Social constructions of value: marketing considerations for the context of event and festival visitation.

Abstract

This chapter argues for a shift from the traditional value perspectives to a more holistic representation of socially constructed value in practice. This chapter is organized in three parts. In the first part, an overview is offered of how value has been conceptualized in the service marketing literature and events literature, more specifically in order to set the scene for an alternative practice-based value approach in the event and festival context. This approach combines the recently emerged marketing concept of co-creation and the view of value as co-created in the social practices of event attendees. The second part of the chapter explores examples of three categories of event and festival social practices (namely, bonding, communing and belonging), in order to demonstrate, in the third part, how this value approach could help to inform empirical value explorations and applications in the context of event and festival marketing.

Events and online interaction: the construction of hybrid event communities

“…These out-of-the-ordinary experiences involve a strong, although temporary, sense of togetherness and one-ness amongst the participants, which many authors have labelled ritualistic. They refer to Turner's concepts of liminality (Turner, 1967, 1979, Van Gennep, 1960; an in-between state of possibilities and exploration, and communitas (Jaimangal-Jones, Pritchard, & Morgan, 2010;Rihova et al, 2015;Sterchele & Saint-Blancat, 2015;StJohn, 2017;Turner, 1995); a community of like-minded comrades.…”

“…Offline event practices are the subject of a study by Rihova et al (2015), in which three different types of practices are distinguished. Firstly, they define bonding practices, which are characterised by socialising with significant others.…”

“…Bonding practices are performed in order to catch up with each other and share experiences. Secondly, Rihova et al (2015) distinguish communing practices, which refer to Turner's (1995) communitas. These practices occur when event attendees find themselves removed from their daily routines and ordinary lives.…”

“…Within this state of liminality, strong, but temporary social links are made with strangers. The third category are belonging practices, which Rihova et al (2015) link to what Maffesoli (1996) calls neo tribes; emotional communities of interests around particular themes. Belonging practices can result in attendees experiencing a sense of kinship and belonging that goes beyond the scope of the event, resulting into a longterm commitment to the community and potentially to the event.…”

“…Events tend to be studied as isolated moments in time. Existing studies regarding event practices have focused on social interaction during events, identifying different types of social practices (Nordvall, Pettersson, Svensson, & Brown, 2014;Quinn & Wilks, 2013;Rihova, Buhalis, Gouthro, & Moital, 2018;Rihova, Buhalis, Moital, & Gouthro, 2015). However, there is a lack of linkage between events and their antecedents and consequences, such as prior and subsequent interaction between participants, of which online interaction is an important aspect.…”