Cultural Institutions Reimagined
What’s happening?
Many museums and other cultural institutions have had a rough ride of late. Although their curators and patrons may disagree, so many of them are great examples of Edutainment. What’s more, they’re incredibly well placed to capitialize on Edutainment 3.0.
To achieve this two-pronged mission, museums are looking to integrate fresh storytelling techniques and technologies to immerse and engage their visitors.
Additionally, creating cultural crossovers is a powerful way to bring in new interests and ideas. The Museum Cultural and Creative Products Market Data Report, published in 2019, points out that nearly 70% of consumers who purchase museum crossover products are new to the brand.
Why this trend matters
The word “museum” can still bring about boring, dry connotations. If museums and cultural institutions want to stay relevant, build for the future, and, dare we say, be a more exhilarating experience, they’ll need to take advantage of Edutainment 3.0.Using Edutainment 3.0 to create dynamic and interactive exhibits for visitors transforms an outdated ‘meh’ experience into something unique and memorable.
In Action: Cultural Institutions Reimagined
Key Themes for Edutainment 3.0
Cultural institutions as status symbols
Brands have many reasons to cooperate with museums - the positive association that comes by visiting cultural institutions is just one of them.
Meaningful ad campaigns
Consumers prefer brands with aligned corporate purpose and values - branding via culture is a great way to position oneself.
Edutainment as “quality time"
Instead of just seeing history, you can create whole adventures at cultural institutions with your friends and family.
In Action: Ones to Watch
Cultural < > Classical
Cultural doesn’t just mean classical: could new edutainment brands become cultural institutions in their own right...?
Guidelines for Greatness
Use 3 approaches
The three approaches for Edutainment: Customized, Selective and Universal.
Smartphone friendly
Make it “shareable” with installations and exhibits that are Instagram-worthy. Here’s an example from the new Da Vinci exhibit in Berlin:
Design matters
Cultural IP might be a great way to foster crossover collaborations. But visitors and patrons are already experiencing aesthetic fatigue. Select designs intentionally and thoughtfully.
Embrace new platforms
Whether it’s analog or digital, it’s worth experimenting with new platforms and formats. The UK’s Black Country Living Museum has taken on TikTok to great success:
Maintain contextual awareness
The book The Holocaust in Contemporary Culture warns that black-spot sites are rendered as commodities when positioned within a tourism industry framework. This isn’t limited to in-person experiences. TIME’s recent MLK activation within Fortnite faced similar challenges when multiple users used emotes and skins with strong racist implications.
Spark Your Creativity
Ideas to jumpstart your imagination and help you include Edutainment 3.0 in your endeavors.
- Create quests: Which (micro)quests could you create to encourage visitors to get fully lost in the experience?
- Full family: How could you provide an Edutainment experience that’s inclusive and empowering for the whole family - from newborn to great-grandparents?
- Seek partners: Whether you’re within a Cultural Institution or curious to work with one, there’s plenty of scope to work together. We’re very excited about the concept of Liquid IP being a big driver here.