Improving Residents’ Quality of Life Through Sustainable Experiential Mega-Events: High- Versus Low-Context Cultures

Abstract

Public managers need to improve city residents’ quality of life as a first step to boost its tourism development. Marketing strategies can play a useful role, as the city marketing theory states. The present article aims to compare the efficacy of two marketing strategies embedded in a public mega-event: (a) an experiential strategy, based on emotions encourage during the event and (b) a green strategy, based on green actions linked to this event. Furthermore, following Hall’s theory of cultural determination, this article aims to compare these strategies’ efficacy in two alternative cultures: a high-context (Mexico) and a low-context culture (Spain). We contacted 202 and 204 residents in Mexico and Spain during the event. In low-context cultures (Spain), an experiential marketing strategy achieves greater results than a green one; conversely, in high-context cultures (Mexico), a green marketing strategy is more effective.