The (re)branding process as innovation in museum management.The case of Museo Egizio in Turin #museoditutti

Today, different museums around the world are redesigning, renewing, branding and rebranding themselves. These museums are actually doing this in order to be able to respond better to the evolving needs and wants of consumers, and at the same time, to unveil their values and identity to better connect with their audiences. In Italy, these practices are in an early stage, especially because of the fear of turning museums into products, like others available in the market. Nevertheless, some Italian museums are highly interested in branding and they invest in it to a great extent. Among these institutions, Museo Egizio in Turin has been able to grasp the opportunity to be closer to its audience both national and international and to enhance the overall visitor experience, thanks to a major reorganization – between 2014 and 2019 – that also involved the development of the museum brand. Relying on literature on museum branding and thanks to a case study, the paper analyses the strategies of the Museo Egizio to build and communicate the new brand and its values. Then, a time-series analysis of economic performances – before and after the (re)branding – will allow to connect this best practice with revenue diversification. The study provides new insight into (re)branding and its communication strategies in the Italian museum sector. Theoretical and managerial implications are then outlined.