TikTok in museum management: an effective museum enhancement tool?

ABSTRACT

Digital environments nowadays play a central role in creating value for organizations. In the cultural sector, the creation of value of organizations and in particular of museums is facing a paradigm shift in response to the contemporary demands of living in a hyperconnected world. Expression of a rapidly rising phenomenon in the hyperconnected digital scenario is represented by the use of the TikTok platform, whose value creation is based on interactive and multimedia contents. This research aims to explore through a mixed approach, the use that museums make of TikTok from a managerial perspective. The study highlights the use of a generally informal language structured on a predominantly aesthetic and non-scientific component, capable of attracting and interactively engaging heterogenous targets, especially less art-sensitive audiences like digital natives. Despite the enormous potential it represents, this social media is still little used by museums and little explored by the scientific community.

KEYWORDS:

• TikTok
• museum
• informal learning
• social media
• audience development
• digital

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Francesco Carignani

Francesco Carignani is a PhD student in Management at the Department of Economics, Management and Institutions at the University of Naples Federico II. He earned a Master's degree in Cultural Heritage Management. His main areas of interest are cultural management, social impact on culture, social innovation, audience development.

Gesualda Iodice

Gesualda Iodice is a PhD student in Management at the Department of Economics, Management and Institutions at the University of Naples Federico II. Since her Master's degree in Cultural Heritage Management she deals with research, benchmarking and strategic analysis in the cultural and creative sector. Her areas of specialisation concern the management of art and heritage, enhancement of the archeological incoming, innovative museum practises and stakeholder engagement

Francesco Bifulco

Francesco Bifulco is Full Professor in Management at University of Naples Federico II. His main areas of interest are focused on cultural heritage (branding enhancement, phygital journey, sustainable business models, innovation ecosystem). He published papers and books about these themes on top journal and publisher. He chaired and participated sessions in international conferences. He led, as Scientific coordinator (University of Naples Federico II) in projects PON Research & Competitiveness Program (High-tech districts and related networks).