The Guggenheim Bilbao: Amplifying Visitor Experience through User Generated Content

This case study delves into the transformative impact of User Generated Content, highlighting how the museum’s collaboration with Flowbox has not only enriched its digital platform but also amplified the authentic voices of its visitors, redefining the museum experience in the digital age.

History

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was inaugurated in 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. Designed by renowned Canadian architect Frank O. Gehry, this iconic and innovative building has become an architectural symbol not only of Bilbao but also worldwide. In the world of contemporary art, the Guggenheim Museum is widely recognised as one of the most important institutions, both for its collection and its striking architectural design. This masterpiece attracts international tourists, who flock to the art gallery every year to admire its exhibitions and experience the cultural innovation it offers.

The challenge

In 2022, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao launched a new website with a greater presence of images and videos. The museum was looking for a way to display the high-quality content created by its community on Instagram and involve them in generating content for the website.

The solution

The solution was to integrate Flowbox into their new website. The new website has been very successful, winning a coveted Webby Award in 2023. User Generated Content forms one of the elements of the impressive website, being an especially powerful tool for capturing the experiences of museum visitors.

“We consider that UGC is a good tool in general for most sectors since it is a way to involve followers on social networks or users of the company’s website in the project. But, it is true that in the case of museums, the photos are usually very attractive and appreciated. In our case, the Museum’s own architecture and the richness of the exhibitions themselves make the photos shared by users very attractive. Vivid and ‘real’ photos convey a lot and can encourage people to want to visit.”
The Marketing and Digital Design Departments at The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The museum’s website now has UGC on its home page, community page, and category pages. Integrating content created by those who have visited the museum throughout the website works to bring it to life in a way that puts you in the shoes of museum visitors and helps you imagine yourself there.

The museum actively engages with its online community to encourage its visitors to post User Generated Content.

“Every week we encourage followers of the different social networks to mention us in the Museum photos they share so that we can choose one of them as the winner of the week and publish it ourselves. The truth is that the reception of this initiative is very positive.”

The Marketing and Digital Design Departments at The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Flowbox experience