HISTORICAL HERITAGE OF COMPANIES IN ITALY
What is a Corporate Museum
It is generally defined by the fact that the museum structure originates from the company itself. Through the corporate archive, it documents artifacts of material culture (industrialized since 1860), the importance of contexts (productive, economic, technological, social, and cultural), among which there are certainly uniquely Italian characteristics:
- execution methods (craftsmanship and industry)
- territorial distribution (production districts)
- the prominence of design: the relationship between design culture and entrepreneurial culture
Below are some definitions of corporate museums according to the literature on the subject:
“Corporate museums are completely distinct from commercial exhibitions and advertising displays. They are not temporary creations, but foundations that endure and grow. These museums originate from the need to record historical memory and current events.”
L.V. Coleman, Company Museums, America Association of Museums, Washington DC 1943, p. 3
“... a corporate facility with tangible objects and/or exhibits, displayed in a museum-like setting, that communicates the history, operations, and/or interests of a company to employees, guests, customers, and/or the public.”
V.J. Danilov, Corporate Museums, Galleries and Visitor Centers. A Directory, Greenwood Press, New York Westport, London 1991, p. 2
“Institutions or facilities that are an expression of an economic activity of a company, a district, or a production tradition with significant ties to the territory, and that exemplify corporate cultural policy.”
Definition of corporate museums from the Associazione Museimpresa website, 2002
Why Are They Created?
The main reasons are family or corporate celebration, or special occasions such as anniversaries, but often they serve the company for a communicative, “innovative,” or educational purpose; for the development of new products and the transmission of design and production processes, there are many cases in which the museum serves as an internal training space for new employees, or externally for schools or collaborations in scientific research.
Another area is raising awareness of social and cultural responsibility, and therefore the desire to enhance the company’s identity and reputation.
Not to be overlooked is the commercial and tourism impact that a corporate or district museum can generate for the company and the territory; some thriving examples include the Ferrari Museum, the Motor Valley museums in general, and others such as fashion museums—Armani, Prada, Ferragamo—or more broadly Made in Italy brands like Lavazza and Campari.
DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATE ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS
The development of these museums can be divided into two phases: from the 1970s with archives of large industries, and later from the 1990s with Made in Italy companies. At the same time, this phenomenon was accompanied by growing attention from the mass media, the creation of industrial tourism routes, itineraries of industrial memory sites, and the “productive emergencies” of Italian design. At the beginning of the 2000s, heritage marketing developed in Italy as an opportunity to tell a unique story to enhance competitiveness and brand reputation, and in recent years, attention has also turned to the social and cultural impact of corporate heritage on local communities, as well as its educational and scientific research functions.
In summary, the most common types of corporate museums are the following:
The Corporate Museum and the Company Archive
These two entities often coexist and share the same spaces. They are born as places of corporate culture where materials are preserved and displayed, research is conducted, and staff are trained. They are often thematic and focused on the company’s sector of activity.
Museum and Company
These are museums derived from a company but, due to the type of collections displayed or their broad public appeal, require an organizational structure separate from the parent company. Often they are full-fledged business units that sustain themselves financially through ticketing, events, and merchandising, or even generate profits.
District Museums of Enterprises
These relate to productive districts characterized by the presence of multiple companies in the same sector within the same geographic area. These companies join together within the district to highlight the specificity of a productive territory.
Celebratory Spaces and Architectures
Typically, this is a dedicated space or architectural structure set up by the company for events with the purpose of promoting the brand, taking shape and content thanks to corporate heritage. However, these are not only spaces for celebratory purposes; they often have the characteristic of being reconfigurable to host various social initiatives, such as internal and external corporate training programs where corporate and territorial identity and culture are strengthened. By promoting initiatives with local communities, they also fulfill the company’s social responsibility.