Digital Marketing in the Promotion of Cultural Heritage: The Case of the City of Ammaia

Abstract

The rapid advance of digital technologies and media has required cultural institutions to adapt to this new reality. However, many remain unaware of this requirement or face limitations in terms of resources and technical knowledge, which makes it difficult to digitise their activities and define an integrated digital marketing and communication strategy. As this is still a recent reality that requires organisations to adapt, it is necessary to carry out studies that support decision-makers in their decision-making processes and contribute to furthering scientific knowledge in this area, especially with regard to smaller cultural institutions or those located in sparsely populated territories. Thus, the main objective of this study is to analyse the digital marketing and communication strategy of a cultural institution in Portugal, namely the Cidade de Ammaia Foundation. Based on this case study, a mixed methodology was adopted, which included analysing data available online, in particular on the Google and Bing search engines, as well as on the Google Business Profile platform, and conducting a semi-structured interview. The results indicated that although the City of Ammaia Foundation is present on some digital channels, it has not devised a digital marketing and communication strategy, mainly due to a lack of technical knowledge and relevant background information that hinders its realisation.