Exhibitions as sub-brands: an exploratory study

Purpose This article explores the adoption of major exhibitions, often called blockbusters, as a sub-branding strategy for art museums. Focusing the experience around one location but drawing on a wide data set for comparative purposes, we examine the blockbuster phenomenon as exhibition packages sourced from international institutions, based on an artist or collection of quality and significance. We answer the questions: What drives an art museum to adopt an exhibition sub-brand strategy that sees exhibitions become blockbusters? What are the characteristics of the blockbuster sub-brand? Design/methodology/approach Using extant literature, interviews and content analysis in a comparative case study format, this article has three aims: (i) to embed exhibitions within the marketing and branding literature. (ii) to identify the drivers of a blockbuster strategy; and (iii) to explore the key characteristics of blockbuster exhibitions. Findings We present a theoretical model of major exhibitions as a sub-brand. The drivers identified include the entrepreneurial characteristics of pro-activeness, innovation and risk-taking, while the four key characteristics of the blockbuster are celebrity; spectacle; inclusivity; and authenticity. Practical implications These exhibitions are used to augment a host art museum’s own collection for its stakeholders and differentiate it in the wider cultural marketplace. While art museum curators seek to develop quality exhibitions, sometimes they become blockbusters. While blockbusters are a household word, the terms is contested and we know little about them from a marketing perspective. Originality/value The use of the identified characteristics develops theory where the literature has been silent on the blockbuster sub-brand from a marketing perspective. It provides an exemplar for institutional learning on how to initiate and manage quality by popular exhibition strategies.