ABSTRACT
The word museum derives from the classical Greek mouseion, ‘seat of the Muses,’ denoting a place of contemplation. In recent years, however, museums have had to move beyond their ‘contemplative’ role as they are under increasing pressure to attract ever-larger audiences and compete with other cultural institutions as well as other forms of entertainment. Consequently, we have seen museums across the world adopt aggressive business strategies, including competitive branding tactics for their institution. Through branding, marketers are able to project a specific personality and image for their product, service, business or organisation. As powerful brands, museums not only project an image to local audiences, but also help shape a broader image of the nation itself. In this study, we use a variety of cases of branded museums from across the world to illustrate how these cultural institutions have become instrumental in the projection and management of a nation brand. In doing so, we locate our study within the field of nation branding, place marketing, and non-profit marketing more generally, bringing to the fore the inherent market-oriented nature of museums as cultural institutions.
