The consequences of the heritage experience in brand museums on the consumer–brand relationship
ISSN: 0309-0566
Article publication date: 4 April 2019
Issue publication date: 20 September 2019
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the consequences of the heritage experience in brand museums on the consumer–brand relationship. By highlighting its heritage within a museum, the brand proposes a specific experience that deserves attention because it is based on memory and communal identity, thus creating or strengthening a relationship with consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
Ethnographic case studies were conducted through direct observation and extensive interviews with 72 visitors at two brand museums, the Fallot Mustard Mill and the House of the Laughing Cow.
Findings
The results highlight the emergence/strengthening of the relationship between consumers and the brand through the development of intimacy with the brand and the emergence of supportive behaviors toward the brand in the form of commercial support, ambassadorship and volunteering.
Research limitations/implications
By characterizing and articulating the different relational consequences of visiting a brand museum, this research contributes to the literature dedicated to heritage experiences in consumption contexts and to the literature dedicated to consumer–brand relationships in servicescapes.
Practical implications
The study shows the necessity of grounding “heritage” in the physical setting of the brand museum to create a meaningful experience for visitors and, in turn, a deep relationship. Managers should treat brand museums as a relational tool in the marketing strategy of the brand and approach them from the perspective of long-term profitability.
Originality/value
While the literature has examined the spectacular and esthetic experiences brand museums offer, this study is the first to characterize the heritage experience and to document its consequences in terms of the consumer–brand relationship.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Annamma Joy for her contribution to this paper.
Citation
Pulh, M., Mencarelli, R. and Chaney, D. (2019), "The consequences of the heritage experience in brand museums on the consumer–brand relationship", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53 No. 10, pp. 2193-2212. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-03-2017-0233
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited