; McLean, 1995b; Kotler & Kotler, 2012; Kolb, 2013;King, 2015; Williams, 2011). In the same vein, Vassiliadis & Fotiadis (2008) confirm the contribution of segmentation to the successful museum branding and marketing. Vast researchers call for the need cultural branding (Rentschler & Osborne, 2008; Griffin, 2008; Kotler et al., 2008; Bradburne, 2001) while O’Reilly (2005) accentuates the paucity of research. However, brand sceptics expressed many ethical concerns about the branding application (Kylander & Stone, 2012;Byrnes, 2001; Resnick, 2004). Building Brand Equity in Museums Turning the brand equity in cultural organizations (arts exhibitions and museums), Camarero et al. (2010) define brand equity as“ the social and economic repercussions originating from the brand, in other words the intention to return for a future visit and therefore an increase in the number of visitors, and individuals’

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willingness to pay” (2010:8). As noted by Liu et al. (2015), brand equity in museums is treated by managers mainly as a means of publicity and fundraising. Caldwell & Coshall (2002) report that the Aaker’s model (1992) is definitely reshaped. In addition, due to the intangibility and special attributes of NPOs, Camarero et al. (2010) confirm four dimensions as components of brand equity for arts and cultural exhibitions: brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand image and brand values. In the figure below we mention the ground models (Figure1).

Figure1. Museum Brand Equity Model adapted by Camarero et al. 2010

Table 1 illustrates how traditional branding concepts apply to cultural organization on the basis of Camarero et al. (2010) conceptualization. Table 1. Explaining the Museum Brand Equity Assets Rational addiction model links the positive experience of cultural Brand Loyalty consumption with the present consumption (Stigler &Becker, 1977; (Levy-Garboua & Montmarquette, 1996) Perceived Quality Perceived quality in cultural organization refers to difference between the expected and delivered services Museums strive for establishment of positive experiences, benefits Brand Image and expectation according to Caldwell & Coshall (2002) Museums are vehicles or knowledge and values simultaneously. MuBrand values seum brand values are their lens of museums. Thus, brand values should be in line with the values of donors and stakeholders and their different type of values within museum context: identity values (collectivism, individualism) and ethnocentric values. Values reflect their brand personality and identity as well.

Moreover, Camarero et al. (2012) acknowledge that different drivers of brand equity emerge for each category of visitor. For instance, only external visitors or in other words cultural tourists are driven by image whereas only internal visitors are driven by the event’s brand value. Moreover, the variable of perceived quality also differentiates. Two years later, Camarero et al. (2012) report as determinants of

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brand equity the following variables: Brand value, brand recognition, brand quality and brand uniqueness. In terms of customer based brand equity in museums, Liu et al. (2015) confirmed that brand values is a mediator in terms of a customer based brand equity. They also found that perceived quality influences brand image. Finally, no study so far have examined the concepts of brand resonance and knowledge suggested by Keller (Keller, 2002, 1993, 1999, 2001) in museums.

Discussion, Conclusions and Further Research The main goal of the current study was to discuss how principal branding concepts applied in the context museum’s sector. First, we found that although branding offers vast benefits to museums at financial and societal level, museum branding is still a controversial and neglected and issue (only three studies were carried out on brand equity of museums’ sector). This may be explained by the infancy of branding adoption in museums. Second, we found that the Aaker’s model (1992) cannot fully applied to museum context. Instead, the cultural brand equity assets are loyalty, which is defined as a positive association toward museum than intention for re-visit, perceived quality, brand image and brand values. Table 2 juxtaposes the traditional and cultural branding models. One possible explanation for this reshape is the instinct nature of museums (Vassiliadis & Fotiadis, 2008). Surprisingly, the notion of brand resonance remains still undiscovered. Table 2. Differences between Brand Equity in Traditional Cultural Branding Aakers’ Brand Equity Model Cultural Brand Equity Model, (1992) Camarero et al. 2010 Brand Loyalty Loyalty (past loyalty) Brand Awareness Brand Image Perceived Quality Perceived Quality Brand Associations Brand Values Brand Assets

This research enhances our understanding about the state of museum branding literature. Moreover, this is the first study that depicts the difference between traditional brand equity and museums’ brand equity models. Overall, this study strengthens the necessity of branding application in museums. Thus, this research provides valuable theoretical and practical implications. First, given the infancy of museum branding the present study calls for further research. Second, we urge museum practitioners to view branding as a vital strategic tool. What is now needed is definitely the empirical investigation of brand resonance model in museums. Moreover, given the important influence of integrated marketing communication (Belch & Belch, 2008; Keller, 2009) and the emerging role of social media (Buchalis, 2015; Zaglia, 2013; Chi, 2011) further studies need to estimate this influence in museum branding.

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