Marketing Transformative Event Experiences: Archetypes for Positive Change

Abstract

Transformative experiences are increasingly the focus of festival and event designers. In business event contexts, attendees often redefine their mindset, attitudes, and practices following a transformative event experience. Current research primarily examines the factors that trigger transformation and highlights the principles of intentional design for change. However, there is much less focus on the marketing of transformative events. Using a two-step method that involves free-hand image drawing and sentence completion conducted both pre- and post-event, this study explores how transformation is represented in the symbols and words associated with brand archetypes in transformative events. The analysis reveals dominant associations with three of the eight brand archetypes: Sage, Explorer, and Magician. Implications for research and event marketing practice are provided. Using archetype association narratives and transformative imagery represents a novel approach to marketing the unique nature of transformative events.