There are few companies in the world that have such powerful brands that the brand and all of the tangible elements of its history can be turned into a museum which people around the world actually want to visit. Similarly, there are factories that power brands which are strong enough to draw visitors from around the world. Today’s post highlights several of those branded museums and factories that have become popular tourist destinations.
At the Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta, Georgia visitors can taste Coca-Cola products from around the world, see a real bottling line, buy Coke merchandise, and more.
2. Hershey Museum and Chocolate World
Okay, Hershey’s makes chocolate, so there are some perks to visiting the Hershey Museum and factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania, including free chocolate. And the Hershey’s theme park helps, too.
Again, it’s hard to resist ice cream, but the Ben & Jerry’s Factory tour in Waterbury, Vermont is popular not just for the ice cream. The unique flavors that make the Ben & Jerry’s brand famous take center stage in this tour and visitors love it.
4. The Henry Ford Museum and Ford Factory Tour
Visitors to Dearborn, Michigan can tour the Ford Rouge Factory and visit the Henry Ford Museum which is filled with history and pieces of Americana. The trip can also include a visit to Henry Ford’s hometown, the historic Greenfield Village, as well as the Henry Ford Research Center.
5. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Theme Park
There is already a Ferrari museum featuring all the cool cars you can imagine in Italy, but coming in October 2010, Abu Dhabi will be the home of the new Ferrari World Theme Park complete with displays, driving experiences in real cars and on a real track, and the world’s fastest roller coaster.
What do you think? Have you visited a brand museum or factory? Is your brand powerful enough to be a museum? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
