The Study of Traditional and Non-traditional Marketing Communications: Target Marketing in the Events Sector.

There is a vast array of information on marketing but there is little literature on event marketing, specifically target marketing for events. The event sector is one that is constantly changing; the need to reinvent, innovate and self-disrupt is part and parcel for a sector that seeks to constantly entertain and turn a profit, so too is the marketing sector. The research was carried out using face-to-face in-depth interviews and 1 focus group, all of which were audio recorded with the consent of the participants. The sample comprises of event and marketing professionals. The analysis focused on research’s objectives and some emerging themes from the data. Primary research findings compose of detailed accounts on the 5 themes that arose during the research process. These findings include the marketing channels used, not used and why; the future of marketing, time sensitivity in marketing; an amalgamated marketing planning process and the challenges event marketers currently face and how to overcome them. The conclusion of these findings witnessed the changing effectiveness within traditional marketing methods. As digital marketing usage and expenditure increase, we may see marketers returning to older means as communication.