How covid-19 changed the digital presence of Italian museums: comparing influencer marketing attempts at the Uffizi Galleries and the Museums of Bologna, in Art, Museums and Digital Cultures

Beginning with an analysis of the digital audiences of Italian museums, undertaken during their period of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper traces the reasons and the consequences of the increase in the museum supply on socialnetworks. After reconstructing the history of the first attempts at influencer marketing by Italian cultural institutions, this study analyses two communication campaigns developed by museums in collaboration with influencers who are not part of the art world: the much-discussed Instagram post by Chiara Ferragni for the Uffizi Galleries; and the promotion of the Bologna Museums and the niche exhibition on the Griffoni Polyptych by the YouTuber Luis Sal. The questions of the tone of voice and digital identity narration, raised by the involvement of influencer marketing in the two museum institutions, are examined in order to contribute to the ongoing debate on the democratic nature of museums, their accessibility and inclusiveness.