Spatial taste formation as a place marketing tool: the case of live music consumption

Abstract

Purpose -The aim of this paper is to explore how spatial taste formation and the interrelationships between place and taste can inform the development of contemporary place marketing and/or place management strategies.Design/methodology/approach -The paper draws on previous research conducted within the context of live music consumption and, in particular, within live musical spaces such as festivals and concert halls.Findings -Our study illustrates how spatial taste formation can inform the development of topographies of taste which focus on the creation of field-specific experiences. It also offers insights for understanding the phenomenological uniqueness of various places and the role of place users and other stakeholders in the creation of place marketing and branding value.Originality/value -We elaborate upon the potential usefulness of spatial taste formation for place management and marketing research practice and draw out implications for future research. We advance a holistic and phenomenological understanding of place which illustrates how users' perceptions of place are shaped by their experiences in various places and by the interplay of these experiences with their individual tastes and vice versa.

The Möbius strip of market spatiality: mobilizing transdisciplinary dialogues between CCT and the marketing mainstream

“…Skandalis et al (2018) explored similar dynamics in their multi-sited ethnography of how places contribute to the formation of taste in relation to music consumption. Comparing classical music venues with indie festivals, their study demonstrates how music consumers emplace themselves by discerning the implicit rules of the musical places and acting appropriately (see also Skandalis et al, 2017;Skandalis et al, 2020). To provide another example from the CCT literature, Hoeslcher and Chatzidakis (2020) note how digital technologies now allow ethical consumers to escape physical restraints and expand their activities, but also stress how face-to-face activities continue to add value and vitality to their communities, necessitating regular emplacements of ethical consumption.…”

Towards a theoretical framework on sensorial place brand identity

“…Place has been approached and researched by scholars in many distinctive ways and the term is often used interchangeably with space (Skandalis et al, 2017). Creswell (2004) identified three approaches to place, namely, descriptive, social constructionist and phenomenological.…”

“…Creswell (2004) identified three approaches to place, namely, descriptive, social constructionist and phenomenological. The phenomenological approach conceptualises place as a way of looking and sensing the world, as the experience marker of our existence (Skandalis et al, 2017). In other words, it views place as a platform of action from a physical, historical, cultural and social perspective (Skandalis et al, 2017).…”

“…The phenomenological approach conceptualises place as a way of looking and sensing the world, as the experience marker of our existence (Skandalis et al, 2017). In other words, it views place as a platform of action from a physical, historical, cultural and social perspective (Skandalis et al, 2017). According to Spielmann et al (2018, p. 652) places are conceptualised as "contextual environments located in geographic spaces where consumers make decisions, interact, perform, recharge, and escape".…”

“…As such, places contain tangible, symbolic and sensory components (Spielmann et al, 2018) that add value to the consumption experience. Such a phenomenological conception position place as an active locus of meanings and as a platform where users' lived experiences take place (Skandalis et al, 2017). In another stream of research, Visconti et al (2010) highlighted the performative role of human agency in the public consumption of place.…”