Museums and Digital Media - Engaging with Users Who Might Never Visit

This thesis explores how museums can strategically use digital media to engage with people who might never visit physical museum spaces, as many new opportunities online have been created by the proliferation of the Internet. While previous research primarily focuses on using digital media within the museum sector as a method of recruitment for physical visitors, this thesis explores possibilities for museums with digital users. With current technology and the Internet, museums can now expand their reach and engage with new audiences using innovative digital media products and processes. Because of the highly competitive cultural sector that museums operate in online, they must strategically position their organizations using differentiation strategy to entice these new audiences to engage with them online. This requires the innovation of current business models in order to tailor digital media to the new, digital audiences. The research was carried out through ten qualitative interviews with experts who were defined as people who have created digital products and services either for or within museums. By analyzing the transcribed interviews using theoretical thematic analysis, several important findings were discovered regarding the viability of innovating customer segments, value propositions, customer relationships, channels, and revenue streams. To segment users, data and location were proven to be effective strategies. Value propositions that museums can offer digital audiences are authoritative knowledge, exclusive content, edutainment, and accessibility, but they are of the most value when combined. Online communities and personal assistance are both relationships that are well suited to digital audiences, whereas co-creation may not be. Integration of online channels, otherwise known as the omni-channel approach, is important to create recognition amongst digital audiences. By effectively managing the latter four sections, new streams of social and commercial revenue can be generated by museums with digital users.