This research explores the legitimation processes underpinning the implementation of specific urban policies in cities grappling with socio-economic challenges, such as in a post-industrial context. Focusing on Europe, where public authorities are seeking to enhance the socio-economic dynamics of post-industrial cities through cultural initiatives like branch museums, our research is based on a historical study of media relating to the establishment in 2012 of the Louvre-Lens museum in northern France. Within this framework, we reveal how institutional actors have performed strategies of legitimation to develop the Louvre-Lens. Our findings underscore the confluence of two primary strategies – economic and cultural –in an effort to navigate the complexities and tensions inherent in establishing a cultural offer in a disadvantaged post-industrial region. We conclude with a discussion about the broader implications of these strategies within the realm of macromarketing. We provide practical recommendations for practitioners and policy makers involved in the development of branch museums.
AjanaBtihaj (2015), “Branding, Legitimation and the Power of Museums: The Case of the Louvre Abu Dhabi,” Museum and Society, 13 (3), 316–335.
2.
AlexanderVictoria D. (2019), “Cultural Policy Effects on the Marketing Orientation in London Art Museums,” in Museum Marketization: Cultural Institutions in the Neoliberal Era, 1st ed., EkströmKarin M., ed. London and New York: Routledge, 81–97.
3.
ArolesJeremyHassardJohnHydePaula (2021), “Culture for Sale: The Effects of Corporate Colonization on the UK Museum Sector,” Organization Studies, 43 (3), 347–368.
4.
AtkinsonRowland (2004), “The Evidence on the Impact of Gentrification: New Lessons for the Urban Renaissance?” European Journal of Housing Policy, 4 (1), 107–131.
5.
BacheIanFlindersMatthew (2004), “Multi-level Governance and the Study of the British State,” Public Policy and Administration, 19 (1), 31–51.
6.
BalmerJohn M. (2011), “Corporate Heritage Identities, Corporate Heritage Brands and the Multiple Heritage Identities of the British Monarchy,” European Journal of Marketing, 45 (9/10), 1380–1398.
7.
BargendaAngela (2018), “Building Meaning: Architectural Dialectic in Spatial Marketing Systems,” Journal of Macromarketing, 38 (3), 262–277.
8.
BaudelleGuyKraussGerhard (2014), “The Governance Model of two French National Museums of Fine Arts Relocated in the Province: Centre Pompidou Metz and Louvre-Lens,” Belgeo [online], (1), 1–12. (accessed December 15, 2014), [available at https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/12765].
9.
BaumScottMullinsPatrickStimsonRobertO’ConnorKevin (2002), “Communities of the Postindustrial City,” Urban Affairs Review, 37 (3), 322–357.
10.
BeckerHoward S. (1995), “Moral Entrepreneurs: The Creation and Enforcement of Deviant Categories,” in Deviance: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach, HermanNancy J., ed. Lanham and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 169–178.
11.
BeleniotiZoe-CharisTsourvakasGeorgeVassiliadisChris A. (2017), “A Report on Museum Branding Literature,” in Strategic Innovative Marketing: 5th IC-SIM, Athens, Greece 2016, KavouraAndronikiSakasDamianos P.TomarasPetros, eds. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 229–234.
12.
BelkRussell W.CostaJaneen A. (1998), “The Mountain Man Myth: A Contemporary Consuming Fantasy,” Journal of Consumer Research, 25 (3), 218–240.
13.
BlomgrenRoger (2019), “The Marketization of Regional Film Production,” in Museum Marketization: Cultural Institutions in the Neoliberal Era, 1st ed., EkströmKarin M., ed. London and New York: Routledge, 46–60.
14.
BoquetMathias (2014), “L’Impact Touristique des Nouveaux Musées : Analyse des Relations entre l’Environnement Urbain et la Spatialisation de l’Impact à travers les Exemples du Centre Pompidou-Metz et du Louvre-Lens,” [The Touristic Impact of New Museums: Analysis of the Relationship between the Urban Environment and the Spatial Dimension of this Impact through the Examples of the Centre Pompidou-Metz and the Louvre-Lens.], Belgeo [online], (1). (accessed December 15, 2014), [available at https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/12600].
15.
BraunVirginiaClarkeVictoria (2006), “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology,” Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77–101.
16.
BrunelPatrick (2012), “Démocratisation de la Culture,” [Cultural Democratization.], Études, 416 (5), 617–628.
17.
BrunkKatja H.GieslerMarkusHartmannBenjamin J. (2018), “Creating a Consumable Past: How Memory Making Shapes Marketization,” Journal of Consumer Research, 44 (6), 1325–1342.
18.
CastilhosRodrigo B. (2019), “Branded Places and Marketplace Exclusion,” Consumption Markets and Culture, 22 (5-6), 582–597.
19.
CavesRichard E. (2000), Creative Industries: Contracts Between Art and Commerce. Cambridge, Mass, London: Harvard University Press.
20.
ChongDerrick (2019), “Art, Finance, Politics, and the Art Museum as a Public Institution,” in Museum Marketization: Cultural Institutions in the Neoliberal Era, 1st ed., EkströmKarin M., ed. London and New York: Routledge, 98–114.
21.
CoraiolaDiego M.DerryRobbin (2020), “Remembering to Forget: The Historic Irresponsibility of U.S. Big Tobacco,” Journal of Business Ethics, 166 (2), 233–252.
22.
Coskuner-BalliGokcenErtimurBurçak (2017), “Legitimation of Hybrid Cultural Products: The Case of American Yoga,” Marketing Theory, 17 (2), 127–147.
23.
CouchChrisDennemanAnnekatrin (2000), “Urban Regeneration and Sustainable Development in Britain: The Example of the Liverpool Ropewalks Partnership,” Cities, 17 (2), 137–147.
24.
CouchChrisSykesOlivierBörstingghausWolfgang (2011), “Thirty Years of Urban Regeneration in Britain, Germany and France: The Importance of Context and Path Dependency,” Progress in Planning, 75 (1), 1–52.
25.
CutcherLeanneDaleKarenHancockPhilipTylerMelissa (2016), “Spaces and Places of Remembering and Commemoration,” Organization, 23 (1), 3–9.
EkströmKarin M., ed. (2019), Museum Marketization: Cultural Institutions in the Neoliberal Era. 1st ed.London and New York: Routledge.
28.
ErtimurBurçakCoskuner-BalliGokcen (2015), “Navigating the Institutional Logics of Markets: Implications for Strategic Brand Management,” Journal of Marketing, 29 (March), 40–61.
29.
FloridaRichard (2002), The Rise of the Creative Class: and How it’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. New York: Basic Books.
30.
GomezMaria V. (1998), “Reflective Images: The Case of Urban Regeneration in Glasgow and Bilbao,” International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 22 (1), 106–121.
31.
GouchonMaëliss (2022), “La Démocratisation Culturelle en France”, (The Cultural Democratization in France),” Regards Croisés sur L'économie, 30 (1), 35–40.
32.
GrodachCarl (2010), “Beyond Bilbao: Rethinking Flagship Cultural Development and Planning in Three California Cities,” Journal of Planning Education and Research, 29 (3), 353–366.
33.
GrodachCarlLoukaitou-SiderisAnastasia (2007), “Cultural Development Strategies and Urban Revitalization,” International Journal of Cultural Policy, 13 (4), 349–370.
34.
HillRonald P.StephensDebra L. (1997), “Impoverished Consumers and Consumer Behavior: The Case of AFDC Mothers,” Journal of Macromarketing, 17 (2), 32–48.
35.
HoltDouglas B. (2004), How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Business Press.
36.
HumphreysAshlee (2010), “Semiotic Structure and the Legitimation of Consumption Practices: The Case of Casino Gambling,” Journal of Consumer Research, 37 (3), 490–510.
37.
HumphreysAshlee (2014), “How Is Sustainability Structured? The Discursive Life of Environmentalism,” Journal of Macromarketing, 34 (3), 265–281.
38.
HuntShelby D. (1981), “Macromarketing as a Multidimensional Concept,” Journal of Macromarketing, 1 (1), 7–8.
39.
INSEE (2021), La France et ses Territoires. INSEE Références, edition 2021.
40.
KarababaEminegülGerGüliz (2011), “Early Modern Ottoman Coffeehouse Culture and the Formation of the Consumer Subject,” Journal of Consumer Research, 37 (5), 737–760.
41.
LandryCharles, ed. (2000), The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators. London, UK: Comedia; Earthscan, New Stroud.
42.
LawrenceThomas B.LecaBernardZilberTammar B. (2013), “Institutional Work: Current Research, New Directions and Overlooked,” Organization Studies, 34 (8), 1023–1033.
43.
LaytonRoger A. (2007), “Marketing Systems—A Core Macromarketing Concept,” Journal of Macromarketing, 27 (3), 227–242.
44.
LearyMichael E.McCarthyJohn, eds. (2013), The Routledge Companion to Urban Regeneration. London, New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
45.
Le BonLaurent (2016), “Le Projet Culturel du Centre Pompidou-Metz,” [The Cultural Project of the Centre Pompidou Metz.], in Autopsie du Musée: Études de Cas (1880–2010), AgnèsCallu ed. Paris: CNRS Éditions, 195–201.
46.
LebovitsHannah (2023), “Restorative Revitalization in Inner-Ring Suburban Communities: Lessons from Maple Heights, OH,” Urban Affairs Review, 59 (5), 1470–1495.
47.
LeesLoretta (2008), “Gentrification and Social Mixing: Towards an Inclusive Urban Renaissance?” Urban Studies, 45 (12), 2449–2470.
48.
LefebvreHenri (1991), The Production of Space. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
49.
LinkoMaaria (2020), “The Guggenheim Museum Helsinki Plan as a Media Debate,” Museum and Society, 18 (4), 425–440.
50.
LipartitoKenneth (2013), “Connecting the Cultural and the Material in Business History,” Enterprise and Society, 14 (4), 686–704.
51.
LorenteJesus P. (1996), “The Role of Museums and the Arts in the Urban Regeneration of Liverpool,” Working Paper no. 9, University of Leicester, Centre for Urban History.
52.
Louvre-Lens (2016), Rapport d'Activité 2016.
53.
Louvre-Lens (2022), Rapport d'Activité 2022.
54.
MarcouxJean-Sébastien (2017), “Souvenirs to Forget,” Journal of Consumer Research, 43 (6), 950–969.
55.
MarkusenAnn (2014), “Creative Cities: A 10-Year Research Agenda,” Journal of Urban Affairs, 36 (sup2), 567–589.
56.
MencarelliRémi (2008), “Les Stratégies D'Internationalisation des Musées: Le Cas du Guggenheim,” [Museum Internationalization Strategies: The Case of the Guggenheim.], Décisions Marketing, (51), 69–72.
57.
Molinié-AndlauerMarie-Alix (2019), “Du Musée du Louvre au Territoire Louvre?” [From the Louvre Museum to the Louvre Territory?], Géographie et Cultures, (111), 143–164.
58.
Molinié-AndlauerMarie-Alix (2021), “Le Louvre : Du Musée à la Marque. Redessiner les Relations Nord-Sud,” [The Louvre: From Museum to Brand. Redesigning North-South Relationships], L'Information Géographique, 85 (2), 87–106.
59.
PetaniFabio J.MengisJeanne (2016), “In Search of Lost Space: The Process of Space Planning Through Remembering and History,” Organization, 23 (1), 71–89.
60.
PlazaBeatrizHaarichSilke (2009), “Museums for Urban Regeneration? Exploring Conditions for Their Effectiveness,” Journal of Urban Regeneration & Renewal, 2 (3), 259–271.
61.
PoirrierPhilippe (2004), “Musées et Politiques Culturelles en France,” [Museums and Cultural Policies in France], La Lettre de l’OCIM, (96), 13–18.
62.
PoirrierPhilippe (2011), Pour Une Histoire Des Politiques Culturelles Dans Le Monde, 1945–2011. [For a History of Cultural Policies in the World, 1945–2011], Travaux et documents no. 28Paris: Comité d’histoire du Ministère de la culture et de la communication : La documentation française.
63.
PonziniDavide (2018), “Urban Implication of Cultural Policy Networks: The Case of the Guggenheim Helsinki,” Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 36 (2), 199–217.
64.
PonziniDavideRossiUgo (2010), “Becoming a Creative City: The Entrepreneurial Mayor, Network Politics and the Promise of an Urban Renaissance,” Urban Studies, 47 (5), 1037–1057.
65.
PrattAndy C. (2008), “Creative Cities: The Cultural Industries and the Creative Class,” Geografiska Annaler: Series B Human Geography, 90 (2), 107–117.
66.
PressMeleaArnouldEric J.MurrayJeff B.StrandKatherine (2014), “Ideological Challenges to Changing Strategic Orientation in Commodity Agriculture,” Journal of Marketing, 78 (6), 103–119.
67.
RamleeMaimunahOmarDasimahYunusRozyah M.SamadiZalina (2015), “Revitalization of Urban Public Spaces: An Overview,” Procedia – Social and Behavior Sciences, 201, 360–367.
RodnerVictoria L.PreeceChloe (2016), “Painting the Nation: Examining the Intersection Between Politics and the Visual Arts Market in Emerging Economies,” Journal of Macromarketing, 36 (2), 128–148.
70.
SandikciOzlemGerGüliz (2009), “Veiling in Style: How Does a Stigmatized Practice Become Fashionable?” Journal of Consumer Research, 37 (1), 15–36.
71.
ScarabotoDaianeFischerEileen (2013), “Frustrated Fatshionistas: An Institutional Theory Perspective on Consumer Quests for Greater Choice in Mainstream Markets,” Journal of Consumer Research, 39 (6), 1234–1257.
72.
ScottAllen J. (2006), “Creative Cities: Conceptual Issues and Policy Questions,” Journal of Urban Affairs, 28 (1), 1–17.
73.
ShearmurRichard (2007), “The New Knowledge Aristocracy: The Creative Class, Mobility and Urban Growth,” Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation, 1 (1), 31–47.
74.
SimpsonMoira (2009), “Museums and Restorative Justice: Heritage, Repatriation and Cultural Education,” Museum International, 61 (1-2), 121–129.
75.
SuchmanMark C. (1995), “Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches,” The Academy of Management Review, 20 (3), 571–610.
76.
ThompsonCraig J.PollioHoward R.LocanderWilliam B. (1994), “The Spoken and the Unspoken: A Hermeneutic Approach to Understanding the Cultural Viewpoints That Underlie Consumer’s Expressed Meanings,” Journal of Consumer Research, 21 (2), 432–452.
77.
TobelemJean-Michel (2017), “Les Musées Nationaux Doivent-ils se Délocaliser?” [Should National Museums Relocate ?], Nectart, 5 (2), 33–43.
78.
VivantElsa (2011), “Who Brands Whom? The Role of Local Authorities in the Branching of Art Museums,” The Town Planning Review, 82 (1), 99–115.
79.
WadhwaniDaniel (2016), “Historical Methods for Contextualizing Entrepreneurship Research,” in A Research Agenda for Entrepreneurship and Context, WelterFriederikeGartnerBill, eds. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar publishing, 134–145.
80.
WooliscroftBenGanglmair-WooliscroftAlexandra (2018), “Growth, Excess and Opportunities: Marketing Systems’ Contributions to Society,” Journal of Macromarketing, 38 (4), 355–363.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
