Seventh International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

This research addresses what constitutes the essential features of museum products in Manchester’s branding via the new media. The aim of the study is to identify core ideas of presenting the city’s cultural vibrancy, based on the strategic museum presentation. The theoretical significance of this research is applying the concept of museum-based visibility for a city to shape a contextual framework within the scope of the topic. The disciplinary framework of the research involves brand strategy, tourism marketing, museum promotion, and visual design from an interdisciplinary approach. The research work aims to contribute to the fields of digital tourism marketing and city brand development at a city level. The study was underpinned by qualitative research, and text and visual analysis were focused to build meaning-making. Data were collected from the official tourism website of Manchester, including a category of ‘Museums and Galleries’. The key findings of the research show that Manchester attempts to develop its distinctive museum portfolio by representing the city’s innovative identity, including sports, science, industrial heritage, and contemporary arts. A limitation of the research is the lack of providing sufficient knowledge from expert interviews in the city marketing and tourism industry. In conclusion, the phenomenon of culture-driven city branding through utilizing creative contents of museums applies to Manchester, and it can be an indication for other previous industrial cities for their brand vision.