Corporate Communications: Communications Management toRebuildTrustandTearDownCulturalBarriersinMuseums

Abstract

After years of upheaval in which institutions have had to face the lack of trust, communication is presented as a fundamental dialogical tool for their recovery. This research focuses on the use of communication by the museum as a cultural institution and a meeting place for communities. The main aim of this work is to delve into the relational perspective of corporate communication and, specifically, into its power to regenerate trust and create community. The hypothesis establishes that, due to the discrediting of institutions, museums have decided to turn corporate communication and, specifically, public relations, into a strategic tool to engage their stakeholders. The research is based on a qualitative methodology using in-depth interviews with the heads of communication of the main Spanish art museums in Madrid, Catalonia, and the Basque Country with the highest number of visitors in the last five years. The results show that communication becomes a fundamental strategic element for museums to strengthen ties with their stakeholders and generate spaces for dialogue and inclusion among multicultural communities.