A model for positioning arts festivals in South Africa

Abstract

Arts festivals are common events in South Africa, but organisers tend to market their events haphazardly without a specific focus. Despite the significant growth in the number and size of festivals and similar events, it is important to find out how marketing and positioning can be done in a systematic way. Three main arts festivals were studied, selecting like-minded respondents from festival attendees on a scenario basis. Five different attributes describing arts festivals, namely festival brands, ticket prices, entertainment activities, food and beverages (refreshments) and transport to venues were developed. A different combination of attributes, situational inhibitors and push factors gave each festival a unique experience in the market. This article reports on a process of developing a positioning model and demonstrates its application and use. Researchers in other fields could replicate the systematic approach followed in this study and apply it to other arts festivals or similar events to increase their sustainability.

Keywords:

• arts festivals
• conjoint analysis
• festival attributes
• positioning model
• push factors
• situational inhibitors