Why do people love museums so much? Empirical evidence about the stellar reputations of art museums and what companies can learn from it

The chapter focuses on two interrelated research questions: why are museums so popular? and what can commercial enterprises learn from them? The chapter explains the popularity of museums by elaborating on the special characteristics of the cultural and economic roles of these institutions in society based on evidence in academic research and in policy documents. The chapter then provides data from a survey of 6,419 visitors and 5,065 non-visitors of the 18 most well-known (art) museums spread among 10 countries around the world. It provides evidence regarding what factors differentiate the reputations of the most reputed museums from those that are less appreciated based on museum-related factors, along with factors related to the country and city where the museum resides. The chapter concludes by examining reputation management lessons, the business can draw from the way museums operate and how they are perceived.

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