A group of Kennesaw State University students is working with the Civic Museum of Montepulciano in Italy to help boost the museum’s international visibility and attract a younger audience. The initiative is part of an education abroad program led by Associate Professor of Marketing Prachi Gala.
The collaboration began when Gala met with the museum’s cultural coordinator during preparations for the 2025 Tuscan Adventures study abroad program. Despite Montepulciano attracting over 300,000 tourists each year, only about 5,000 visit the Civic Museum, and most are not from younger age groups.
“I saw a natural fit,” said Gala. “Why not turn this challenge into an experiential learning opportunity for students?”
Students participating in the program applied their classroom knowledge to real-world challenges at the museum. They used frameworks such as Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, PESTLE analysis, and global market entry strategies to develop recommendations that would make the museum more appealing to young visitors while respecting its cultural heritage. Their proposals included multilingual promotional materials and youth-oriented programming like nighttime events and co-curated exhibits.
Marketing major Serena Macdonal described how she applied her coursework in consumer behavior and social media marketing to develop outreach strategies for the museum. “We created strategies like launching a TikTok account and increasing signage to better reach a younger audience,” she said. “This was a real-life situation, and it made me realize that marketing could be something I want to pursue after graduation.”
Another student, Josette Fung, noted the benefit of hands-on experience at the museum itself. “Instead of working on hypothetical case studies and just reading about them, we were sitting in the museum itself, hearing directly about their challenges,” she said. “Within a week, we were developing and presenting real solutions for the museum.”
Gala emphasized that beyond marketing strategy, students learned valuable lessons in balancing business goals with cultural awareness. “These students learned to craft feasible, respectful strategies for global impact,” she said. “They gained skills in cross-cultural communication and global strategy that are invaluable in the business world.”
Although many of the student recommendations are still being implemented or tested by the museum’s director ahead of future tourist seasons, several have already been adopted.
Looking forward, both Kennesaw State University and the Civic Museum plan to continue their partnership. Dr. Gala expressed interest in expanding this collaborative model to other institutions: “We’re already planning to expand our partnership with the museum for next summer’s study abroad cohort,” Dr. Gala said, “and replicate this model with other cultural institutions across Europe and beyond.”
For participating students like Macdonal, experiences from this project have broadened career aspirations: “It gave me a new perspective on consulting,” she said. “I’m excited about the possibility of doing this kind of work after graduation.”
The partnership aims to support both student learning outcomes and enhance the international appeal of partner museums.
