Festivalisation and its impact on marketing strategies of permanent music venues

The live music industry and live experience have undergone many changes in recent years. Experience is valued above ownership in the consumption patterns of the audiences. These changing patterns aided in the creation of the trend of festivalisation and the era of hyper-festivity (Richards, 2007). This trend of festivalisation has given opportunities in the growth of live music festivals in particular. They fit the narrative of more temporary, experience-based events that are currently in demand. This research looks at how the live music sector has adapted to these changes, how permanent music venues perceive these trends and how they have adapted their business and marketing strategies. Analysis of the marketing material showed there were two approaches that can be distinguished, and that are used by event organizers in their marketing. Firstly, they diversified their activities in order to follow the changing consumption patterns (Nergrier, 2016) in the experience economy (Pine & Gilmore, 1998). By diversifying their activities they are creating more of an experience. The second approach that is used by the venues is a strong focus on branding. Standing out in the market, creating a community around your brand (Muniz, 2001) and consequently loyal customers (Seonjeong, 2014) are crucial in the overall brand equity (Chen, 2001). Branding is crucial in order to connect to the audience you want to attract and brand communities allow organizations to interact and learn more about their most loyal customers (Laroche et al, 2012). Data collection by way of expert interviews resulted in the following findings, festivals should prioritise distinguishing themselves and specialisation. These two strategies fit in the ever growing need for new, unique experiences (Moor, 2013). One of the more important tools in achieving this is branding. Festivals can distinguish themselves by having a clear brand strategy that targets a specific audience. Social media and an online presence in general are important in establishing the brand and growing the brand equity. Besides specialisation and creating a clear brand that surrounds this specialisation, it has become more important to diversify the activities at the event. And as a result of this, it is important to market this diversification. Overall, the marketing strategies of festivals organized by venues are impacted by the festivalisation trend in several ways. It comes down to a few basic principles which have their roots in the festivalisation trend, with changing consumption pattern being the most important. Because of the festivalisation trend and the growth of the number of festivals it has become more important to distinguish yourself in the market, there needs to be a unique factor to an event or festival that is organized. By way of branding and effectively creating an image that targets a specific audience it is possible to gain a competitive advantage over other festivals. Diversification within this brand or image that is created fits the modern consumption patterns of the experience economy and help in creating customer loyalty, which in turn will lead to strengthened brand communities.