CBL EXEC - The Experience Economy*

Faculty
Lise Skov (associate professor), Jakob Ion Wille (Ph.D. student), Marie Riegels Melchior (teaching assistant/post-doc), Brian Moeran (professor)

Course Coordinator
Lise Skov

Relevant Bachelor degree in business and management or equivalent

The concept ‘the experience economy’, which was coined by American business scholars Joseph Pine and James Gilmore in 1999 has been immensely influential in the thinking about value creation, business development and cultural policy. The experience economy is not an industrial sector as such, but the process of commoditization, focused on, firstly, synergy effects between different services, and secondly, the users’/consumers’ sensory and emotional experiences. Both of these appear when the consumer’s/user’s point of view is systematically considered in business development. The experience economy has been associated with theme parks, tourism and event management, but the concept has a much wider application. In reality, it has helped redefine the cultural heritage and arts sectors, just as it has had a profound impact on visual design, food culture and several other areas. The experience economy is situated at the crossroads where marketing meets design and where tourism meets culture as a strategic resource. Interdisciplinary from the onset, the experience economy is a field for creativity and innovative thinking. It can help discover the commercial potential of a wide range of cultural forms, but at the same time it also enables a critical perspective on mindless commercialization.

The course presents an overview of the international literature, policies and experiments in the experience economy. In class, we will read selected key works and look into how the principles of the experience economy have been applied in different areas, such as cultural heritage, museums, visual design and food culture. With the aid of theories of the senses and emotions, we will also explore how business can systematically take account of user experiences when planning and offering new products and bundles of services.

In addition to familiarizing students with a growing phenomenon, it will help them think creatively across the culture/business divide which is essential for developing new products and services. In addition, the course will also strengthen the ability to reflect critically on the role of the market economy in society and culture.

At the end of the course the student should be able to:

10-page essay, submitted in the end of the semester. The exam question is set at the beginning of the course to reflect the syllabus and selected case studies. Assessed by a teacher and an internal examiner.