Rock in the East : Expectations Towards a Finnish Rock Festival in the Russian Context

Abstract

Competition amongst rock festivals in Finland is a notable pushing factor towards seeking growth from international festival-goers. In a country the size of Finland, festival organizers are bound to compete for the same audience, and thus increasing the amount of international visitors may fill this gap. Currently, the share of festival-goers from abroad totals only 5%. Joensuu Pop Musicians’ Association, which organizes Ilosaarirock, are increasingly interested in the benefits that internationalizing the customer base generates. The close proximity of Russia and St. Petersburg create a potential market area for Ilosaarirock. This study explores the perceived expectations of potential festival-goers in the Russian context.

The primary purpose of this study was to adduce the image Russians have concerning Finnish rock festivals and furthermore compare the differences in behavior between Finnish and Russian festival-goers. The secondary motive was to determine how the research results could be incorporated into the marketing activities of Ilosaarirock.

The empirical part of this study was conducted by both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Two qualitative studies under the InnoStudio® concept were organized in St. Petersburg, the purposes of which were to identify the perceived expectations and behavioral patterns concerning rock festivals. The quantitative data was collected by a survey, focusing on the interest towards attending foreign rock festival and the practicalities concerning it.

Ilosaarirock was seemingly unknown to Russians, despite the organizer’s increased involvement in St. Petersburg. Moreover, the attitude and expectations towards rock festivals revealed a significantly different picture than the reality. Hence, it can be said that Ilosaarirock has great challenges in overcoming these preconceptions in the attempts of creating a comprehensive marketing strategy for Russia.