deliverable bmi methodology workbook version 2 english version

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Deliverable BMI Methodology Workbook

Version 2 – English Version

Foreword

This version 2 of the workbook for business model innovation for heritage sites is an expanded version

of V1 presented in October 2019. It is now complete and up-to-date.

However, it should be noted that the delays encountered in testing the VISTA-AR solutions, both on

the test sites and on the deployment sites, have not made it possible to write as substantial a content

as we would have liked for Phase 3, particularly for the case studies presented in the appendices. In

the absence of observation of the implementation of the innovations, the lessons we were able to

draw from them were indeed limited.

Depending on the future progress of the project, and on the evolution of covid-related circumstances

in particular, we are hoping it will be possible to enrich the guide in a later version with elements

relating to the experiments.

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Business Model Innovation Methodology

Workbook

(Version 2)

Authors:

NEOMA Business School

and

University of Exeter

October 2020

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Table of contents

Foreword ................................................................................................................................................. 4

PHASE 0: Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5

0.1. Getting started with VISTA AR ................................................................................................. 5

0.2. Transform your Business model .............................................................................................. 5

0.3. Know your visitors better ...................................................................................................... 10

0.4. About this workbook (user instructions) ............................................................................... 15

PHASE 1. Analyse current BM................................................................................................................ 17

1.1. Value proposition .................................................................................................................. 18

1.2. Storytelling/Content .............................................................................................................. 25

1.3. Mediation tools ..................................................................................................................... 27

1.4. Delivery .................................................................................................................................. 29

1.5. Value Capture ........................................................................................................................ 31

PHASE 2. Designing AR/VR experiences ................................................................................................ 34



2.3. Mediation tools ..................................................................................................................... 41

2.4. Delivery .................................................................................................................................. 46

2.5. Value Capture ........................................................................................................................ 49

PHASE 3. Evaluating new BM ................................................................................................................ 54



3.3. Mediation tools ..................................................................................................................... 62

3.4. Delivery .................................................................................................................................. 64

3.5. Value Capture ........................................................................................................................ 69

Epilogue ................................................................................................................................................. 74

Appendix 1. Case study: Exeter Cathedral ............................................................................................ 76

Appendix 2. Case study: Château de Fougères ..................................................................................... 77

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Foreword

This Workbook is a product of the VISTA AR (Visitor experience Innovation through Systematic

Text Analytics and Augmented Reality) project. The VISTA AR project is an EU-funded Interreg

France Channel England cross-channel research collaboration between eight different

partners. The project is led by the University of Exeter, with other partners including the

Brittany Regional Council, the Fougères municipality, Bournemouth University, Centre des

Etudes Supérieures Industrielles, NEOMA Business School, Ecole Européenne Supérieure d'Art

de Bretagne, and Exeter Cathedral.

The project’s key experimentation sites are Exeter Cathedral and the Chateau de Fougères.

Other deployment sites include Slapton Sands (South West Coast Path) and Botallack Mines

(the National Trust) in the UK, and Valloires Gardens and Lorient Underwater Museum in

France.

Whilst a key output of the project is to research and deliver high-tech solutions at low cost for

cultural heritage sites in the UK and France, the partnership’s strength lies in its focus on

Business Model Innovation (BMI), helping small and medium heritage sites better understand

their visitors and design creative engagement opportunities to ultimately increase their

revenue. This workbook presents the methodology developed for assisting cultural heritage

sites in the innovation process, specifically in introducing digital interpretation devices to their

visitor experience.

The VISTA AR BMI workbook is structured in three main phases pertaining to the process of

innovation. Phase 1 refers to analysis of current business model of the cultural heritage site.

Phase 2 focuses on the design and development of digital technologies for visitor experience.

Phase 3 is about evaluating the performance of the new business model. An introductory

Phase 0 includes basic definitions and rationales to guide the reader throughout the

innovation process.

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PHASE 0: Introduction

0.1. Getting started with VISTA AR

Thank you for signing up for the VISTA AR programme.

You wish to enhance your visitor experience by including digital mediation tools. Are you

motivated to increase the number of visitors to your site? Do you wish to increase your site’s

visibility and image and make it more appealing? Or perhaps raise the admission fee and global

revenue? In all cases, this workbook aims to help you achieve your objectives and maximize

the impact and relevance of your innovation through a number of stages.

In this introduction, you will find all the essential information you need to launch your project

to transform your visitor experience using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)

technologies.

This workbook will guide you through all the different steps of the innovation process.

0.2. Transform your Business model

What is a business model (BM)? Why is this approach interesting for heritage sites who want

to introduce AR-VR technologies to their visitor experience?

The concept of business model1 allows you to think about how the heritage site:

- Creates value for visitors

- Organises itself to produce this value

- Benefits from the value it creates

The advantage of this approach is that you will adopt an overall, integrated view of the many

transformations necessary at each of these three levels simultaneously. It will maximise your

chances of successfully introducing AR/VR technology to the visitor experience.

The concept of BM is a valuable analytical tool in that it enables you to break down your site’s

proposition into a number of patterns that coherently tie together value proposition, creation,

and capture. It is likely that you will identify several BMs within the same site, and once you

1 The most widespread definition of the concept of Business Model is: “design or architecture of the value

creation, delivery, and capture mechanisms” (Teece, 2010, p. 172).

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have considered them separately for analytical purposes (which this workbook will assist you

in doing), you will have to decide on what to do with the multiplicity of business models in a

pragmatic way – how many BMs are there? Are there too many, making the process too

complex? Can you anticipate synergies or shared aspects?

0.2.1. Virtual and augmented reality: innovation is more than just the technology!

Innovating is not just about the introduction of virtual and augmented reality technology to

the visitor experience. You will also have to change the way the site operates, and sometimes

its strategy.

It is not sufficient to only think about technological innovation for the heritage site. The ability

to transform the site’s operations and strategy while introducing the new technologies is

crucial.

Thus, in addition to developing the technologies and introducing them to visitors, you also

have to think about:

- What services the technology will be providing, and for what kinds of visitor segment

- The story the technology will tell

- The organisation (activities and resources) required for the site to offer this service

- the mechanisms by which the site will benefit from the service

The Business Model (BM) wheel shows all the different dimensions of the heritage site

operation.

Value proposition

Storytelling

Mediation tools

Delivery/operations

Value capture

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Each of these components can be illustrated using a few key questions.

Dimension Key questions

Value proposition

- What service are you offering? - What value proposition* are you making to visitors with this service? - Who are your current visitors? What is the profile of the visitors you hope to reach?

Storytelling - What heritage features will the technology illustrate? - What story will you be telling the target audience?

Mediation (AR/VR technologies)

- What mediation tools does the Cultural Heritage Site (CHS) use to tell its story? - What technologies will you be using to provide this service?

Delivery/ operations

- What activities and procedures will be necessary to provide the service? - What resources will be necessary to implement these activities and procedures? - What material and immaterial features/constraints does the site offer with regard to enhancing the visit using technology?

Value capture - What mechanisms will be required for the heritage site to capture the desired value (financial, political, reputation, visitor satisfaction, etc.)?

Each of the terms followed by an asterisk is defined in the box below.

Definitions

The value proposition is the value that the heritage site promises

to provide for its visitors. Visitor experience corresponds to what

the visitors actually experience, both on the site and during their

contacts with the site before and after their visit.

Innovating with AR/VR technologies requires both technological and organisational

innovation based on a coherent combination of the five dimensions of the Business Model.

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0.2.2. “Coherence”: the keyword for Business models

Since a heritage site’s BM needs to balance its five different dimensions, any change to one of

them, such as the introduction of new technologies, requires you to rethink the whole of the

BM wheel to ensure its coherence (EXAMPLE 1).

When the heritage site targets several types of visitors, the coherence between all the site’s

BMs must also be reconsidered (EXAMPLE 2).

Definition

The business model is defined for a single value proposition,

most often targeting a single type of client2. This means that

the site needs as many wheels as the different types of clients

it targets.

EXAMPLE 1: Coherence between the components of the BM

Let us take the example of a medieval castle. The pathways are uneven in places, and

therefore difficult to access for those with reduced mobility and for families with pushchairs

(Constraints of the site).

The manager of this site has chosen to provide virtual tours of the site, or at least of those

parts that are difficult to access, for all visitors, and particularly those for whom parts of the

traditional visit are inaccessible (Service/Target). The objective is to make the heritage visit

available to as many people as possible, particularly because the castle has obtained a label

for which this is a key objective (Expected benefits).

The idea is thus to install virtual reality headsets (technology) in a room on the ground floor

of the castle, providing an aerial tour showing the whole of the heritage site, and then a tour

of the rooms that are difficult to access on foot (heritage content highlighted).

However, this room is located some distance away from the castle entrance where the

accompanying staff work. It will thus be necessary to recruit an additional staff member for

the VR room to provide visitors with headsets and assistance during opening hours

(Organisation of the site).

The different components of the BM wheel are interdependent: each decision taken with

regard to one of the components affects the others.

It is crucial to take into account the constraints of the heritage site and ensure the coherence

of the BM when considering changes to the visit.

EXAMPLE 2: Coherence between the heritage site’s different BMs

2 However, sometimes the same value proposition can benefit several types of clientele. This can be the case for an event: performance, European heritage days, etc.

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Let us imagine a heritage site with three groups of target customers: families, schoolchildren,

and tour groups. Since each target group has its own BM, the heritage site has a Global BM

comprising three target-group BMs (cf. diagram below).

For the site to operate correctly, the BMs for each group of target customers must be coherent

with each other. The site must align them as much as possible and avoid wasting resources

through overlaps.

Let us take the example of a garden, most of whose visitors, including its most loyal customers,

enjoy the tranquillity of the site (BM adults looking for tranquillity). The site’s manager notes

that very few families with teenage children visit the site, and would like to reach this target

(BM families with teenagers) using AR/VR technologies. The manager wants to install a

treasure hunt using a tablet with augmented reality content.

When considering the innovation, it is essential to think about the fact that attracting a new

audience using new technologies must not drive away traditional customers, unless you

wish to replace them entirely. We can indeed imagine that children running around and

playing in the garden looking for treasure might be detrimental to the peace and quiet other

visitors are looking for.

BMs do not necessarily compete with each other though. Indeed, it is possible to develop

synergies between two BMs. Let us take the example of a maritime museum that has

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developed a digital library of shipwrecks (digital model and related information). This library

can be a key resource for two different BMs, one aiming to offer individual visitors an

enhanced experience on-site through digital furniture they can interact with; the other

consisting of supporting school projects where museum staff can use the digital models to

teach historically significant shipwreck stories (e.g., the role of U-Boats in World War II) at a

distance (e.g., videoconference channel). The same key resource has been mutualized to

enable both of these BMs.

If you are targeting a single visitor segment with your AR/VR solution, but host other segments

at the same time, you must ensure that the changes you make to the BM wheel have as little

impact as possible on the other business models of your site.

In sum

Technology is only one of many aspects that ensure the BM operates

successfully.

The components must be combined logically to ensure the innovation is

successful, in the sense that:

- It provides value to visitors

- The organisation facilitates the value provision

- It generates value for the heritage site, depending on its objectives

The visitor experience is the main barometer for assessing the success of the

innovation.

0.3. Know your visitors better

0.3.1. Why is it important to consider the visitor experience?

The visitor experience describes the visitors’ actual perceptions of their visit. The satisfaction

that visitors gain from their experience substantially affects their future behaviour (intention

to revisit the site or recommend it to others, etc.). Thus, the reputation and appeal of a site

depend on positive visitor experiences. For this reason, understanding the visitor experience

is a powerful and essential part of your strategy.

Visitor satisfaction is generally measured via an overall score given by the visitors. However,

this does not give precise information about the experience, and does not inform the heritage

site about whether it has achieved its objectives, in terms of cultural mediation,

entertainment, etc.

It is important to understand the visitor experience as best as possible in order to act

effectively to meet the heritage site’s performance criteria.

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0.3.2. Put simply, what are the dimensions of the visitor experience?

The visitor experience comprises:

- several phases

The visitor experience goes well beyond the onsite experience. It begins before the visit, when

the visitor finds out about the site. During this phase, the visitor develops expectations that

the heritage site must ensure it fulfils. The experience also continues after the visit, through

memories, potential recommendations to friends and family, and an intention to return.

- several dimensions

The heart of the experience, during the visit, comprises eight components: four of them have

positive connotations and are called “the benefits of the experience”, while the other four

have negative connotations and are called “the costs of the experience”.

Benefits

Relational What I was able to share with other people (friends or strangers)

Hedonic What I liked, what amused me, etc.

Utilitarian What I learnt

Identity This visit corresponds to me, it is in line with who I am

Costs

Time The time the visit takes, travelling time

Monetary Entrance price

Energy The physical effort made (particularly at large sites that have to be fully visited, or in museums, where visitors spend a lot of time standing in one place but cannot sit down)

Psychological The intellectual effort made to understand the interpretation, the fact of feeling “not up to it” if the interpretation is too complicated

0.3.3. Why consider the experience?

To capture the aspects visitors experience as “irritating”: these aspects eradicate

the benefits of the visit or increase the costs disproportionately.

To identify ways of increasing the value captured: for example, it would be possible

to increase the relational value by including interactive games in the presentation, or

by adding more educational content to increase the utilitarian value.

In addition, since the experience is different for each type of visitor, it is important to identify

the irritants and increase the value for each audience. For example, teenagers are known to

seek stimulation (hedonic value) and a less verbal approach (psychological cost). It is essential

to understand the experience sought by each type of visitor if the site is to develop an

appropriate value proposition.

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0.3.4 A tool serving innovation at heritage sites

VISTA AR is in this way proposing a complete solution for the evaluation of the visitor

experience, each one of these dimensions being regularly updated. Data collected with these

tools can be used to gain a multi-dimensional picture of visitors, identify and segment target

groups, design immersive experiences, and explore new business models to capture additional

and increased revenue streams. The analysis will happen at different levels: that of the tourist

site, but also at the level of a group of comparable sites (e.g., ‘medieval forts’) or even at the

level of sites benefitting from the VISTA AR solution.

This guarantees that tourist sites seeking to transform their offer can do so on the basis of

relevant information, which will help them respond to key questions: which aspects of the

experience can/should be improved through technology? What type/segment of visitor

should the digital experience be designed for? Which business models can be

transformed/improved upon if necessary?

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0.4. About this workbook (user instructions)

This guide aims to support heritage site managers in the process of introducing innovative

AR/VR technologies. It follows through three main stages, all revolving around the BM wheel.

Remember that the goal during these three stages is to maintain, or even redesign, a logic

between the five components of the wheel.

- The first stage consists of defining your current BM to provide a starting point for your

reflection and innovation

- The second stage consists of designing the new BM, including the new AR/VR

technologies (which should also be defined during this stage)

- The final stage consists of testing the new BM defined during the previous stage. After

assessing its operation and its benefits, you will be able to make the necessary

adjustments to maximise its impact

For each of these stages, and for each of the components of the BM wheel, we propose a

series of key questions to ask, models, examples, and tips about implementing the new BM.

The main challenge of your BM innovation process is to ensure consistency between each

component and between each stage. The “Visitor journey table” (simplified version below)

will be a key tool for providing an integrated view of how your site works.

Visitor Journey Storytelling Mediation Delivery

Episode name and number, location, duration

Message/story, Point Of Interest (POI), Curation

Mediation interface, mediation technology, Media content, Trigger modality

Visitor actions, Staff actions (front and back office), resources

Finally, two case studies (Exeter Cathedral and Fougères Castle) are included in the appendix.

These offer in-depth examples of how the BMI methodology was applied at both sites, and

are meant to be used as supporting material to illustrate how the information presented in

this workbook can be applied in practice.

The lessons presented in this document are the result of the pooling of three sources of

information:

the experience acquired during the support for the digitisation of the VISTA AR

project's experimental sites

the study of other cultural and heritage sites which have already implemented digital

interpretation

knowledge of the academic literature linked to the inclusion of digital heritage

mediation devices in heritage sites, and to its impact on the experience of visitors and

on the business model of the sites

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PHASE 1. Analyse current BM

In order to develop innovative solutions it is necessary to understand what a cultural heritage

site (CHS) currently offers to visitors, who those visitors are, and the resources and operations

the site requires to provide a memorable experience. That is, understand the CHS processes

of value creation, value delivery, and value capture. The first step in the innovation process

therefore is to run a diagnosis of the site, forming a baseline on which the innovation will

build. Furthermore, a thorough knowledge of the current BM in its different components will

enable you to identify which areas are best suited to, and could be improved with, the

introduction of digital technology.

Phase 1 will take you through several aspects of analysis of current BMs, presenting examples,

tips, and templates to support you in the diagnosis of your own site. While the five dimensions

of the BMs are listed and numbered, in reality the process is not so linear. In fact, it is likely

you will go back and forth between dimensions as you progress. On another note, you may

choose to start with any given part you feel is more adequate for your site.

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1.1. Value proposition

One of the main arguments in favour of the introduction of AR/VR solutions at cultural and

heritage sites is the substantial improvement they bring to the visitor experience. But do we

always know exactly what the visitor experience is and what it is providing? Often sites only

have a piecemeal, outdated knowledge of their visitors. In order for new digital technologies

to achieve their full impact, you need to make sure that you have identified opportunities to

improve the visitor experience. VISTA AR aims to eliminate this difficulty by making knowledge

of visitors the cornerstone of technological innovation.

This section centres on cultural heritage sites’ value proposition, focusing on understanding

visitors and their experience. Key questions to consider are:

Who are the current visitors to the CHS?

What motivates them to visit the CHS?

What benefits do visitors gain from their visit?

To be able to answer these questions, you need to capture and analyse data of current visitors.

1.1.1. Evaluating the visitor experience

First of all, conceptually, this is about identifying the generic dimension of the visitor

experience to be able to produce an exhaustive report. Examples of visitor data include:

Demographic data: such as age, gender, education, and income. This tells us who the

visitors are.

Geographic data: such as postcode, nationality, and country of residence. This tells us

where visitors are from.

Psychographic data: such as motivations, interests, and attitudes. This tells us why

visitors choose to visit the site, what they come looking for.

Behaviour data, such as spatial behaviour, length of stay, size of visiting party, etc. This

tells us how visitors behave at the site, what they do and how they experience the site,

as well as what they gain from the experience.

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Having access to this breadth of visitor data provides an accessible way for you to gain a

comprehensive picture of the CHS visitor profiles and experience, and segment visitors into a

range of groups. Whilst traditional segmentation based on demographic or geographic data is

useful, there are many other aspects by which you can differentiate your visitors. The

particular context involving the visitor at the time of visit is relevant and may change

depending on circumstances. For instance, if someone is visiting in a group, their primary

motivation may be to spend some quality time with family or friends. If alone, the visitor may

be seeking to learn something particular about the site, or to take a break from their daily

routine and have a peaceful, contemplative experience. Furthermore, segmenting according

to spatial behaviour can also be useful. For instance, some visitors might tend to follow linear

routes through the galleries, while others may roam freely and cluster around specific exhibits.

Understanding your visitors at this level of detail enables you to develop new value

propositions specifically tailored to each segment, for example according to:

age group or visiting party – to offer experiences that are relevant to families with

children or senior couples

nationality – designing experiences that use references relevant to different cultural

backgrounds or explore links between the CHS and the visitor’s country of origin

visitor motivation – offering an experience that meets the interests of the visitor for

that particular visit

Choosing which segmentation model to apply will depend on each case. Regardless, it is

important to have access to as much visitor data as possible to open up opportunities for

exploring new value propositions.

1.1.2. Visitor intelligence toolbox

From a practical point of view, there are several tools that enable the collection and evaluation

of the visitor experience. VISTA has developed a visitor intelligence toolbox, comprising a

range of instruments to capture visitor data.

Visitor surveys

A questionnaire-based research instrument can be deployed at the start of the visit and

embedded within a digital interpretation device provided to visitors. This questionnaire

includes items to investigate visitors’ socio-demographic, geographic and motivational

attributes, as well as items related to the general context of the visit (see template below).

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Visitor profile (pre-visit questionnaire)

Data Dimensions Questions/items Measures

Socio-demographic

and geographic

Age

1. How old are you? Select one:

15 and under

16-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65 and over

Gender

1. What is your gender? Select one:

Male

Female

Gender diverse

Country/Region of residence

1. What is your nationality?

(open question)

2. Do you currently live in this country or abroad?

Yes, please enter first part of your postcode

No, please state the country you have travelled from

Children in household

1. How many children live in your household?

(open question)

Marital status

1. Are you now married, widowed, divorced, separated, or have you never been married?

Select one:

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

Never married

Education

1. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

Select one:

No qualifications

Level 2 (e.g., GCSE, O Level or equivalent, NVQ level 2, BTEC level 2)

Higher education Level 3 (e.g., As and A level, IB, NVQ level 3, BTEC level 3)

Higher education Level 4-5 (e.g., BTEC level 4, HNC/HND, Diploma of higher or further education)

Bachelor's degree or equivalent (e.g., BA, BSc, Graduate certificate/diploma, NVQ level 4, BTEC Advanced Professional award)

Master’s degree or equivalent (e.g., MA, MSc, MBA, MEng, Postgraduate certificate/diploma, NVQ level 5)

Doctoral degree or equivalent (e.g., PhD, EngD, Vocational qualifications level 8)

Work status

1. Which of these best describes your current employment status?

Select one:

Employee

Self-employed

Retired

Student

Unemployed

Other

Motivations 1. Which one of these statements best

Select one:

To bring a friend or family member

To feel a sense of peace

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Psychographic reflects why you chose to visit the CHS today?

To learn or discover something new

To see a famous attraction

To visit an important part of my cultural heritage

To learn something about a subject I am passionate about

Visit context

Type of holiday

1. Which of the following best describes your visit to this CHS today?

Select one:

A day trip

Part of an extended holiday (a week or more)

Part of a short break (less than a week)

Other (please specify)

Party size and composition

1. Who are you visiting with today?

Select one:

Alone

Group including children

One other adult

Organised group

Adult group

Other (please specify):

Repeat visit 1. How often do you visit this CHS?

Select one:

This is my first visit

Less than once every 5 years

Once every 2-5 years

At least once a year

At least once a month

Usually every week

A second questionnaire can be taken at the end of the visit with measures relating to the type

of experience, general outcomes, and satisfaction.

Visitor experience (post-visit questionnaire)

Data Dimensions Questions/items Measures

Type of Experience

Educational It was a real learning experience.

Rate between 1-7: 1. Strongly agree 2. Agree 3. Somewhat agree 4. Neither agree nor disagree 5. Somewhat disagree 6. Disagree 7. Strongly disagree

Aesthetic I felt a sense of harmony.

Entertainment I really enjoyed watching the activities on-site (e.g., musical performances, guided tours, shows).

Escapist I completely escaped from reality.

Outcomes

Arousal 1. How interesting was your visit? 2. How stimulating was your visit? 3. How exciting was your visit?

Rate between 1-5: 1. Extremely 2. Very 3. Moderately 4. Slightly 5. Not at all

Memory I will remember my visit to this CHS.

Rate between 1-7: 1. Strongly agree

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Outcomes (cont.)

Intention to revisit

I will visit this CHS again in the next few years. 2. Agree 3. Somewhat agree 4. Neither agree nor disagree 5. Somewhat disagree 6. Disagree 7. Strongly disagree

WOM I will speak positively about my visit to others.

Satisfaction

How would you rate your experience today?

1. Terrible 2. Poor 3. Satisfactory 4. Good 5. Excellent

In your own words, tell us about your experience of visiting this CHS today.

(open question)

Geospatial tracking

Geospatial technologies such as GPS and geofencing provide affordances for tracking visitors’

temporal and spatial behaviour. This may include capturing visitor pathways/trajectories as

well as dwell time in proximity to points of interest (POI). This data is collected automatically

by a tracker installed in the interpretation device used by visitors during their visit. The analysis

produces heatmaps for visual representation of areas with greatest activity and tracks

representing individual routes of visitation. This allows site managers to examine visitor dwell

times, identify congested areas of interest and understand the different patterns of navigating

the heritage site. It also provides insight into curatorial effectiveness with respect to POIs.

Visitor journey analysis allows for segmentation in terms of spatial behaviour and visiting

patterns. This can be enhanced with other data streams, for instance, comparing journey and

dwell time between different demographic or psychographic groups.

Natural language processing

Natural language processing is a tool employed to analyse and extract meaning from visitor

feedback. During the visit, visitors interact directly and indirectly with many aspects of the

site, e.g., members of staff, interpretative media available, facilities, among others, and often

mention these interactions where writing reviews of their experience. This type of visitor data

is unsolicited and represents the salient features of a site visit with respect to personal

experiences. These dimensions can be captured from feedback posted on digital platforms

(e.g., reviews left of sites such as Tripadvisor, Google Reviews, Twitter, etc) or from on-site

reviews left by visitors at the end of their visit in written form. Using a classification

framework, a sentiment analysis concerning broad positive or negative performance of each

interaction is produced. Further elaboration of this existing research is focused on aspect level

instances found within the text. Analysis of visitor feedback provides a constant source of data

that enriches the overall understanding of visitor experience.

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All this visitor data can be collected and analysed with the support of a device (e.g.,

smartphone or tablet), ensuring minimal interference on visitor experience, and site

managers’ active involvement in data collection/analysis is effortless. The option of VISTA AR

to provide the materials and devices necessary for capturing and analysing visitor data is also

a possibility. Nonetheless, you can explore these options and apply them in ways you see more

convenient for your site. For instance, while VISTA AR embeds visitor questionnaires in tablets

provided to visitors, it is also possible to administer the survey using paper-based

questionnaires.

In addition to the data collected with the VISTA AR toolbox, site managers should also consider

other sources of data that might be available. Data from Google Analytics of the site’s official

website usage or analytics of the site’s social media pages (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) can

complement visitor data collected on-site.

In the end, a central dashboard compiles and reports all data collected. Site managers are thus

able to consult and explore aspects of their visitors’ experience, gaining in-depth

understanding of what is working well and what aspects need improving.

Example: A cultural heritage site applies a broad segmentation of visitors informed by basic

demographic data. While this data offers insight about who the visitors are, managers are

lacking knowledge about how visitors visit the site. The site decided to run a geospatial

analysis of visitor journey with two groups of visitors (self-led visitors vs audio-guide users).

The findings reveal that visitors using the audio-guide are less likely to visit the cathedral shop,

meaning the site was missing out on revenue from potential sales. This led the site

management to rethink the audio-guide’s content and how it was delivered in a way to

stimulate visitors to walk through the shop.

1.1.3. Defining current Value Proposition

Once you have data on visitors, you can examine what it is they gain from the visit. A value

proposition explains why a visitor should want to take the time to visit the heritage site, and

usually takes the form of a clear and concise statement. To write one, you can focus on the

specific benefits visitors are looking to gain when they visit your site, and connect it with what

the site has to offer. For example, in the case of a cathedral, a value proposition could be a

chance to visit a local landmark or to escape from a busy city centre environment to

experience a moment of peace in a sacred place.

Moreover, the value proposition will be different for each audience segment. A person whose

ancestors worked in the mining industry may be willing to try out a virtual reality tour for a

glimpse into what their ancestors experienced while working in the mine in its heyday. Such

an experience can highlight their sense of identity and help them forge a connection with the

mining heritage (emotional motivation). On the other hand, someone who lacks this affective

link with industrial mines may also want have an interest in trying the same VR experience,

albeit in an attempt to have a better understanding of social aspects of the mining

24

communities of the nineteenth century (educational motivation). In both cases, the

experience is the same (VR exhibit) but each group derives different value. Thus, a value

proposition can be formulated by thinking in terms of the results and benefits that visitors

gain from the experience.

Output of Phase 1 – VP: A visitor intelligence report, with synthetized evidence of different

data streams of visitor data collected. VP statement for current offer.

25

1.2. Storytelling/Content

Before planning new digital experiences, and much like gathering visitor intelligence, it is

important to have a clear understanding of the heritage content of the site, that is: the overall

story it tells, the journeys available and the POIs used to support that storytelling and the

visitor journey.

In terms of storytelling and heritage content, key questions to consider are:

What heritage content does the CHS have to offer? How is it offered?

What story(ies) does the CHS currently tell?

1.2.1. Identify the CHS’s current story and points of interest

A cultural heritage site tells a general story, a message it conveys to its visitors and the general

public. Then, different journeys are available for visitors to explore specific aspects and

themes of the site. Each of these journeys anchor their narrative on a carefully selected range

of the site’s points of interest (POI). All this heritage content plays a key role in the design of

the value proposition.

Message The core message the site conveys and represents to the public.

Journey

A journey refers to the way visitors experience the site. A site can have a portfolio of journeys available to visitors, which can be fairly independent from each other. These are organised by theme or by segment, for example, thematic tours, audio guided tours, or family packs are all journeys.

Point of interest (POI)

A POI is any element of the site with a story to tell. It can be an artefact, architectural feature, thematic room, gallery, or space of interest in the site.

To create an inventory of the site’s POI, you can begin by analysing the content in all the

journeys currently offered to visitors. Examples of these are family packages, children

activities, audio-guides, leaflets, guide books, guided tours, themed tours (e.g., night-time

tours, rooftop tours). Examine each of these journeys closely and take note of their content –

what story does each journey tell? What POIs are mentioned in each journey? What characters

or historical figures are mentioned, and how?

This work should produce a document listing all the POIs that the site has available, their

cultural significance and storytelling potential, and which journey they are linked to (may be

26

more than one). Given that this list can be extensive, it might be helpful to organise the POIs

according to certain categories, e.g., historical, religious, natural, etc.

Example: A natural reservation comprises several landscape and architectonic features and

elements, e.g., beach, a ley, cliffs, biodiversity, each of which is a local POI. An environmental

organisation operating in the area wants to create a visitor journey to deliver a message about

how climate change is affecting the landscape. In order to create the new visitor journey, the

first step is to make an inventory of all the POI in the area and assess the potential of each POI

to support storytelling related to climate change and its several topics. They envision the

experience offering a single visitor journey relying on a set of POIs, each telling a specific story

about glaciers melting, sea levels rising, local biodiversity disappearing, etc. Although

somewhat independent from each other, all POI can be related back to the effects of climate

change if framed within a bigger storyline.

1.2.2. Assessing visitor journeys

In addition to POIs, the journeys should also be listed, as the new experience will add/enhance

the collection of journeys currently offered by the site. To assist with this, a template is

provided which you can use to break down visitor journeys according to their storytelling

components: message, POIs used, and curation. A table can be made to include all visitor

journeys (i.e., 1 visitor journey per row). For more in-depth analysis of particular journeys, you

may also choose to make a table breaking down a single visitor journey into episodes (e.g,

audio tour, listing all of its episodes and POI covered).

Template: Visitor Journey Table (Visitor journey and Storytelling columns)

Output of Phase 1 – Storytelling: A document stating the CHS main message, and listing the

POIs of the site. A table detailing visitor journeys currently offered.

Visitor journey

Storytelling

Episode number

Episode name

Location Duration (est.)

Message / story POI Curation

# 1

# 2

# 3

# 4

# 5

# 6

# 7

No ...

27

1.3. Mediation tools

What heritage mediation tools do you use in the services you offer to your visitors? What

heritage content do these tools present?

How do you plan to incorporate new tools into your visitor journey: will you redesign it

completely or add VISTA-AR equipment to the existing pathway?

Definition

Heritage mediation tools comprise the interface-technology dyad. They enable

you to highlight all or part of your site’s “heritage content” for a target

audience.

We need to distinguish between (1) interfaces and (2) technologies.

(1)The interface presents the content. It can be a person, such as a guide,

or an object, such as signs, tablets, or audio guides.

(2) The technology presents the heritage content via the interface: images

(photographs, drawings, or diagrams), audio, 2D films, view 360°, virtual reality,

augmented reality, etc.

Heritage mediation tools vary widely, and you likely already have some. That is why before

designing your new immersive mediation tools (Phase 2: design), it is important to describe

your current mediation tools.

1.3.1. Describe your mediation tools

For each mediation tool currently used in your visitor journeys, you should describe the

interface/technology dyad (cf. table below). It will also be necessary to add a few lines

describing the heritage content highlighted by each technology. Of course, not all of your

mediation tools may involve technology – they can be human as in the case of mediation by

tour guides. You should simply indicate when the mediation does not use technology.

Examples of interface-technology dyads

Interface Technology Heritage content presented Trigger modality

Audioguide

Sound

In a ruined building: you can hear the sound of the past daily life and someone tells you what was the use of each place

Push the button corresponding to the POI number

Interactive terminal

2D + sound Video showing the construction of the building

Click on the screen

28

In addition of the table above, we recommend that you note the initial results of using the

tools, including exactly how the visitors use the tools and their level of satisfaction. You can

also include any other questions raised by your mediation tools (organisation necessary for

their operation, cost, etc.). For example, among the positive results it is important to note if

you receive positive feedback on the quality of the experience or if the content provided by

a certain mediation device is appreciated by visitors which simultaneously reduces their

need for staff assistance. Conversely, it is possible that the mediation tool is located in places

where the risk of falling or of congestion is high. In congestion areas, device usage conflicts

may emerge. The use of sound on one device could, for example, interfere with the

experience of another mediation tool.

Based on this initial description of your mediation tools and on your analysis in the section of

the BM wheel entitled “Storytelling”, you can model your visitor journey table (below). You

should deconstruct your current visitor journey to show all the tools (human or technological)

that mediate the heritage content for your visitors, using the Mediation columns in the Visitor

Journey Table.

Template: Visitor Journey Table (Visitor journey; Storytelling & Mediation tools columns)

Output of Phase 1 – Mediation tools: A document stating your mediations tools, their

advantages and drawbacks. The table with the mediation tools columns for each visitor

journey currently offered.

Visitor journey

Storytelling Mediation

Episode number

Episode name


Mediation interface (sign, guide, tablet,

etc.)

Mediation technology

(where appropriate)

Media content (videos, pics, animation)

Trigger modality

(where appropriate)

# 1

# 2

# 3

# 4

# 5

# 6

# 7

No ...

29

1.4. Delivery

Production of your service offer

The aim is to identify all the activities and all the resources necessary to produce the services

you offer to your target customers.

How does your heritage site operate to provide the services offered to visitors? What activities

is the operation based on? What resources are mobilised?

1.4.1. Dissect the service using the Visitor Journey Table

NB: We advise you to fill in the “Storytelling” and “Mediation” sections

of the BM wheel before completing “Delivery”. This section requires

you to have completed the “visitor journey” table (results of the

previous two sections).

Definition

By services, we understand the realisation of your “value

proposition” in the form of services delivered to the target

customers. For example, the activity of welcoming visitors and

selling tickets is realised by human resources, while the

mediation activity can (for example) be realised by an audio

guide, which requires maintenance, which are realised by

internal human resources or external contractor.

The goal is to describe all the services proposed by your site, including temporary offerings

(events, European heritage day, etc.). For example, a botanic garden proposes different visits

according to the public (individuals, groups of students or groups of adults). Moreover, it has

multiples offerings beyond the classic garden visit: workshops (cooking with plants, caring for

specific kind of plants, etc.), shop with gardening tools, restaurant with menu using aromatic

plant and flowers, etc.

All these offerings refer to a wide range of resources and activities. Sometimes these are the

same, which allows pooling. Other times they are different and require specific operations.

For instance, a cook can lead a workshop on plants and cooking (for example); a sensory

journey (originally created for kids) can be used for family audience and for students groups.

30

1.4.2. List the activities and resources necessary

The list of activities and resources necessary can be drawn up using a tool called the

“blueprint” (cf. diagram below), a tool which dissect the organization related to the value

proposition commonly used to analyse services.

Definition

The blueprint is a diagram representing the different stages of

a visitor journey, and the inputs (resources and activities)

necessary to deliver the experience proposed by the

organisation.

The advantage of the blueprint is that it enables you to see your organisation through the eyes

of the visitor. It consists of a description of the organisation following a step-by-step of the

visitor journey and indicating at each stage the necessary organisational inputs, in terms of

contact and back-office staff.

Thus, you will consider the visitor journeys in your existing BMs, and for each of them you will

identify the different stages. Based on the tangibles/material features your identified in

Storytelling section, you need to determine what the tourists do, what the contact personnel

do (where applicable) and what the back-office staff do (including the management of

partners, if applicable).

Physical evidences (signage, racks of equipment, etc.)

Points of interest / stops on the visitor path

Tourists’ actions (experience, usage, etc.)

Actions of back-office staff (management, logistics, etc.)

Actions of contact staff

Time

31

Key questions to develop the blueprint are:

Ultimately, developing your blueprint will enable you to identify the key components of your

current organisation for each of your BMs. This will provide you with a useful basis on which

to anticipate the organisational changes that may be required for your new business model.

We advise you to use the visitor journey table, and to fill the delivery columns (below).

Output of Phase 1 – Delivery: A document stating your delivery operations for each value

proposition. The table with the delivery columns for each visitor journey currently offered.

1.5. Value Capture

What do we mean by value capture? Why is it important?

Value capture is concerned with whether or not a business model works commercially. Where

a value proposition looks at the value offered by a Business Model (BM) to a particular

What are the stages of the

visitor journey in your BM?

What does the visitor

do? (resources

and activities)

Does a contact staff member do something? (resources

and activities)

Does a back-office staff

member do something? (resources

and activities)


Episode number

Visitor actions (if any)

Staff actions (front office)

Staff actions (back office)

Resources

32

customer group, value capture is about the value you, as a Cultural Heritage Site (CHS), gain

from the delivery of that BM. In essence, assessing its financial viability.

Of course, what constitutes value in cultural heritage is not simply financial, it is often more

complex than that. The activities performed and the services offered by CHS are frequently

not driven by market forces but by social, societal and cultural purposes. Often pricing is free

or, where entrance fees are charged, they are nominal and do not relate to the true cost of

providing the service or maintaining buildings and assets.

Recognising that profit maximisation is not the only, or the primary, objective in designing the

BM, business models that include virtual and augmented reality technologies require

substantial investment and so information regarding financial and commercial viability is an

important part of the innovation process.

As with any measure of financial viability, value capture looks at two key elements – income

and cost.

1.5.1. Analysing current income streams

Value capture is interconnected with value propositions, for every value proposition there is

an associated income stream3. The first stage in analysing value capture is to identify what

income is associated with a value proposition, to determine its revenue generation.

CHS tend to have ‘fixed menu pricing’. Whether this is a pay-per-use price or a recurring

membership price, fixed pricing is where the price is set at a flat rate based on a set of

predefined variables. These variables include:

Product feature (i.e., dependent on the number or quality of features)

Segment (i.e., dependent on type or characteristics or a customer group)

Volume (i.e., dependent on the quantity purchased)

The reality is that several of these mechanisms may be used simultaneously.

EXAMPLE 1: pay-per-use, segment-dependent pricing

Let us take the example of a medieval cathedral, operating a pay-per-visit charge to tourists.

The price for entry varies by customer group with adults paying £7.50, senior and students

paying £6.00, and under 18s being free of charge. This could also be considered concession

pricing. This fixed price menu acts as the income stream for the tourism business model and

determines the revenue generated.

EXAMPLE 2: recurring, volume-dependent pricing

3 However, just as the same value proposition can benefit several types of clientele, this can be the case for income streams, with the same income stream applying to more than one value proposition.

33

Another example, of a mine heritage site, uses a combination of pay-per-visit and membership

payment options, where membership pricing varies by volume; individual (£72), joint (£120),

family group (£126), and life (£1730)

1.5.2. Analysing current cost drivers

Just as for every business model there is an income stream, for every business model there

are associated costs. Clearly cost structures used for financial reporting may make it difficult

to allocate costs, particularly indirect costs, to a specific business model or customer group4.

However, identifying these costs will enable you to determine business model earnings.

EXAMPLE 1:

When analysing the cost drivers of their tourism business model, the medieval cathedral

identified the following cost categories:

Direct

Marketing and communications

Staff salaries

Booking systems

Printed materials

Indirect

Heritage[PL2]

Music

Output of Phase 1 – Value capture: Identification of income streams and cost drivers for every

value proposition. Where it is possible to allocate financial figures, not just categories of

revenue streams and drivers, this can lead to calculation of earnings per business model.

4 There are methods for allocating costs in this way. See for example, Kaplan, R. S., & Anderson, S. R. (2007). Time-driven activity-based costing: a simpler and more powerful path to higher profits. Harvard Business Press.

34

PHASE 2. Designing AR/VR experiences

The work in Phase 1 provides an overall picture of the current business model of the site, main

offering, and resources. Having identified opportunities for digital enhancement, it is now

time to design and develop the digital devices. Phase 2 will guide you in ensuring the digital

devices are made to meet particular groups of visitors and provide them with relevant content

that is aligned with their expectations as well as with the site’s cultural and heritage

significance. Furthermore, this section will guide you through technical decisions to be made,

such as choosing the type of technology, devices and digital content that can best deliver the

new value proposition. Finally, organisation planning is covered to make sure the technology

is introduced in a way that is adequate to the resources you have available. Staff and

operational aspects required are considered, as well as the most appropriate monetisation

strategies to capitalise on the investment.


As seen in Phase 1, a value proposition is relevant when it meets the needs and wants of

specific audiences. Thus, one way to increase chances of providing a meaningful experience

to visitors is to begin by identifying a target audience, their needs and wants, and then develop

a value proposition for the AR/VR experience accordingly. Key questions are:

What is the target audience of each AR/VR experience?

What value will the digital experience offer the target audience?

2.1.1. Determining the target audience

The visitor intelligence tools employed in Phase 1 can collect a large amount of data, making

it somewhat difficult to make sense of. A useful way of synthetizing the visitor intelligence

collected earlier and identifying potential target audiences is to create a set of personas.

Definition

A persona is an archetype or representation of what the target

audience looks like, wants, and how that audience behaves. It is

intentionally simple and basic, making it easy to understand and

communicate, but also firmly based on data and insights gathered

from real visitors.

35

For instance, take visitor motivation for visiting a cultural heritage site. Since each person

ascribes different meanings to the site, they have varied motivations for wanting to visit it,

thus making it possible to break visitors into six groups5:

Explorers: Curiosity-driven with a generic interest in the content of the site. They

expect to find something that will grab their attention and fuel their learning.

Facilitators: Socially motivated. Their visit is focused on primarily enabling the

experience and learning of others in their accompanying social group.

Experience Seekers: Motivated to visit because they perceive the site as an important

destination. Their satisfaction primarily derives from the mere fact of having ‘been

there and done that’.

Rechargers: Primarily seeking to have a contemplative, spiritual, and/or restorative

experience. They use the site as a refuge from the work-a-day world.

Hobbyists: Feel a close tie between the sites content and their professional or hobbyist

passions. Their visits are typically motivated by a desire to satisfy a specific content

related subject.

Community Seekers: Those with a strong sense of heritage and/or personhood. They

view the site as an important part of their heritage and identity.

These motivations can be assessed against other visitor data, e.g., age, size of visiting party,

or spatial behaviour. For instance, a woman in her early 40s may have a particular interest in

sacred art, and spend most of her cathedral visit learning about the unique sacramental

artefacts on display. Her partner, also in his 40s, may partake in the visit to allow her a chance

to engage with her hobby while he watches over their 5-year-old child, eventually spending

most time in the cloister garden or in the café. Their other 14-year-old daughter also joins, but

spends most time looking for the best spot to take a picture to share on Instagram, finally

deciding on a view of sunlight shining through the stained glass windows.

The scenario above reveals 3 personas:

5 Falk, J. (2009). Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.

36

While the above example is anecdotal, it illustrates the variety of characteristics and features

that make up your visitors. Using the visitor intelligence toolbox provided in Phase 1, you

should be able to reach a set of visitor segments based on statistical data. Each of these

segments have different characteristics, visiting behaviours, and motivations for visiting the

CHS. Having this understanding is fundamental to designing meaningful experiences that meet

target audiences’ expectations and desires.

2.1.2. AR/VR value proposition to the target audience

In order to increase the overall value of the visit and be truly impactful, the new digital

experience should be tailored to meet the characteristics and needs of the persona targeted.

Take the persona created in the previous step and think of ways in which the site’s features

and story (Storytelling/Content) relate to the persona’s attributes. The aim is to create a

bespoke experience for a persona in a way that will meet their profile, motivation and needs.

For example, if the target audience is primarily looking to gain knowledge about the history of

the site, the digital experience could highlight historical aspects in its storytelling, or favour

certain POI with greater historical value. If they are visiting the site mostly to spend time with

friends or family, the experience could include a social feature that allows for groups to do it

simultaneously. If they often navigate the site erratically, consider creating a visitor journey in

a modular style, where each POI can be experienced independently, rather than developing a

linear narrative.

This task can be quite challenging, but it is important to be as specific and clear as possible

when focusing on the value to the visitor. A brainstorming workshop discussing the links

between the site’s offering and the characteristics of its target audience can help develop a

set of value proposition statements, one for each persona.

Name

Demo-Geographic (Age; Gender; Nationality;

Employment; Education)

Visit context (Holiday type; Party

size and composition)

Motivations (Learning; Socialising;

Relaxing; Heritage; Casual curiosity; Entertainment)

Specific needs

Hobbyist 40s Female British High-income job Higher education

Taking a short break over the weekend Family group (adults and children)

To learn something about a subject I am passionate about

Specialised assistance and detailed interpretation

Facilitator 40s Male British Self-employed Higher education


To bring a friend or family member

Requires facilities to enable socialisation, e.g., play area

Experience Seeker

14 year old Female British Student


To see a famous attraction

Indication of highlights and most popular POI of the site

37

Value proposition statement

Journey title

VR of mine tunnel

Target audience (persona)

Explorer families

Value proposition statement

Immersive experience providing the thrill of walking down an underground mine tunnel and discovering what the atmosphere was like during the height of production

2.1.3. Safeguarding your core audience

While digital experiences may aim to attract new audiences, it is essential that the new

experience and audiences do not affect the current visiting experience of the core audience.

For instance, the majority of visitors to a cathedral perceive the site as a place of spiritual

restoration, and visit in order to escape from the busy daily lifestyle and to experience some

peace of mind. In order to attract new audiences, e.g., families with children, a new VR

experience was developed. In the process, the cathedral management considered ways in

which this could affect the experience of those visiting for prayer and silence, and decided to

place the VR in a room to the side of the main nave in order to minimise noise and impact of

visitors looking for a quiet and peaceful experience.

Output of Phase 2 – VP: A target audience (persona) for each digital experience, and a value

proposition statement of how the digital experience enhances the target audience’s visit.

38


An engaging story is key to a memorable experience. Choosing what type of technology to

employ will depend on what story you wish to tell, how you want to tell it, and who the target

audience of the new digital experience is. In this matter, key questions to consider are:

What story will the new journey and digital experiences tell?

What curation is necessary?

2.2.1. Integrating new stories in the overall message

You need to determine what story you want the digital experience to tell, and consider how it

will integrate within the overall story and journeys the CHS already has on offer. Before you

begin developing the new journey, it is crucial to take into consideration the journeys that the

site currently offers to the public and identify gaps for the creation of new journeys. Digital

technologies can either enhance an existing journey, or be used to create a new journey to

visitors. Regardless of the choice, the new experience must fit in with the other journeys and

the broader theme – understand how it connects to, impacts, and enhances the overall story,

in addition to the other journeys identified during Phase 1.

2.2.2. Selecting POI to comprise new journey

When defining the new visitor journey, you need to select the specific POI that will make up

the experience. One way to do this is to organise an interpretation workshop with the site’s

team to examine all POI and determine which ones offer best value to include in the new

visitor journey.

When creating a new visitor journey you will have to consider three main pieces of

information:

List of the site’s POI identified in Phase 1 - Storytelling

Visitor intelligence, namely your current visitors and the target audience (personas)

Resources available, including existing media contents, tools, facilities, staff, and

budget

As a general recommendation, the running length for a visitor journey should not exceed 60

minutes to avoid saturation, overloading, and visitor fatigue. Considering that the planned

experience of each POI is approximately 5 minutes, the optimal number of POI to include

within a visitor journey should be between 8-12.

39

You can use the Visitor Journey Table to create a new visitor journey, starting with the

Episodes and Storytelling columns. You also need a Value Proposition statement and the

Target Audience for the journey.

Template: visitor journey table, with focus on POI, story, and curation

Journey title:

Target audience:

Value proposition:

2.2.3. Deciding which POI to digitally enhance

Whilst it is certainly possible to design a visitor journey with digital interpretation at every

single POI, doing so entails substantial costs in digital production. Thus it is often necessary to

decide which POI are going to have a more traditional interpretation (text, images, and so on),

and which are more suitable for being enhanced with technology. For instance, a visitor

journey covering 10 POI can have digital interpretation experiences at five POI spread out

during the visitor journey. The remaining five POI would then rely on traditional interpretation

for storytelling.

The decision of where to apply digital technologies should be taken after examining every

aspect of the CHS, including the resources that are available, heritage content, the desire to

attract new audiences or to generate revenue from secondary POIs. For example, when

analysing which POI will employ digital interpretation, it is helpful to identify what heritage

content is necessary (historical records, multimedia database, etc.), and then what content is

already available and what needs to be produced (see Phase 2 - Mediation tools).

Example: A medieval cathedral is studying options to generate more interest to attract

potential visitors to the site. They decide to develop an experience that digitally augments the

façade of the building to represent the original colours of the statues and figures as they were

centuries ago. One of the main reasons behind the decision to create digital interpretation for

this particular POI was because the cathedral possessed substantial research on the medieval

chromatics of the figures. AR technology was seen as a suitable tool to capitalise on this

research and create a new experience to visitors.

Visitor journey

Storytelling

Episode number

Episode name


Message/story POI Curation

# 1

# 2

# 3

# 4

# 5

# 6

# 7

No ...

40

Some practical issues should also be kept in mind. Concerning the location of the digital

experience, visitor flows, and site constraints may cause bottlenecks, queuing, and visitors

hindering equipment use by others. Moreover, the link and proximity between digital

experiences needs to be managed to ensure each visitor gets a positive and immersive

experience (see Phase 2 - Mediation tools).

It is a good practice to re-use as much of the existing interpretation as possible. In fact, visitor

journeys often include both digital and analogue interpretation. For example, a painting can

be digitally augmented to present added information and media while still maintaining a

physical tag with basic information, such as artist, date, and commissioners. Re-using existing

interpretation can keep costs affordable, however it is important to maintain some coherence

when planning a visitor journey that combines digital and analogue interpretation.

Implementing state of the art digital solution alongside old and out of date scenography will

create an odd experience, therefore you must also rethink how the site’s current curation can

be adapted to the new technology (or vice-versa) in order to ensure a smooth visitor

experience.

2.2.4. Script writing and storyboarding

Once you have determined what micro-story each POI will tell, how will it be narrated? These

questions require script writing for conveying the message and some curation to ensure

meaningful impact of the experience. One thing to note is that the same POI can tell multiple

stories/perspectives. For example, visitors can listen to a fictional or historical character

narrate his/her role and relationship with a certain POI, and then listen to an academic speak

about the historical interest of the POI.

Definition

A storyboard is a visual depiction (or textual description) of the scenes

that will make up the digital experience, including notes and

observations for technical production.

A storyboard is a draft of the narrative of the digital experience and illustrates how and what

the visitor will experience each POI. The storyboard also helps identify problems before going

into production stage of the new experience and reduce costs. The digital production team

will need to have a detailed understanding of the contents of the story, and how it should be

presented to visitors in order to create the digital experience.

Output of Phase 2 – Storytelling: Identification of the story/chapters that the new digital

experience is going to tell, and which POIs are used for storytelling. A visitor journey table for

the new digital journey. A script and storyboard for the digital experiences.

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Which digital mediation tools do you plan to use? And for what reasons?

How do you plan to integrate the tools into your visitor journey: are you rethinking the whole

journey (creating a new one) or adding VISTA AR tools to existing journeys?

2.3.1. VISTA AR digital mediation tools

To improve the experience of your visitors, VISTA AR proposes four digital mediation tools (cf.

table) based on immersive augmented reality or virtual reality technologies.

Definitions

Virtual reality technologies completely immerse the user in an environment

other than the one in which the user is located. These technologies modify

sensory perceptions, such as sight and hearing (mainly), and plunge/immerse

the visitor into a virtual world disconnected from reality. The interface is a VR

headset or a smartphone equipped with a VR devices.

For example, you feel immersed below the ocean’s surface or transported to

Ancient Egypt.

Augmented reality technologies enrich reality by displaying virtual elements

using an interface (smartphone, tablet, etc.).

These technologies add content to the environment where the user is.

Texts or animated characters overlap with the real environment.

For example, you visit a town and get more information about it when

scanning the buildings with your smartphone.

Table: Vista-AR mediation tools

Mediation tools Technology type Examples

Tablet Virtual and/or Augmented Reality

In augmented reality (AR): in gardens, a GPS tablet can display animated characters in strategic locations for a treasure hunt. In virtual reality (VR): 3D panoramas of an open space, such as a garden, in different seasons.

Model Augmented Reality Based on a physical model, a tablet can display a digital augmentation of what the heritage site looked like in different eras

Immersive room Virtual Reality Immerse the visitor in ocean flora and fauna using 360° screens

Headset Virtual Reality In a cathedral, a VR headset can simulate crossing the roof of the cathedral on a plank.

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2.3.2. A series of questions to consider

Remember that the purpose of AR/VR mediation tools is to enhance heritage content for a

target audience, and to achieve the performance objectives you have set for the heritage site.

For this reason, it is necessary to ask several questions before selecting the mediation tools

(cf. table below).

Questions to ask before selecting digital mediation tools

Case

What are the characteristics of the target audience?

- Age - Social acceptance of

technology for the heritage concerned

- Etc.

- Some heritage sites have forbidden the use of tablets below a certain age to avoid the risk of falling. The headset is not recommended to visitors below the age of 12.

- The uses of the digital mediation tools need to be anticipated, to avoid conflicts of use between visitors, bottlenecks, or damage to the site or the equipment itself.

How do you want the visitor to use it?

- Individual or collective - Some sites aim for the tools to be used by families (tablet), other propose a tablet for each visitor. The content needs to be adapted depending on this choice.

What are the features of the heritage content to enhance?

- Tangible or intangible - Uses of the location by

visitors

- AR is ideal for reconstituting architectural sites. However, intangible content, such as the atmosphere of a location in a particular period, is more realistic in VR.

- In the case of a ruined building, visitors may need immersion, using VR, to see how the site looked previously. However, in a garden, evoking peace and calm, immersion (if this effect is desired) can be encouraged using resources other than digital mediation tools.

What are the resources and media assets available to support the couple storytelling-mediation tools?

- Access to historical records, e.g., pictures, videos

- Quality of these assets to provide the necessary accuracy and authenticity

- Following the inscription on the World Heritage List, a heritage site has a lot of historical content it wants to show to the public. It needs to detail the different kinds of contents available.

In what environment will the tool be installed?

- Indoor or outdoor - Steep or safe - Light or dark - Spacious or cramped - Empty or full - Possibility of installing

electric equipment and/or wireless communication (Wi-Fi, beacons, etc.).

- The choice of interface will depend on whether there is a risk of bad weather or conditions are controlled.

- The space available to install a technological mediation tool will also limit the choice of tool. During immersion via a VR headset, the location must be spacious enough to install the equipment and guarantee the safety of the user. In addition, take care if tablets are used in steep, rocky, or dark locations to avoid the risk of falls.

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More generally, you must pay careful attention to the simultaneous use of different equipment by different visitors.

Examples

If the audio is launched on several tablet applications at different times, this may create a confusing hubbub

An architectural element must be scanned from a distance to trigger AR content, but this distance may result in the user obstructing the visibility of another point of interest.

A garden wants to attract families with teenagers by adding immersive mediation tools

in the visit offering. But the core audience of the site is adults over 50 years old. The

site manager has to be cautious about potential conflicts between both target

audiences.

After answering these questions, you will be able to design your AR-VR tools using the

visitor journey table (or specification template).

Template: visitor journey table, focusing on mediation tools

2.3.3. Points requiring special care

- Sites that already have scenography using technological mediation tools

At certain sites, incorporating AR-VR technologies in the visitor journey requires an overall

redesign of the scenography. In this case, the site will review the mediation tools all along the

journey, including the choice of points of interest, what the guides highlight, the signs and

labels, etc.

At other sites, VISTA-AR tools will be used to complete an existing, more or less technological

scenography. In this case it will be necessary to consider the coherence of the whole range of

mediation tools (and of their integration in the storytelling), both to satisfy the tourists and to

Visitor journey

Storytelling Mediation

Episode number

Episode name


Mediation interface (sign, guide, tablet,

etc.)

Mediation technology

(where appropriate)

Media content (videos, pics, animation)

Trigger modality

(where appropriate)

# 1

# 2

# 3

# 4

# 5

# 6

# 7

No ...

44

facilitate the site’s organisation/operations. The tools must be coherent at two levels: that of

the messages they provide (cf. storytelling) and that of the types of technology already present

in the current journey. In the latter, it is important to ensure that the difference between

different generations of technologies used on the journey is not too conspicuous, for fear of

accentuating perceptions that older technologies are now obsolete.

- Protected heritage sites

Protected heritage sites may be subject to restrictions to the extent to which they may modify

the site to install technological equipment. In France, work carried out on protected sites may

require the approval of the national architectural review board. Other possibilities exist, such

as operating a wireless network from another area on the site, but sometimes natural or

architectural constraints make wireless communication difficult. Solutions exist, but it is

important to plan ahead to overcome these constraints.

Some protected sites will have to call on a scientific committee of experts in the type of

heritage in question to approve the historical hypotheses made by AR or VR interpretation.

For example, in the case of historical remains, scientific approval of AR or VR restitutions may

be mandatory (depending on the type of protection the site benefits from) or requested by

the site, so that it can communicate about the accuracy of the reconstitutions proposed by

the site’s digital mediation tools.

2.3.4. Device testing

The technical development of digital interpretation devices is complex and consists of several

stages. While most work is completed by software developers and animation experts, some

on-site testing is necessary to ensure that the devices, triggers, software, and content are

tweaked for an optimal experience. Often developers will produce a prototype (V1) of the

device to be tested on-site, after which an improved Version 2 is finally implemented.

Some testing on practical aspects of the device use is required. For instance, the light in a

room may have a detrimental impact on how the AR image triggers on a physical model, e.g.,

if the sun shines too brightly through the window. The height and distance required to trigger

the AR image may also restrict the location of the physical model within the heritage site.

Regarding VR experiences, it is necessary to find a setup that is able to accommodate the

hardware, e.g., server computer, long cables, and headsets, while simultaneously leaving

enough space for visitors to explore the VR environment comfortably.

Quality tests can be run with a small sample of visitors. Give them a chance to try out the

AR/VR device and explore the interpretation. Following their experience, they can fill out a

short survey to provide feedback. It is important that the survey contains open ended

questions because visitors’ impressions and notes taken from the experience will prove

invaluable in revealing issues for improvement in the final version. Aspects such as visual and

45

sound quality, quality of content/storyline, and easiness of use are essential. You can also

include a question about how satisfying the prototype experience was.

Output of Phase 2 – Mediation tools: Identification of the assets and constraints you have in

each POI in term of mediation tools choice. You have a decision about the tools you want to

tell your story. You also have a clear idea of issues at stake according to your situation (labelled

heritage, match, and consistency between new tools and former tools remaining).

VISTA AR Staff will help you to manage these assets and constraints and to make it happen.

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2.4. Delivery

Why should you consider your activities and resources when introducing digital mediation

tools?

Changes in mediation tools imply changes in your site management. Yet there is a very common misconception that adding digital mediation tools is just a question of technology. This is a limited view that may prevent the site from achieving its objectives. On the contrary, technological innovation is tightly linked to innovation in the site’s organisational structure. Changes to the site’s activities, as well as to its resources, are essential. Considering these changes ensures a successful introduction of digital heritage mediation tools and does not endanger the organisation of the site.

Once you have a visitor journey equipped with digital mediation tools (developed in the sections “interpretation” and “mediation tools”), you can develop the blueprint for the activities and resources you need for the new journey to operate correctly. For each POI, you need to identify physical evidences, tourists ’actions, staff ‘actions (front and back office).

2.4.1. Physical Evidence (Resources)

Physical evidence is necessary to indicate how and where to use the mediation tools. At the beginning of the visitor journey, you can install a presentation of the tools to help the visitor getting started. That first physical evidence can be a sign with pictures and text (in national and foreign languages). You will also need a place to store and recharge the devices. The arrival of digital mediation tools could imply some changes in the layout of the site entrance. Example: In a medieval site located in the Ile de la Cité in Paris, the site manager decided to set up a screen with a short promotional video showing what additional content people can access with the tablet and how to use it. All along the journey, you may indicate how to trigger the virtual view or the augmented reality content. Some sites set up totems whereas others propose to scan a building or another physical feature of the heritage site.

2.4.2. Tourist’s actions

The use of digital tools can modify the traffic of visitors, more or less according to the sites and their spatial characteristics (cf. mediation tools, indoor-outdoor, wide or narrow, etc.). To anticipate and avoid problems (queuing, uses conflicts, risks of falling, etc.), you need to identify tourist’s actions for each POI. Example: you want the visitor to trigger the AR view of a space by scanning a trigger. To do this, the visitor must be 1 meter away from the trigger. Two issues can occur: a difficulty in

47

accessing the trigger when more than X visitors (X: number to define according the space available) want to use it; when the presence of a visitor using the trigger can prevent another visitor from seeing an item located in the same space (a painting, an historic object, or just a sign). To help visitors behave as expected, you can also provide warning signs (cf. supra) about security, age limit or indications of how to use the free access tools (if applicable).

2.4.3. Staff ‘actions

Another common misconception about technology is that it can replace humans. However, new mediation tools imply new tasks that in most cases require human resources, both front office and back office.

Front Office Staff actions

Actions carried out by front office staff refer to all actions during which they are in direct

contact with visitors. These include distributing the tools, explaining how they work, retrieving

them, and refunding the deposit (if applicable). It requires new staff capacities both in quantity

and in skills. Sometimes the site is able to handle these new tasks using already employed staff

members and sometimes it needs to hire new staff members.

Site constraints (room design, availability of electricity, etc.) may facilitate or complicate the

site capacity to manage the new needs in staff.

Examples: two British castles have completely different room design, especially at the

entrance. One has space available next to the front desk to install a special POI which helps

visitors to test the digital mediation tool (tablet). It relieves human resources strain by pooling

tasks: welcoming and explaining how to use the tools. The other castle does not have enough

space to allow proper assistance in handling the devices at the entrance.

Digital mediation tools could also modify some front-office jobs like that of the tour guide. As

a site manager, it is important to regularly touch base with employees to avoid professional

identity and legitimacy problems.

Back Office Staff ‘actions

Back-office staff performs actions often invisible for the visitors but crucial to ensure a smooth

functioning of the site. They need to ensure the devices are recharged, as in the case of tablets,

for example. They manage maintenance and repair, internally and/or via subcontracting with

a service provider.

The communication department of the site will also have a key role to play. It will attract

tourists and tour operators via social media, website, press, or tourism fairs. It will also

prepare them to a specific use of the tools and inform them about the use restrictions (age,

48

number of participants, etc.). When the tool is a smartphone application, the department

should make information available concerning where and how it can be downloaded.

2.4.4. From new activities to new resources

After defining the actions of visitors and staff, you will be able to define the resources you need to complete all new activities.

Template: Visitor journey table, including columns for Delivery

Output of Phase 2 – Delivery: Identification of visitors and staff actions necessary to ensure

the delivery of AR/VR experiences, identification of new activities necessary to the site to

function, identification of the resources needed (in quantity and quality).


Episode number

Visitor actions (if any)

Staff actions (front office)

Staff actions (back office)

Resources

49

2.5. Value Capture

The business model is defined for a single value proposition, often for a single type of client.

Just as a business model requires consideration of value to the client, when you design a new

value proposition, you need to consider how you will capture value from it. Likewise, when

introducing virtual and augmented reality experiences into an existing business model, the

value proposition changes and this presents an opportunity to consider how it will create

value.

What constitutes value for your site will depend on the primary goal of business model

innovation. Often, given the investment required to develop these technologies, this will

involve the design of an income stream, often referred to as a monetization strategy. For

others, for example those who have secured funds for innovation based on delivering social

or cultural value, the primary goal may be entirely non-monetary. In such cases, designing

value capture will not require a monetization strategy but instead may focus on other sources

of value with non-financial indicators of success. The remainder of this section focuses on

monetization strategies; types of strategy and factors effecting choice of strategy. In phase 3,

we set out a process for designing indicators of success which can be adapted if the primary

goal is not to generate revenues, this may also be used in conjunction with a monetization

strategy if you have both monetary and non-monetary goals.

Definition

A monetization strategy is a plan of action, designed to convert an

event, object, or transaction into a form of currency in order to achieve

an overall aim or goal.

2.5.1. Types of monetization strategy

Should we charge for the AR/VR experience? What are the options?

Monetization strategies for digital technologies and experiences can be direct or indirect. A

direct revenue generating strategy directly charges a price associated with the experience.

Whereas, indirect strategies generate revenue from activities other than from the experience

itself. For example, by attracting new or repeat visits or by driving customer spending in other

peripheral activities, such as food and beverages, or souvenirs. In these cases, the goal is still

to increase revenue for the site but not by directly charging a fee for the digital experience.

2.5.2. Direct monetization strategies

There are three types of rights a business can legally sell – ownership, access, and matching

rights. We will use these to classify types of direct monetization strategy.

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Types of legal right a business can sell6

Ownership A business can sell the right of ownership of an

asset.

Customers who buy the right of ownership of

an asset have the continuing right to use the

asset in (almost) any way they want including

selling or disposing of it.

Use/access A business can sell the right to use an asset.

Customers buy the right to use the asset in

certain ways for a certain period of time, but

the owner retains ownership, and can restrict

the ways it is used. At the end of the time

period, all rights revert to the owner.

Matching A business can sell the right to be matched with

potential buyers or sellers of something.

Ownership rights

At first glance it may seem unlikely that a site would sell ownership rights of an experience,

allowing customers continued right to use without further charge and the right to transfer

ownership to another party. However, in actual fact, selling ownership rights to an experience

can be a scalable way to offer storytelling and mediation, encouraging people to visit the site

without adding pressure to existing mediation interfaces and site resources (e.g., guided

tours). Examples include selling a tour/guide book or app. When we sell a guide book,

customers own the book, they have the right to resell, gift or dispose of it. However, selling

an experience (a tour) in this way still encourages visits to the site. Similarly, a trail or tour can

be sold as a digital product, as an in-app purchase to an app or as an app in its own right. A

digital tour, in comparison to the print version, may be lower in price but is harder to transfer

ownership or resell.

Matching rights

Selling matching rights represents a fee paid to a site that matches potential customers to

advertisers. This is akin to a traditional advertising model. While this model has been criticised

on the basis customers don’t trust advertising media, often don’t view the adverts and no

longer need adverts to inform a buying decision7. This criticism is often directed at pop-up

advertising, there may still be a place for matching rights where the content is linked and

relevant to the activity.

6 Weill et al (2004) Do Some Business Models Perform Better than Others? A Study of the 1000 Largest US Firms, MIT Sloan Management working paper, no.226 7 Clemons, E.K. (2009), Business Models for monetizing internet applications and web sites: Experience, theory and predictions, Journal of Management Information systems, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp.15-41

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EXAMPLE 1:

A walking trail provider sells matching rights to partner businesses who wish to advertise to

users of their app. providing a free app to walkers, the app offers free content, such as trail

maps, guides, and information. In addition, it advertises accommodation, equipment, travel,

and rest stops to those who engage.

Use/access rights

The most common direct monetization strategies sell usage of, or access rights to, an

experience. When selling usage rights for a digital experience as part of broader cultural

heritage offering, sites need to consider how to combine entrance charges with fees for the

digital experience(s).

For instance, there may be no charge for entry or customers may be charged a price per visit

or a recurring membership fee. In addition, charges for the digital experiences themselves

may be at an additional ticket cost or included in the entrance charge. Where a ticket cost is

charged, this may be at a price per experience or as part of a package of experiences. Which

strategy you choose will depend on the following factors:

Willingness to pay of potential customers8

Competition

Existing business models and current charging structures

Type and length of experience

These factors effect customer expectation of price and their willingness to accept a charge.

EXAMPLES:

Strategy Description Example Considerations

Free site entry, pay

per experience

(freemium)

Entry is provided free of

charge, but money

(premium) is charged for

proprietary experiences

London Science

Museum (free entry

£3-7 per VR/MR

exhibit)

Requires valuable free

content, yet a desire for paid

content

Reliable data to suggest when

to switch to paid and on

different conversion offers,

barriers

Suffers if there are market

alternatives with free content

8 If you would like to understand more about how much your customers are willing to pay for an experience then we recommend the PSM method, a simple yet effective way to get a range of acceptable prices. For a primer on how to carry this analysis out, see https://www.5circles.com/van-westendorp-pricing-the-price-sensitivity-meter/.

https://www.5circles.com/van-westendorp-pricing-the-price-sensitivity-meter/

https://www.5circles.com/van-westendorp-pricing-the-price-sensitivity-meter/

52

Entrance fee (per visit

or recurring) plus pay

per use

Visitors pay a time- based

fee or ticket cost for an

experience

Conciergerie (Paris)

(€9.5 entry, €5 for

a tablet tour)

Requires understanding of the

maximum/optimum price

combination for the total

experience.

Entrance fee (per visit

or recurring) inclusive

of all experiences

Tickets for unlimited access

to all experiences available

at a venue within a set

period of time.

Location based VR

experiences, £12-

18 for a 2hr

experience

Also requires understanding of

the maximum/optimum price

combination for the total

experience.

Requires the experiences to

have universal value across

customer segments and the

ability to be able to deliver the

experience to all customers.

Donation Free or charged entry, no

obligatory fee for

experience but donation

accepted

The National

Gallery’s Mosaic

Masterpiece

project allowed

visitors to select

between three

donation amounts

(£5, £10, and £20)

before taking an

image of

themselves to be

included on large

screen display of a

masterpiece.

Coin and digital donation are

largely accepted as part of

museum and gallery spaces

and exhibits.

Digital donation kiosks cost

money and take time to set-

up, position, and messaging

are key9.

Memberships

Memberships are generally lucrative revenue models, but are only viable in certain

conditions.

They require a compelling value proposition with the right content or service that will justify

an ongoing, subscription – time sensitive, unique, not available for free.

They can suffer from asymmetric competition if there are free alternatives in the local

market.

9 https://mw18.mwconf.org/paper/making-contact-experiments-with-digital-donations-at-national-museums-scotland/

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2.5.3. Indirect monetization strategies

As discussed, monetization can be indirect. That is the business model can generate revenues

from the experiences without directly charging for it. The two most common indirect

strategies are using digital experiences as ‘unique traffic drivers’, and generating revenues

from customer downtime, or in other words, encouraging customer spending while they wait

for an experience.

Unique traffic driver

Using VR and AR to increase relevancy, engagement, and visitor numbers, ultimately to attract

an increase in new and repeat visits, generating revenues through existing streams.

Monetizing downtime

This is a strategy more relevant to VR, where experiences are solitary and limited in terms of

the number who can partake at any one time. This leads to ‘downtime’ e.g., when consumers

are waiting for their turn to play VR or for their peers to finish their turns. This downtime is an

opportunity to entertain people beyond allowing them to watch their peers play VR. It is also

an opportunity for operators to sell other forms of entertainment like pay-to-play non-VR

games and high-margin food and beverage items. It will also encourage people to spend more

time onsite, thereby contributing to increasing the revenues of sites10.

Output of Phase 2 – Value capture: Development of a value capture strategy, whether it be

monetary or non-monetary.

10 https://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/making-money-with-vr-emerging-methods/

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PHASE 3. Evaluating new BM

Introducing digital devices at cultural heritage sites will inevitably require modifications in the

site’s business model. Despite forecasting for potential changes, some unexpected issues

might occur. For instance, the site may see an increase in new visitor segments, or the

experience of those who habitually visit the site can change. Accordingly, site managers need

to adjust and adapt site strategies in terms of value proposition, creation, and capture.

The success of the BMI process can be assessed using specific objectives against the baseline

developed during Phase 1. Phase 3 of the workbook offers a framework to evaluate the

organisational change brought by the AR/VR experiences, including indicators for success, and

respective measures/tools. Ultimately, this evaluation will allow site managers to understand

how the new BM works, identify problems, and come up with solutions for improvement.

Throughout this evaluation, three main types of data and methods are proposed which can

be used at every part of the BM wheel. It is worth making a general evaluation plan before

setting out to work in order to optimise resources, e.g., both visitors and staff can be surveyed

once, and for all items.

Data Method #1 Method #2

Visitor behaviour Observation: by positioning him/herself near a

POI, the observer takes note of the way visitors

use the device and of any misuse, dysfunction,

etc., which could cause detriment to the visitor

experience.

The VISTA dashboard presents

dwell time, visitor routes, and

patterns of navigation captured

through geospatial technology

embedded in the interpretation

devices.

Visitor experience Visitor surveys: visitors' opinions on POI and

devices may be captured through short

interviews and/or questionnaires at the end of

the visit. Observation of visitor behaviour can

also be a rich source of information.

The VISTA dashboard reports

data on aspects of the visitor

experience, including type of

experience, general satisfaction

and overall outcomes.

Operations Interviews with site staff: the opinion of staff

members from different roles (reception, guide,

technical, etc.) about the operation of the site

and how their work is impacted by this

innovation may also be solicited via interviews.

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3.1.1. Assess the new digital visitor journey

The success of the new value proposition/visitor journey reflects directly on overall visitor

satisfaction. Evaluating visitor satisfaction is one way to measure the impact of the digital

experiences in the new visitor journey. Key questions to consider include:

How many visitors choose to use the AR/VR experience?

What is their overall satisfaction?

Which visitor segments show more interest/satisfaction with the AR/VR experiences?

To obtain answers to these questions, you can start with the visitor dashboard. Some data is

continuously collected (see Phase 1 – VP), for instance text analytics of online reviews, and

personal data and visit outcomes through the surveys on the device. You can check data

collected post-implementation and compare it with baseline data from pre-implementation,

referring to how engaged each target audience is to the digital technologies and how satisfied

they are with the visitor journey.

3.1.2. Visitor satisfaction and outcomes

As for the number of visitors taking part in the visitor journey, you can set targets based on

the minimum number of tickets necessary to cover development and operation costs of the

digital experiences. Of course, defining target numbers will depend on your value capture

strategy, e.g., whether you prioritise monetization the digital tech or whether you aim to

improve visitor experience (see Phase 3 – Value Capture). Another issue concerns the

maximum number of simultaneous users that can experience the digital interpretation

without creating disturbance among other visitors and users.

Concerning the quality of the experience, natural language processing of online reviews can

indicate what aspects (positive and negative) of the digital experience stand out to visitors.

This knowledge enables you to highlight the positive aspects, and address the issues that are

having a negative impact.

Example: Soon after implementing a tablet-based tour based on AR technology at a cultural

heritage site, visitor reviews highlighted how useful the experience was, providing a new

engaging way to discover some of the site’s features. On the other hand, reviews frequently

mentioned that the size and weight of the tablets became a burden after some time, causing

visitors to cut their visit short. Site managers then decided to equip the tablets with shoulder

and neck straps for greater carrying during the visit.

In terms of customer relationships and satisfaction, you can check if the levels of retention,

i.e., intention to revisit or actual revisits, have increased in part because of the digital

experiences. Depending on the results, it may be advantageous to implement solutions to

56

increase the attractiveness of revisiting, e.g., offering free re-entry to the ticketholder or their

friends within a fixed period, e.g., six months or one year.

Likewise, the digital experiences may increase visitors’ willingness to recommend the site visit

(and digital experience) to others. Being able to share the experience with others, particularly

on social media, is a significant part of the tourist experience. There are many tactics that can

encourage these word of mouth behaviours. Depending on your aims, you can include visitor

engagement prompts for picture-taking, selfie-spots, or hashtags to stimulate interaction

around certain subjects.

3.1.3. Managing unexpected issues

Despite all the planning, the implementation of digital experiences can also bring unforeseen

changes in the visitor base. For instance, the new visitor journey can turn out to be quite

attractive to visitor segments that were not considered during Phase 2. At one site, an

immersive room was designed focusing on the social aspects of the experience, targeting

especially group visitors, e.g., families or groups of friends. Nonetheless, data collected

showed that the visitors who experienced the immersive room alone ended up reporting

greater satisfaction than those visiting in groups. Having this knowledge allows you to explore

new channels and propositions to market the site to potential segments that have a different

perception of the site as a tourism attraction due to digital tech.

3.1.4. External actors / partnerships

Additional opportunities to benefit from digital experiences may emerge through third parties

seeking to capitalize on the digital tech. For instance, external companies/guides may use the

digital experiences in their tours, or organised group tours can be developed around the digital

experiences. It is worth examining other business model opportunities to make use of the

digital experiences, e.g., how can school group visits make use of the digital experiences?

However, you will need to ensure that these additional endeavours are explored in harmony

with the core BM and target audience of the digital visitor journey.

To evaluate how well the new BM integrates in the site, you can conduct short surveys on

clients of other BM. For instance, after introducing a set of VR experiences for tourist

enjoyment of a medieval cathedral, site managers collected informal interviews with local

parishioners asking about their worship experience to ensure moments of prayer were not

perturbed by visitors taking the VR tour. As a result, they decided to make the VR exhibits

unavailable during the chaplain’s prayers delivered throughout the day.

Output of Phase 3 - VP: Plan to evaluate visitor satisfaction with the new visitor journey.

57

Indicator Target Method/ Data

source

Review period

Number of users

Enough users to cover

development and

operational costs

Ticket office Monthly/

Quarterly/

Half-year

Visitor satisfaction

Positive average score for

digital visitor journey

(e.g., at least 5 out of 7)

Dashboard Monthly/

Quarterly/

Half-year

Intention to

return

Dashboard Monthly/

Quarterly/

Half-year

Word of mouth

Dashboard Monthly/

Quarterly/

Half-year

Memorability of

visit

Dashboard Monthly/

Quarterly/

Half-year

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This section focuses on evaluating the visitor journey’s content, the key messages

communicated through the new visitor journey and visitors’ learning outcomes. This is

relevant because the introduction of new interpretive elements, digital or not, influences

visitors’ type of experience and sense-making of the CHS. Key questions to consider are:

How has the implementation of digital interpretation influenced the type of visitor

experience?

How has the digital visitor journey influenced the understanding visitors make of the

site? What are visitors taking away from the experience?

Is the intended message being effectively conveyed and retained?

3.2.1. Assessing interpretation outcomes

Some visitors value the educational dimension of the visit, and thus pay greater attention to

interpretation elements that focus on aspects such as the site’s history, architecture, and

relevant individuals. Others may be struck by the aesthetics of the site, and focus their visit in

interpretation and service offerings designed for contemplative immersion, for instance a

chance to listen to the choir perform psalms in a medieval cathedral. Whatever the type of

experience, digital interpretation will influence the understanding visitors make of the site.

Specific learning outcomes of the visitor journey can be assessed to determine how effective

the message is being communicated. For instance, have visitors increased their knowledge on

particular subjects? Have they developed specific skills? Has the experience made visitors feel

enriched and wanting to share their experience with others? One way to monitor these

insights is the visitor dashboard, where NLP analysis of visitor feedback (e.g., online reviews)

can uncover particular outcomes and keywords associated to the visitor experience (e.g.,

learning, inspiration, creativity). Furthermore, the dashboard will also provide a general

overview of the type of experience, e.g., some visitors may report having had a more

educational experience, while others may report having a strong emotional experience. This

can provide you with a general sense of the effects that new digital experiences are having on

visitors.

Another way to assess these outcomes is to conduct a specific short survey or ask a sample of

visitors to describe what they gained from the experience, with questions focusing on aspects

such as knowledge, skills, or inspiration. Learning outcomes include a wide range of

dimensions, and deciding which ones to assess will depend on the type of cultural heritage

site as well as the aim of the new visitor journey. Moreover, there are many tools for

evaluating the impact of interpretive media on visitors. For instance, a commonly used

framework in the United Kingdom is the Inspiring Learning for All evaluation tool11.

11 https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-ilfa-0

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-ilfa-0

59

3.2.2. Understanding outcomes in specific visitor segments

For a more detailed evaluation, learning outcomes should be analysed per segment to

understand how digital interpretation influences the experience of each audience group. For

instance, senior couples visiting a War Museum may have a strong emotional experience and

interest in everyday stories of soldiers, spending more time immersed in the interactive

screens containing digitalised letters written by soldiers. School groups and families with

children may have greater interest in a virtual reality re-enactment of particular events

demonstrating how each side prepared and engaged in battle. Both groups may have similar

satisfaction outcomes, even though the learning outcomes are different for each of them.

Understanding the sense-making experience of each visitor segment enables you to identify

particular issues that otherwise might have been diluted in the broader visitor mass. The

dashboard offers the capacity to provide insights into specific outcomes in function of a wide

range of variables of the visitor profile.

It might also be useful to examine outcomes in light of visitors’ geospatial behaviour for a

deeper understanding of the way the interpretation and POIs are influencing the type of

experience. For example, you may find that visitors who spend more time at a certain exhibit

or POI will report greater learning and educational value in their experience, compared to

other visitors who engaged with different POIs. Geospatial data and visitor navigation

behaviour and patterns can be found in the VISTA visitor dashboard.

3.2.3. Adjusting the visitor journey curation

Depending on the experience outcomes reported by each segment, you may change the way

individual POIs are curated. For instance, further interpretation can be added at POIs that are

popular for their educational qualities, to enhance the information available at certain points

of the visitor journey. This does not necessarily need to be digital interpretation – physical

panels can provide additional information while giving visitors a chance to rest their eyes from

screen time. Leaflets can be taken and read later at the convenience of the visitor. You can

also use POIs from other visitor journeys to complement/enhance the digital visitor journey.

Likewise, information may be removed if it does not add significant value to the visitor

journey, opening up space to concentrate the spotlight on the digital device.

Output of Phase 3 - Storytelling: Plan to evaluate the visitor experience and learning

outcomes from the new visitor journey.

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Indicator Target Method/Data

source

Review period

Overall type of experience

Educational

Entertainment

Escapist

Aesthetic

Dashboard Monthly/ Quarterly/ Half-year

Learning outcomes/

benefits gained

Knowledge

Skills

Inspiration

Fun

- Dashboard

(NLP)

- Visitor surveys

Monthly/ Quarterly/ Half-year

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3.3.1. When to evaluate your digital tools?

Evaluating your mediation tools is important. First of all, during implementation stages it

helps to verify:

If the grip for visitors is easy

If they find the quality and the content satisfactory

For testing and installation of your digital mediation tools, see section 2.3.4. But it is also

important to evaluate the devices at regular intervals to be able to detect:

Potential minor technical problems which, if accumulated, affect the quality and

handling. These problems may not be spontaneously reported by visitors, unlike larger

issues, e.g., bugs. Hence the importance of regularly surveying visitors.

The moment when devices and their content begin to age, causing dissatisfaction to

visitors. The evaluation conducted during sections 3.1 and 3.2 will help identify this

moment.

3.3.2. What to assess?

The evaluation of mediation tools is carried out via two main themes: the use made by visitors

and their appreciation of the quality of content.

Regarding the use of mediation tools by visitors, the objective is to verify that they easily

handle these tools. In other words, it is a question of ensuring that they are easily accessible

and usable as well from a physical point of view as cognitive (cf. Example below).

EXAMPLE: Augmented reality experience on a digital tablet

From a physical perspective, is the "tablet" interface easy to handle in terms of weight,

brightness, straps/carrying equipment, etc.?

Of course, considering the context of the site or of the POI in question, it is important to

evaluate these physical elements: During what length/area/duration of the visitor journey is

the tablet going to be used? Is the animation triggered indoors or outdoors? This will allow

the response to be better adapted in the event of visitor difficulties and/or dissatisfaction.

From a cognitive point of view, is the AR application intuitive enough to be used as

intended? Are the instructions easily understood? Do visitors understand easily what

they are expected to do in order to benefit from the experience?

Regarding the quality of the content, the objective is to assess the visual, sound, and

functional quality of the visitors' virtual or augmented reality experience. The aim of this

evaluation is also to reveal any technical problems that could affect the quality of this

experience.

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EXAMPLE: Virtual reality experience with a headset

Does the visual and sound quality allow visitors to achieve a feeling of immersion? Are

there image or sound issues that could affect that sense of immersion?

Are the functionalities offered by the virtual reality application satisfactory? Does the

active/passive role of visitors have a positive/negative impact on the immersive

experience of visitors? Is being able to move around in the virtual environment

perceived as positive? Is the possibility of interaction with virtual elements appreciated

for its quality?

3.3.3. How to collect this information on digital mediation tools?

Again, all of the evaluation methods can be used here (cf. introduction phase 3). For instance,

observing how visitors use the digital mediation tools can be done either by positioning

oneself near a particular POI or by following a visitor or a group of visitors throughout their

journey. The aim is both to analyse the ease of handling digital tools and to identify possible

difficulties. It is also useful to observe how staff use the device, for example, during guided

tours, if they are offered at the site.

Specific visitor surveys or interviews focusing on aspects such as immersion, usefulness, or

interaction can also be employed to gain visitors' appreciation for quality and usability of the

digital experience.

Interviews can also be conducted with contact staff (whether they are guides, reception staff,

or stewards) and technical staff to find out how frequently visitors require their assistance in

their handling of the devices or for “debugging” actions.

Finally, the VISTA AR dashboard may also provide data that can be useful in this type of

analysis.

Output of Phase 3 – Mediation tools: Plan for collecting information on the use and

appreciation of mediation tools for analysis and decision-making to adjust negative elements.

Areas of Assessment Indicators

Data

collection

methods

Results Actions / Solutions

Uses Physical

Cognitive

Quality

Visual

Sound

Features

Information gathering plan Analysis and decision-making

64

3.4. Delivery

In order to integrate the digital tools in the visitor journey, the site’s organisation has been

redesigned during Phase 2. As such, it should now be evaluated at every level of the blueprint,

i.e. physical evidence, as well as the actions required from visitors, front office staff, and back

office staff (see Diagram in 1.4).

For each of these levels, are the new resources required for a smooth visitor journey relevant?

Have unanticipated issues become apparent when visitors take the new visitor journey?

For each level of blueprint analysis, we offer a series of issues to consider, and ways to track

their progress. These reflections can be adapted to the specifics of your site.

NB: This evaluation must be initiated for each POI while simultaneously ensuring the

interdependencies that exist among them.

3.4.1. Physical evidence

Three issues concerning the “physical elements” should be assessed at each POI of the visitor

route.

Do the panels/signage (directions of the route, instructions to use devices, information

on heritage content, etc.) and scenographic furniture (model, sounds, lights, etc.) (cf.

section 3.3) facilitate proper visitor engagement with the POI?

Does the device storage and charging furniture contribute to satisfactory working

conditions for staff?

Does the POI raise issues of flow management that had not been anticipated? How

can these be addressed?

Example 1: Installing physical elements to solve queue problems: case of a projection room

Place a timer at the entrance indicating the current running time of the video/show, how long

until the next start, and at what intervals the video/show is regularly played.

EXAMPLE 2: Space limitations and physical elements: case of mobile mediation devices

(tablets)

Due to space constraints at the site’s welcome desk, tablets may be stored and charged in

different areas. For staff, this requires frequent trips back and forth between both areas. The

ergonomics of the premises (small space) therefore creates additional tasks for the reception

staff affecting the operation of their main tasks (welcoming, information, ticketing, shop, etc.).

It is thus necessary to reconfigure the space in question so that the staff can combine the

traditional reception tasks with the new tasks required by the introduction of digital mediation

tools.

65

The evaluation of these issues concerning “physical items” is closely related to the assessment

of two other levels of the blueprint: “visitor actions" (see 2.3.) and “staff actions" (cf. 2.4.).

Their cross-evaluation will facilitate the identification of faults in the site’s organisation.

3.4.2. Visitors actions

Concerning the actions that are required from visitors to ensure a smooth visit, key questions

include:

To what extent do visitors adopt the intended behaviour at each POI?

Even when they adopt the intended behaviour, are there issues that have not been

anticipated (queue, difficult understanding of places, understanding of heritage

mediation (cf. STORYTELLING) time spent at each POI, etc.)

These two questions are available on different types of issues (the relevance of which depends

on the site considered):

Issues regarding the use of digital mediation tools (cf. MEDIATION TOOLS)

Since digital mediation tools are part of the visitor journey, visitors are expected to be able to

use them easily.

Is this the case? Is there a learning curve from one POI to another that allows visitors to be

more and more comfortable, and to make the most of the heritage content without

disturbance caused by poor handling of the digital tools?

NB: Data collection on this issue should be considered alongside data collected for MEDIATION

TOOLS, in order to optimise the resources dedicated to evaluation.

Visitor flow and crowding issues

What is the dwell time at each POI? Is it equal, more or less than what was estimated?

If different than estimated, it is necessary to rethink the flow management on the site

(see 3.4.4.).

Do visitors easily follow the route (understanding of places, location in space)? (cf.

Physical evidence)

Do digital tools generate interactions among visitors? Are they negative (e.g., unable

to trigger the animation if another visitor is standing in the way) or positive (e.g.,

sharing experience between being members of a group)? Are these interactions

aligned with the site's performance objectives (e.g., education-mediation) or not (bad

experience caused by conflict of use between visitors - with digital tools, alone, on a

guided tour)?

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Optimisation of waiting times

Are issues being cause by queues and waiting time on arrival to the site or before

approaching a POI with digital tools? Are the systems put in place to entertain during

the waiting time appropriate (to provide information via physical elements, shop,

etc.)? What do visitors think?

3.4.3. Front office staff actions

This section is about evaluating if the changes anticipated in Phase 2 concerning the various

tasks of front office staff are relevant: are new activities required from the front office staff

that had not been anticipated? If so, how can these be managed?

Several solutions can be available: allocating new tasks to front office staff, recruiting

additional human resources (dedicated, or redeployed from back office staff) and/or

introducing additional physical evidence (signage, explanatory video, etc.).

Reception staff

When digital mediation tools are mobile, that is to say, transportable by visitors such as a

tablet, new tasks are expected for staff working at the welcome desk/ticket office (see Phase

2).

The average time it takes to provide the devices to visitors and receive them at the end of

the visit must be evaluated in order to check whether the anticipated impact on the tasks of

the reception staff is adequate.

This action itself involves several sub-actions:

- Presenting the digital device

- Verifying the device’s battery charge

- Retention of a deposit (if applicable)

- Starting up the device with operating instructions

- Verifying the device by control points to reimburse the deposit (if applicable)

- Store and recharge the returned device

The total duration of this action, as well as of each specific sub-action, must be evaluated.

Knowing this information helps optimise the whole process. For instance, the time a member

of staff takes to show to a visitor how the device works could be reduced by introducing

physical evidence nearby, such as a panel or video with user instructions.

In addition to these tasks of providing and returning devices, the mobilisation of additional

staff time can happen in the course of the visit. It is therefore necessary to consider the time

staff takes to attend to visitors needing assistance during their journey (e.g., difficulty

triggering the AR or problems with running the VR, etc.).

67

A cross-analysis of the feedback collected from front office staff deployed on the ground, and

observation of visitor behaviour will make it possible to assess the average time it this type of

activity takes.

Two options are available to the site:

Improving the application itself, for example when a problem recurs at a particular

POI;

Introducing non-human support for troubleshooting so that staff are mobilised as a

last resort. This may be help via an explanation embedded within the digital tool (see

MEDIATION TOOLS) or via signage (see physical evidence).

Special case of mediation staff

Human mediation and digital mediation are not incompatible. On the contrary, tour guides

can use the digital content to enhance the interpretation provided, for example. However,

tour guides can be reluctant to the implementation of digital devices to support mediation.

This can become a management issue. Therefore, some HR aspects need to be considered,

including:

training guides on tablet use and on business innovation and transformation (to

challenge reluctance of guides to the perceived threat to their business)

Valorizing skills and expertise, e.g., if the digital device makes it possible to deliver basic

content in an automated way, the guide can focus on enhanced content. Or if part of

the journey is now covered by the device, the overall work of the guide is shortened,

enabling him/her to accommodate more groups with more added value.

3.4.4. Back office staff actions

Behind the scenes, the back office staff support the functioning of the site, its rules, and

procedures, but also external relations (suppliers, partners, other services - logistics, finance,

and communication – and local authorities if the site is under public management). It is

therefore necessary to assess whether the impact on all of these actions caused by introducing

digital mediation tools has been predicted or whether adjustments are necessary. The most

adequate method is through interviews with staff and possibly with visitors.

Staff training in digital mediation tools: were all members of front office staff

(reception, guides, providing/returning devices, stewards, etc.) trained? Are they

prepared to inform and answer questions from visitors? What knowledge and skills do

they lack (if any)?

More generally, how does the staff deal with the return of the devices? They are

required to process returns and detect malfunctions that could go unnoticed

otherwise. This is an example of the difficulties faced by staff due to the need for

multifunctionality at the “welcome desk“.

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Are coordination procedures put in place between staff members on problems and

solutions? In particular, are they asked to express their views on the “cascading

effects” (see example below) related to decisions taken at one level of the blueprint to

other levels?

EXAMPLE: Illustration of “cascading effects”

Take the case of a malfunction at a POI during the journey, e.g., difficulty in triggering an

animation (Visitor actions). This leads visitors to turn back and seek explanations at the

welcome desk or from floor staff at different locations on the site (Front office staff actions).

This creates reverse flows, even traffic jams, at the POI in question, therefore affecting the

positive experience of other visitors.

A first solution is to add an explanatory panel at the POI (physical elements) or add an

explanatory pop-up in the application (if tablet/smartphone) (Back office staff actions).

Output of Phase 3 – Delivery: Plan for collecting information on the functioning of the site

according to the different levels of blueprint analysis - the objective being to adjust the

functioning.

Blueprint levels Indicators

Data

collection

methods

Results Actions / Solutions

Physical evidence

Visitors actions

Actions of staff in

contact

Staff actions

behind the scenes

69

3.5. Value Capture

Is the monetization strategy effective? How can the strategy be monitored?

While it’s easy to look at what other cultural heritage and tourism sites consider important

measures of success, it’s best to measure what makes the most sense for your situation. What

makes sense for your site will depend on the primary objective of the business model

innovation (see Phase 2 – Value Capture). If the primary objective is not financial (either

directly or indirectly), it may be wise to consider designing other key performance indicators

(KPIs) for the investment, rather than KPIs for the monetization strategy. This section focuses

on key performance indicators for direct and indirect monetization strategies designed in

Phase 2. If they do not fit your goal, you can adapt the process of setting KPIs to suit your

situation.

KPIs are a measurement or indicator that help to understand how well a strategy is performing

in relation to its primary objectives and monetization goals. In short, it will show whether you

are on track or not and, in turn, assist decision-making. While they aid monitoring, they do not

tell us the answer as to why it might be underperforming – to address this you may need to

conduct further investigation into the cause and/or go back to stage 1 and analyse the

business model.

It also important to note that the KPI(s) may change over time. For instance, when starting

out, you may be focused on building an audience for the new experience. As a result, your

first KPI may be designed to monitor any increase in visitor numbers or to track positive word

of mouth. Over time, this might change to, or expand to include, a financial indicator such as

average revenue per user (see 3.5.1).

A process for setting KPIs:

Before setting a KPI, it is a good idea to define the monetization goal(s) based on the primary

objective of the BMI and the type of monetization strategy (direct or indirect). In the example

provided in the Key performance indicator planning template below, the monetization goal

is to increase the spread of positive word of mouth on the experience, based on a primary

objective to increase visitor numbers and market share.

1. Identify KPI, a measurement(s) or indicator that helps understand how well the

strategy is performing against its goal.

2. Set a Target or benchmark for each indicator. Here you can also outline the

performance thresholds, that is, when performance levels are judged to be good or

bad.

3. For your Data source, identify and describe the data collection method you are going

to use for each KPI. Data collection methods can include surveys, questionnaires,

interviews, sensor data collection, focus groups, and automated machine data

collection, as well as collection of archival data.

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4. Review period. Some KPIs require data to be collected daily, others specify monthly,

quarterly or annual collection. Make sure your schedule allows enough time to collect

the data, analyse it, solve any issues and deliver the report.

It is also important to recognise that one KPI may not represent the full picture, it may have

shortcomings that need to be documented and addressed with additional information. For

example, if monitoring NPS (see table), the data would ideally be supplemented with

unstructured customer feedback to identify areas of improvement. NPS only tells us our

proportion of promoters; it doesn’t provide insight into why an improvement may be

desirable.

Indicator Target Data source Review period

Net Promoter Score (NPS).

NPS of 85% by 2023

Survey administered in device

Q: How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?

Using a 0-10 scale (Not at all likely to extremely likely)

quarterly

Table: Key performance indicator planning template

3.5.1. Direct Monetization KPIs

This section provides some example KPIs that you may find useful when evaluating direct

monetization strategies (discussed in 2.5.).

Price Sentiment

How is the price perceived by visitors?

How customers perceive your price level will determine their intention to visit and visit again.

It will also determine how they speak of their visit to others, so you will want your price to be

perceived positively and be considered to represent ‘value’. Perception of pricing at cultural

heritage sites is nuanced in comparison to tourism more generally, some expect culture

activities to be free or to be subsidised. Capturing this and seeking to identify where there is

willingness-to-accept paid activities is key. In terms of how data could be sourced to monitor

this KPI, it could be addressed anecdotally by interviewing staff at ticketing and customer

service desks. At the medieval cathedral, for example, staff at the ticketing desk receive a

significant amount of feedback on pricing, both verbally and non-verbally (i.e. observing walk-

away numbers). An alternative data source is the visitor dashboard, which captures positive

and negative sentiment towards price in TripAdvisor reviews. It can even show how this

sentiment is driving ratings. Reviewing this data and the reviews themselves may also indicate

why they don’t perceive the price to reflect the value of the offering, aiding decision-making.

This KPI would work well for all direct monetization strategies.

Average Income per Visitor (AIPV)

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What level of income (revenue) is being generated per visitor?

Where you have a direct charge for an experience, for example if you have implemented a

‘Free site entry, pay per experience’ or ‘Entrance fee (per visit or recurring) plus pay per use’

strategy, the revenue per visitor is easy to identify, it is simply the use charge. However, if your

site has a recurring membership strategy, it is not always that simple, especially where

membership is inclusive of all experiences. Similarly, if you have a range of pricing strategies

(e.g., you have a mix of membership offers, per visit entry fees and additional pay per use

charges) you may wish to calculate the AIPV across these strategies to compare growth at the

per-visitor level over time.

AIPV is calculated by the sum amount of revenue generated in a specific time period, divided

by the number of visitors using the offering in that period:

𝐴𝐼𝑃𝑉 =𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑

AIPV is typically reported on a per-month basis, but this may depend on the volume and

frequency of visits to the site. If monitoring an app on its own, where there is a high number

of visitors but a low retention rate it may make more sense to report weekly or daily.

Visitor Lifetime Value (VLTV)

What is a visitor's monetary worth over time?

You can convert the AIPV into a visitor lifetime value by predicting the lifespan of an average

visitor (i.e. how long are visitors retained or engaged with your offer).

To measure this, you need to know your churn rate (i.e. what percentage of customers stop

using your offering within the time frame. The time period should be the same as the one used

to measure AIPV) and inverse it to get the predicted amount of time a customer will spend

using the offering. This is then multiplied by the AIPV:

𝑉𝐿𝑇𝑉 = 𝐴𝐼𝑃𝑉 𝑥 1

(𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑

)

For example, let’s say your average user generates £5 in revenue every month (based on

membership plan) and you have a monthly churn rate of 20%:

𝑉𝐿𝑇𝑉 £25.00 = £5.00 𝑥 1

(20

100 = 0.2)

That means your average customer has a predicted lifetime value of £25.00. This is based on

recurring membership only but could be done across business models/pricing strategies.

Clearly if all visitors visit only the once in a period then the VLTV equates to the AIPV. As a

result, this is a measure that works where at least one of your customer segments is a repeat

visitor (for example, where you have a recurring membership charge).

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Return per Visitor (RV)

What return is being made per visitor?

Building on VLTV, if your VLTV is greater than the Cost of Investment per Visitor (CIPV) then

there is a positive return. Given the level of investment required to develop these experiences,

this is a long term goal, and it is likely that the target in the short to medium term will be to

reach a point where VLTV meets CIPV. As a long term goal this is likely to have an annual

review period.

To calculate this, you need to measure your CIPV and compare it to how much revenue you’re

generating per user12.

𝐶𝐼𝑃𝑉 = 𝐼𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡

𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 (𝑛𝑒𝑤) 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡

𝑅𝑉 = 𝑉𝐿𝑇𝑉

𝐶𝐼𝑃𝑉

3.5.2. Indirect Monetization KPIs

This section provides some example KPIs that you may find useful when evaluating indirect

monetization strategies (discussed in 2.5.).

Visitor numbers

Have visitor numbers increased as a result of the BMI?

If your primary objective was to attract new and repeat visits, then a simple yet effective

metric is to monitor visitor numbers. This can be monitored to reflect growth over time. A new

exhibit may see an initial increase in visits and numbers vary by season, so when looking at

trends, it is often a good idea to compare like with like to get an accurate reflection of change.

Word of Mouth

How likely are visitors to recommend the experience to others?

Positive word of mouth is linked to new and repeat visits and improved firm performance. It

is usually captured as part of visitor surveys. This could be embedded in a device as part of an

end of tour survey, or be done periodically as part of a larger data collection exercise.

Average Spend per Visitor (ASPV)

What ancillary revenue is being generated per visit?

12 There are several ways to do this but this one is based on this one: Measuring the Lifetime Value of

a Mobile Customer.

http://www.apptamin.com/blog/lifetime-value-mobile-customer/

http://www.apptamin.com/blog/lifetime-value-mobile-customer/

73

If you have designed an indirect monetization strategy, particularly ‘monetizing downtime’,

you may adapt AIPV to reflect spending generated in ancillary services. Rather than use

experience/ticket pricing and revenues, you could look at average visitor spend in the shop,

café etc., monitoring whether average spend per user has increased over time:

𝐴𝑆𝑃𝑉 =𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑

Output of Phase 3 – Value capture: KPI plan to monitor monetization effectiveness.

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Epilogue

You have reached the end of the evaluation phase, and the end of the digital innovation

process. You began by taking stock of the situation, then you designed and experimented with

devices, which you finally evaluated. You have raised many questions, and provided many

answers: at the end of these three phases, you know a lot more. Alas, there are also new

questions raised by the evaluation (for example, customer life value, which you cannot yet

measure with much hindsight), or environmental transformations that could impact your

business model (imagine a hotel complex is developed next to your site, and the change in

customer flows and segments that this would bring about). Many adaptations are likely to

happen in the not-so-distant future. In fact, an adaptation process does not have a definite

beginning and end; on the contrary, your innovation process should be seen as a sequence of

cycles from Phase 1 to Phase 3, and back to Phase 1. As you innovate, you are transforming

your existing offer, and this will be subject to adaptations which themselves constitute

innovations, even if not all of them will be radical.

However, it is clear that your heritage site cannot remain in a state of constant innovation. A

minimum level of stability is required to ensure efficient operation and a satisfying visitor

experience. For such, it is important to ensure a certain consistency between the different

aspects of your BM wheel, for each of your business models and between them. You have

evaluated these different aspects, and have probably identified contradictions or friction in

the implementation of your new business model which should be addressed. For example,

you may find that offering a VR experience and the number of visitors who take it generate an

increase of 10% of your revenue. Simultaneously, the maintenance expenses incurred and the

recruitment of additional staff to handle the headsets corresponds to 12% of your revenue:

you are making a loss, and it might be appropriate to slightly increase the price of the VR

experience (and to follow the reactions of visitors to this increase). For a business model based

on innovative technology to work, a whole set of parameters must be taken into account while

setting up the system in an optimal and relatively sustainable way.

In order to achieve a coherent business model that realises the potential of the AR and/or VR

technology implemented, you therefore need to fine-tune your system, identifying key

parameters with an acceptable range of values. For example, you need to determine how

many visitors you need at a minimum (to be cost-effective) and at a maximum (to not affect

the quality of the visitor experience), and how this should evolve over time. These questions

also relate to the number of staff (how many people at the front desk for so many visitors?),

and how long the equipment will last (with so many visitors, you will have such a high rate of

use of the tablets for AR, so you can expect to have to replace them every 2 years). In the end,

the success of your innovation will depend on your ability to consistently realign the key

parameters of your business model.

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Appendix 1. Case study: Exeter Cathedral

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Appendix 2. Case study: Château de Fougères

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