Location image “halo effect” on museum image: an exploratory survey of British Museum visitors

Objectives. This paper explores museum image formation process, with particular mention to the case of the British Museum in London. Put specifically, the research aims to analyze whether between the different variables, traditionally identified by literature on this issue (motivations, expectations, satisfaction, sources of information etc.), it is possible to identify a "halo effect" of London’s image which influences visitors’ museum image formation Methodology. Considering the exploratory nature of the study, a non-probabilistic sampling procedure was chosen. Data were collected through structured questionnaire, and interviewees were selected through not probability sampling procedure. Data analysis involved multivariate regression, performed through SPSS software Findings. Data collected provide a preliminary response to the main research question posed by this paper: the existence of a halo effect of London image may play a role in developing visitors’ image of the museum Research limits. Due to the sample size of visitors, the research has a mainly exploratory value, and intends to represent a pilot study on this issue Practical implications. The existence of a halo effect on the image of London's British Museum is a factor to be considered for the identification of museum marketing strategies, developed specifically for visitors who appear sensitive to this effect Originality of the study. Compared to the literature so far produced on museum marketing, this paper differs in focusing on the relationship between museum image and their location