The people who run museums have, over the past 20 years, learned to love the word "brand" it's now seen as an essential tool for leadership. But behind the scenes, some curators remain suspicious. For many, brand is a dark force bringing control, conformity, corporatism and crassness. It's the B word. The BBC's brilliant self-referential comedy W1A, with its terrifying brand BBC consultant, serves to confirm the worst suspicions. Who's right?
If brand is what you stand for, then the truth is that there have always been museum brands. Institutions like the British Museum, the Met and the Prado have always had a strong identity: a reputation, following and clear expectations about what you'll find there. However, until recently, this tended to happen implicitly and organically; almost accidentally.
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