When consumers live several experiences in one: Syncretic thematization and consumers’ productive use of free time

Abstract

In a culture of experiential consumption, themed consumer experiences have become highly marketable commodities, giving birth to new types of experiences. In this research, we explore these new forms of experiences that try to escape from commodification through syncretism. We conduct an ethnography of a highly themed festival, Hellfest in France. We identify that this festival offers an experience based on cognitive, sensory, and praxeological syncretism which aims to re-enchant as well as disorient consumers. Since syncretic experiences are perceived as several sub-experiences in one, we also show how these new types of experiences are rooted in a new conception of space-time in which consumers want productively to collect memorable experiences.

Understanding Customer Experience for Sustainable Innovation: An Integration of Conscious and Unconscious Perspectives of Theme Hotel Guests

“…Second, the theme hotel was chosen as the context of this study because of its high experience-oriented nature. In an experience economy, the best way to add experience elements is thematization [54]. Moreover, for the first time, theme hotels have broken the traditional competition on price and quality and are marching toward a higher level of cultural competition.…”