Sustainable museum marketing: experiential marketing in Turkcell Dialogue Museum

Museums are considered to be multi-functional institutions that transcend the display of cultural artifacts. Apart from collecting, preserving, and researching cultural artifacts, museums increasingly integrate educational, study and entertainment purposes, transforming museums into services that shape a sustainable future. Sustainability is an essential part of a museum’s mission by contributing to social and cultural well-being through the development of different products and services. Expositions, educational activities, conferences, entertainment events, museum shops and cafes create new consumer experiences. These consumer experiences attract and engage museum audiences, encourage repeat visits, and enhance future sustainability via the balanced use of resources allowing the achievement of long-term organizational goals. Using this theoretical framework, the study in the context of Turkcell Dialogue Museum explored the process of creating and promoting a sustainable museum. Turkcell Dialogue Museum created a social impact by increasing awareness for a more inclusive society that embraces differences. Employing an exploratory research design, data were collected using in-depth interviews with museum managers and disabled guides. Participant observations and secondary sources also informed the analysis. The findings of the research showed that the personal life histories of each disabled guide and the different scenarios offered in the site created a different experience for each visit. These unique consumer experiences and the contributions towards the guides’ overall well-being allowed the development of a sustainable museum. The paper offers social and managerial implications for the development of more sustainable products.