Abstract:

This thesis discusses the reasons why contemporary art museums have felt the need to develop institutional brands and the implications that corporate branding strategies may have upon the American cultural landscape. Branding is discussed as a means through which commercial enterprises can construct and communicate an identity that matches the identities of their target market. In order to understand why corporate branding strategies may be attractive to contemporary art museums, this thesis addresses practical problems faced by nonprofit art museums and similarities between brand consumption and cultural consumption. The New Museum of Contemporary Art is used as a case study; public messages about the New Museum's identity are examined and the implications of these messages are discussed.