Who attends drag events and why? A motivation segmentation study of South African audiences

Autores

  • Chris Hattingh
  • Ashley Niekerk

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57883/thij19(1)2022.29743

Palavras-chave:

Audience, Drag events, Entertainment, Leisure behavior, Market segmentation

Resumo

Traditional theatre genres appear to compete for audiences in a competitive post-modern culture. This is most likely owing to the availability of a wide range of more popular entertainment- and leisure activities. Drag events, which have just recently become acknowledged as part of mainstream arts and culture, appear to be one such activity. This could explain why the attractiveness of these performances among audiences has largely been empirically overlooked. This study intends to fill a gap in the literature on performing arts, hospitality, and leisure by looking into audience members' motives for attending drag events and categorizing them into market segments. The findings offer significant insight into the leisure behavior of people who attend drag events, as well as suggestions for attracting the right people with the correct message and ensuring that products and services produced for and promoted to these audiences satisfy their specific needs.

Referências

Ali, J. (2016, September 22). A brief history of theatre. London Theatre Direct. Available at

https://www.londontheatredirect.com/post/868/a-brief-history-of-theatre.aspx.

Bansal, H., & Eiselt, H. A. (2004). Exploratory research of tourist motivations and planning. Tourism Management, 25(3), 387–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(03)00135-3.

Baxter, D., Jones, S., & Leer, C. (2022). Audience diversity and well-being at UK drag events. Event Management, 26(1), 127-140. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599521X16192004803656.

Beefcakes. (n.d.). Great atmosphere & great food. Available at https://www.beefcakes.co.za/about-us.

Bigné, E., Gnoth, J., & Andreu, L. (2008). Advanced topics in tourism market segmentation. In A. G. Woodside & D. Martin (Eds.), Tourism management: Analysis, behaviour and strategy (pp. 151-173). CABI.

Boekstein, M. S. (2012). Revitalising the healing tradition - health tourism potential of thermal springs in the Western Cape [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Cape Peninsula. University of Technology.

Bowdin, G., Allen, J., & O’Toole, W. (2006). Events management (2nd ed.). Butterworth-

Heinemann.

Brennan, N., & Gudelunas, D. (2017). Drag culture, global participation and RuPaul’s Drag Race. In. N. Brennan & D. Gudelunas (Eds.), RuPaul’s Drag Race and the shifting visibility of drag culture (pp. 1-14). Palgrave Macmillan.

Caldwell, M. (2001). Applying general living systems theory to learn consumers’ sense making in attending performing arts. Psychology & Marketing, 18(5), 497–511. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.1018.

Crompton, J. L., & McKay, S. L. (1997). Motives of visitors attending festival events. Annals of Tourism Research, 24(2), 425-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(97)80010-2.

De Rooij, P. (2013). Customer loyalty to performing arts venues: Between routines and coincidence [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Tilburg University.

Dikmen, F. (2012). Motivations for attendance at community festivals. İletişim Çalışmaları Dergisi Sayı, 2, 43-75.

Dikmen, F., & Bozdağlar, H. (2013). Motivations for attendance at International Bellapais Music Festival: A case study of North Cyprus. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 5(2), 727-739.

Dolnicar, S. (2002). A review of data-driven market segmentation in tourism. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 12(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1300/J073v12n01_01.

Dolnicar, S. (2004). Beyond "commensense segmentation” – A systematics of segmentation approaches in tourism. Journal of Travel Research, 42(3), 244-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287503258830.

Dolnicar, S., & Grün, B. (2011, February 8-11). Three good reasons not to use factor-cluster segmentation [Paper presentation]. CAUTHE 2011: 21st CAUTHE National Conference, Adelaide, Australia.

Dube, T. (2022, January 31). ‘Celebration of queerness: South African drag queens keep scene alive. Channel 24. https://www.news24.com/channel/arts/celebration-of-queerness-south-african-drag-queens-keep-scene-alive-20220131.

Earl, P. E. (2001). Simon’s travel theorem and the demand for live music. Journal of Economic Psychology, 22(3), 335-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-4870(01)00037-X.

Eftichiadou, V. (2001). A multi-motive segmentation of urban visitors: The case of Liverpool. Journal of Tourism Studies, 12(1), 2-10.

Frochot, I., & Morrison, A. M. (2000). Benefit segmentation: A review of its applications to travel and tourism research. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 9(4), 21-45. https://doi.org/10.1300/J073v09n04_02.

Gerstner, D. A. (2011). Routledge international encyclopedia of queer culture. Routledge.

Hair, J. F., Bush, R. P., & Ortinau, D. J. (2000). Marketing research: A practical approach to the new millennium. Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

Hattingh, C. (2018). Motives for attending live stand-up comedy: An audiences’ perspective. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 7(2), 1-20.

Hattingh, C. (2022, November 16-18). ‘Eleganza Extravaganza’: Investigating the appeal of drag theatre in South Africa [Paper presentation]. The 5th International Conference on Events - ICE2021, Cape Town, South Africa.

Hattingh, C., & Niekerk, A. (2020). Who attends live stand-up comedy and why? A motivation segmentation study. In J. Martí-Parreño, R. Gómez-Calvet, & J. Muñoz de Prat (Eds.), Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Tourism Research (ICTR 2020) (pp. 102-110). Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited.Hattingh, C., & Spencer, J. P. (2020). Homosexual not homogeneous – A motivation-based typology of gay leisure travellers holidaying in Cape Town, South Africa. Journal of Homosexuality, 67(6), 768-792. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1555393.

Hill, L., O’Sullivan, C., & O’Sullivan, T. (2012). Creative arts marketing (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.

Johnson, M., & Garbarino, E. (2001). Customers of performing arts organisations: Are subscribers different from non-subscribers? International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 6(1), 61-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.134.

Kruger, M. (2010). A critical evaluation of market segmentation at national arts festivals in South Africa [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. North-West University.

Kruger, M., & Saayman, M. (2012). Listen to your heart: Motives for attending Roxette live.

Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 13(3), 181-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/15470148.2012.715996.

Kruger, M., & Saayman, M. (2015a). Motives of attendees at Rain’s live music theatre production: A tribute to the Beatles. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 4(2), 1-18.

Kruger, M., & Saayman, M. (2015b). Motives of circus attendees in South Africa: The case of Cirque du Soleil Dralion. Southern African Business Review, 19(2), 51-73. https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5905.

Kruger, M., & Saayman, M. (2017). Raising the curtain on audiences at The Phantom of the Opera. South African Theatre Journal, 30(1-3), 15-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/10137548.2017.1304239.

Lockyer, S., & Myers, L. (2011). It’s about expecting the unexpected: Live stand-up comedy from the audiences’ perspective. Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, 8(2), 165-188.

Loker, L. E., & Perdue, R. R. (1992). A benefit-based segmentation of a nonresident summer travel market. Journal of Travel Research, 31(1), 30-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728759203100107.

Malhotra, N. K., & Birks, D. F. (2007). Marketing research: An applied approach (3rd European ed.). Prentice Hall/Financial Times.

Middleton, V. T. C. (1994). Marketing in travel and tourism. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Moncrieff, M., & Lienard, P. (2017). A natural history of the drag queen phenomenon. Evolutionary Psychology, 15(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704917707591.

Morgan, N., & Pritchard, A. (2001). Advertising in tourism and leisure. Butterworth-Heinemann.

O’Brien, J. (2018, January 13). The psychology of drag: Understanding the science behind the art of pushing gender boundaries. Psychology Today. Available at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-things-lgbtq/201801/the-psychology-drag.

Passebois, J., & Aurier, P. (2004). Building consumer/arts institution relationships: An exploratory study in contemporary art museums. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 1(2), 75-88. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02896627.

Petski, D. (2018, January 26). RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ posts series ratings highs in VH1 debut. Deadline. Available at https://deadline.com/2018/01/rupauls-drag-race-all-stars-series-ratings-highs-vh1-debut-1202270642/.

Prayag, G. (2010). Images as pull factors of a tourist destination: A factor-cluster segmentation analysis. Tourism Analysis, 15(2), 213-266. https://doi.org/10.3727/108354210X12724863327768.

Rimalower, B. (2015, August 15). From ancient Greece to Angry Inch, take a look at the history of drag in theatre. Playbill. https://www.playbill.com/article/from-ancient-greece-to-angry-inch-take-a-look-at-the-history-of-drag-in-theatre-com-357650.

Roschke, R. (2019, September 05). Sashay through the history of drag queen culture. Popsugar. Available at https://www.popsugar.com/news/History-Drag-Drag-Queen-Culture-44512387.

Rupp, L. J., Taylor, V., & Shapiro, E. L. (2010). Drag queens and drag kings: The difference gender makes. Sexualities, 13(3), 275-294. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460709352725.

Saayman, M., & Saayman, A. (2014). Clustering attendees at the Philharmonic Orchestra’s Summer Festival. Leisure Studies, 35(3), 314-331. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2014.962582.

Schacht, S. P. (2002). Four renditions of doing female drag: Feminine appearing conceptual

variations of masculine theme. Gendered Sexualities, 6, 157-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1529-2126(02)80007-8.

Scollen, R. J. (2008). Talking theatre: Developing audiences for regional Australia. International Journal for Arts in Society, 3(3), 103-114.

Slater, A. (2006). ‘Escaping to the gallery’: Understanding the motivations of visitors to galleries. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 12(2), 149-162. https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.282.

Taraldsen, I. R., (2015). Who are you wearing? An exploration of expressions of identity & vestimentary codes among gay men in Cape Town, South Africa [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Leiden University.

Walmsley, B. (2011). Why people go to the theatre: A qualitative study of audience motivation. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 10(4), 335-351. https://doi.org/10.1362/147539211X13210329822545.

Warren, A. (2011). Tuesday night is HamBingo night: A glimpse of the drag queen culture. Stylus, 2(1), Article 4. Available at https://writingandrhetoric.cah.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2019/10/stylus2_1-warren.pdf.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2002). Tourism management (2 nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2005). Using cluster analysis to segment a sample of Australian ecotourists. In B. W. Ritchie, P. Burns, & C. Palmer (Eds.), Tourism research methods: Integrating theory with practice (pp. 211-220). CABI.

Yen, I., & Yu, A. H. (2012). Who comes to our cultural festival and why? A motivation segmentation study. Tourism Today, 12, 34-35.

Downloads

Publicado

2022-09-27

Como Citar

Chris Hattingh, & Ashley Niekerk. (2022). Who attends drag events and why? A motivation segmentation study of South African audiences. Tourism and Hospitality International Journal, 19(1), 24–44. https://doi.org/10.57883/thij19(1)2022.29743