Strategic Corporate Museums: An Analysis of the Bohemia Brewery

Abstract

The interest of companies in establishing their historical spaces is not new. Over time, however, corporate museums have been resignified and, alongside traditional museums (static structures with the exhibition of old objects that tell the story of the company and serve as historical deposits), the strategic museum arises and the memory becomes a strategic asset of the organization. In this context, this research has sought to identify, describe and discuss the tour through the Cervejaria Bohemia factory as a strategic area of corporate memory. To achieve this goal - from the data collected in visits to the brewery that has been recorded in photos and videos, including field notes and a collection of institutional documents - the rooms that make up the visitation route have been analyzed in the light of the four primary functions of corporate museums. As a result, two functions have not been identified, namely, preserving the history of the company and developing a sense of pride and employee identification. The others have all been identified: all through their way visitors are informed about the company and its product line; thus it can be considered that the museum is actually used as a way to positively impact the public opinion. Nevertheless, when it comes to the construction of an organizational identity , it can be said that this space has not yet explored all its strategic potential, apparently tending to a setting that only favors a very specific utilitarian function for the use of memory and historical facts: to legitimize their business brand.

Keywords

• Corporative History
• Corporate Museums
• Organizational Memory
• Bohemia Brewery