Creative Commons

This dissertation was written as part of the MA in Art Law and Arts Management at the International Hellenic University. Competition within the market has been really intensified in the last years. Branding is essential for every kind of business as it creates a personality and highlights its unique characteristics. Therefore, branding is the basic factor that differentiates a business from its competitors and makes it deeply established to the market. Cultural branding is of immense importance for museums and galleries. This is because cultural institutions provide services that do not offer a tangible asset rather than they add value to their audience. In other words, they do not provide a necessity, but they fill a subsidiary need. Museums and galleries need branding in order to spread awareness and gain a loyal audience. Branding is a multidisciplinary process, and this is the reason why businesses see results only from long-term practice. Brand identity is crucial for a cultural institution in order to position itself to the market and start building its brand. As soon as it identifies its goals, it can start planning its strategies. The central idea of this dissertation is to examine brand fundamentals and strategies for museums and galleries. Moreover, there are two case studies of cultural institutions in order to better illustrate the branding process within museums and galleries.