Performing the high-school prom in the UK: locating authenticity through practice

Reference:

Tinson, J. and Nuttall, P., 2011. Performing the high-school prom in the UK: locating authenticity through practice. Journal of Marketing Management, 27 (9-10), pp. 1007-1026.

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Official URL:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2011.560888

Abstract

The purpose of this study was threefold: to develop an understanding of the appropriation of the US high-school prom in the UK and, more importantly, to generate an insight into the producers and consumers of such an event; to establish if the performance of the prom is hyper-real or if there is an awareness of the authentic or inauthentic elements of this ritual; and finally to ascertain local interpretation of authenticity and glocal practice. The method used here was a qualitative approach employing 24 in-depth interviews with young adults (18–20 years) who had attended a prom in the UK in the last three years. The findings illustrated that the role and the social network of the individual was key to engagement with the high-school prom and also indicated a possible symbiosis of the strands of theory associated with authenticity. Diverse localised meanings of the prom performance were also identified. As the school prom is a growth market in the UK, businesses should be aware of adolescents' desire for ownership of this event and should tailor their marketing accordingly.

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