THE FEASIBILITY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES IN EVENT MARKETING - SPECIALIZING TO THE ENTERTAINMENT EVENT ‘NAADHAGAMA’

Abstract

Public relations in event marketing for the Sri Lankan entertainment industry plays a crucial role in driving event success, particularly in creating unique and high-quality musical experiences. ‘NaadhaGama’ stands out as an exceptional musical event in Sri Lanka, successfully engaging a young audience through innovative concepts and maintaining quality by blending cultural and emotional strategies with outstanding musical performances. The research aimed to identify diverse PR strategies utilized within Sri Lankan entertainment event marketing, evaluate their effectiveness, and develop tailored recommendations for optimizing these strategies. The core problem addressed was whether the PR strategies employed in NaadhaGama’s event marketing contributed to the event’s success. Methodologically, the study employed semi-structured in-depth interviews with organizers, and the event attendees, analyzed through thematic analysis. Purposive sampling was used to select event organizers and attendees. The findings revealed that ‘NaadhaGama’ created connections by appealing to the nostalgic “village” settings that reached back into the cultural history of its audiences. The added elements of celebrity endorsements and interactive hosting raised the event beyond a concert into the celebration of cultural interest in traditional Sri Lankan lifestyles. These employed a PR strategy, including emotional connections, cultural engagements, Interactive atmosphere, unique approach methods, decision making process for quality maintaining and leveraging social media platforms significantly contributed to continuous high audience engagement, overcome recognized challenges, enhance the quality from every corner, recommendations for the improvement in entertainment event industry in Sri Lanka. The conclusions affirm that the PR strategies were pivotal in achieving NaadhaGama’s success, highlighting their feasibility and impact within the Sri Lankan entertainment event industry. This study offers valuable insights for event organizers and marketers, emphasizing the importance of strategic PR practices in achieving event success in Sri Lankan contest.