Conclusion

The final chapter of this thesis focuses on the study’s findings, and relevancy of these to marketing academia and practitioners. The research purpose, findings, and theorising presented in the previous chapters are briefly summarised first. The contributions of the thesis and its implications for future research presented next, followed by a brief conclusion.

The concert industry has experienced tremendous growth over the past 20 years. Yet, music fans can often download music or watch concerts without cost on websites such as Youtube.com, while concert tickets are often in excess of $100 each. This suggests that live rock concert experiences provide significant value to consumers that is unattainable through other methods. However, the marketing literature does not yet fully understand this value (Hausman, 2011; Minor et al., 2004). The purpose of this research therefore was to understand consumers’ experiences as audience members at rock concerts and the meaning of these experiences.

Findings indicate that the main value derived by consumers of rock concerts is enhanced wellbeing. This is why frequent consumers want to have rock concert experiences, and what keeps rock music fans coming back for more, suggesting an explanation for why the live music industry is growing rapidly. Findings also indicate authenticity is an important process to provide value to concert consumers. Wellbeing occurs through two processes, co-created experiences, and self-authentication, as shown in the theoretical framework below.

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Figure 10: Rock Concert Experiences, Authentication, and Consumer Wellbeing

Wellbeing

For rock music fans, rock concerts do not just provide short-term fun or a pleasurable experience. These findings indicate that rock concert experiences are an important avenue for long-term wellbeing of avid rock music fans. Rock concerts are a way for consumers to validate who they are as rock music fans. Rock concerts provide a sense of happiness and identity that avid rock music consumers may not get elsewhere. Concerts are a reinvigoration of whom they are. This includes aspects of both hedonia and eudaimonia. Hedonic happiness is the affective state strongest during an event, while eudaimonic wellbeing is enduring (Ryan & Deci, 2001).

Marketing academia focuses on wellbeing from the perspective of hedonia, which consumers receive commonly from extraordinary experiences (e.g. Arnould & Price, 1993). Hedonia relates to hedonic consumption, which is rooted in the idea of hedonism, the pursuit of happiness through sensation and pleasure (Ryan & Deci, 2001). Involving a high investment of consumers’ time and money, hedonic experiences are often personal and subjective and feature high involvement (Carù & Cova, 2006; Lacher, 1989).

146 The identity benefits and wellbeing received from authentic experiences has recently received focus from the academic marketing literature. For instance, Leigh et al. (2006) studied the brand community of MG car owners and the authentication process. The authentication as subculture members provided consumers lasting meaning. The marketing literature does not refer to this as eudaimonia however.

Eudaimonia, according to the social sciences, relates to the individual and collective pursuit of wellbeing based on meaning, a connection to others, and quality of experience through an elevating experience (Fowers et al., 2010; Huta & Ryan, 2010; Ryan & Deci, 2001). One must live life authentically, in line with one’s deeper principles to use and develop the best in one’s self (Norton, 1976). The term eudaimonia idea dates back to Greek philosopher Aristotle [384 – 322 BC] who believed that hedonic wellbeing is vulgar (Huta et al., 2012). ‘Authentic happiness theory’ from the social sciences (cf. Seligman, Parks & Steen, 2004) suggests that the presence of positive emotion, authenticity, and meaning are indicative of eudaimonic wellbeing.

The Co-Created Experience

The co-created experience is the first process in the model [Number 1. in Figure 12.]. Fans receive pleasure from the experience itself. Utopian, hedonic, and transcendent, the atmosphere at rock concerts provides cathartic escape from everyday life. Avid music fans dream about seeing their favourite bands live, and concerts become extraordinary experiences. The experience must be what fans envision however, and the band must work with the venue and fans to co-create this experience. Bands need to connect with fans through their performance, while the audience forms community through singing and moshing. The venue must allow this engagement between bands and audience.

The Self-Authentication Process

The second process towards wellbeing is the self-authentication process [Number 2. in Figure 12.]. Rock concerts affirm individual fans’ identities as avid fans of rock music, as fans connect with other fans, and the band. Participants of the study gained eudaimonic meaning through the self-authentication process, grounding and reinforcing their desired identities as fans. This suggests that

147 without authenticity, concerts do not provide long lasting meaning and wellbeing to the consumer.

Findings identify multiple loci of authenticity that help us understand the value derived from consumption experiences of rock concerts. The loci of authenticity observed are authentic experience, band authentication, shared authentication, and self-authentication.

Authentic Experience

An authentic experience links co-created experiences and the self-authentication process. Audiences evaluate the rock concert experience holistically, and it is comprised of band authentication and shared authentication. If the rock concert experience is not authentic, it can be meaningless to avid rock music fans. Consumers are increasingly seeking authentic experiences enabled by relevant market offerings (Beverland & Farrelly, 2010; Holt, 2002).

Band Authentication

Band authentication relates to a band’s performance. Findings indicate participants evaluate a band’s performance as authentic when it meets their expectations as fans. Fans evaluate the band’s performance based on several factors: sound quality; onstage persona and stage show; song selection; improvisation and musicianship; and genuine attempt to connect with the audience. Fans have a steadfast belief that concert performers should meet a particular calibre of showmanship (Leizerovici & Cotte, 2011).

How the audience reacts to the band’s performance can be an indication of the band’s authenticity. If audience members are jumping around and singing along, this signals enjoyment and engagement in the performance. Dead silence during songs followed by rapturous applause after each song can also indicate a sign of respect, depending on the type of rock music and audience.

Shared Authentication

There is more to the authenticity of a concert than the band’s performance. In cases where an individual’s expectations and knowledge of the band is vague, his or her basis for evaluating an experience is shared authentication. The communal

148 audience participation in rituals such as moshing creates shared authentication, and the atmosphere created by the audience is the basis for authenticity rather than the band’s performance.

Consumers have urgency for community in their lives (Kadirov et al., 2013). Rock concert audiences feel a combined sense of belonging that connects them to like-minded others - both friends and strangers. A shared identity and passion is celebrated. If the audience seemed disengaged and atmosphere was lacking, fans considered the concert an inauthentic experience. Even if the band’s performance was to expectations or ’authentic’, Fans sometimes consider the overall experience as inauthentic even if they deem the band’s performance authentic.

Self-Authentication

Self-authentication relates to the process of authentication of the self and the validation of identity for the individual rock concert consumer. Authentic experiences allow consumers to claim authenticity themselves (Arnould & Price, 2000; Brown, 1996; Leigh et al., 2006; Peterson, 2005). An authentic rock concert experience enables avid rock music fans to validate themselves as genuine and authentic fans. The experience becomes personally meaningful and thus becomes an important source of wellbeing.

Rock music fans consume the concerts of the bands that they like and relate too. Often they have listened to bands from a young age. These bands hold nostalgic value, and connect them to their friends, family, and important memories connected with the music in their lives. Fans wear t-shirts with the band’s logo with pride and enjoy connecting with other music fans identifying them as a fan. An individual’s knowledge that he/she belongs to a particular social group provides value through emotional significance and self-esteem (Tajfel, 1972; Ashmore et al., 2004).

Rock concerts allow rock concert audiences to express themselves freely as fans. Rock music fans achieve self–authentication at concerts through co-creating and liberating their authentic selves. A visit to a place of self-fulfilment alleviates life’s anxieties and activates the authentic self, providing a sense of authenticity and self-expression not available in everyday life (Wang, 1999).

149 Through acting unrestrained and without inhibition, the sensual stimulation of bodily feelings and emotions creates inner rewards for the self. A sense of inauthenticity arises when rational factors over-control non-rational factors such as emotion, bodily feeling, and spontaneity (Jantzen, 2012; Kim & Jamal, 2007; Wang, 1999). Being in control of self and their actions becomes an authenticating act (Arnould & Price, 2000; McCarthy, 2009). Rock concert audiences express authentic feelings through bodily sensations and emotions. Authentic rock concert audiences express their authentic selves as rock music fans through their singing, dancing, moshing, and interactions with other audience members and the band. This is what participants described as “ecstasy”.