How can museums and performing arts entities get people to like them more? A popular answer is to offer free or discounted admission. After all, who doesn’t love getting something for free? But does this work?
We measured how thirty-one cultural organizations were perceived by people who visited them for free, with a discount of any amount, or at full admission price. We wanted to know if admission basis impacts visitor satisfaction, the likelihood to endorse an organization, and how well an institution is perceived at carrying out its mission.
