António Azevedo

Sport events and local communities: a partnership for placemaking

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the impacts of sports events, considering these: from the perspectives of residents (in terms of self-esteem, increase of social problems, car traffic, cultural self-development and entertainment); and for the host territory (in terms of economic development, price level, destination image and environment). The paper analyzes the case study of a hallmark event of the European Rally Championship – the Azores Rally. Design/methodology/approach During the Azores Rally of 2014, 669 inhabitants on Sao Miguel Island answered a survey. The questionnaire assessed 12 items that are ex ante quality of life (QOL) indicators, ten items of event attributes and overall satisfaction with the event and nine items of event impact perceptions. Findings The satisfaction with the event is positively influenced by the host destination’s overall QOL, particularly by the entertainment and local gastronomy and is reinforced by the event-management mix. On other hand, the QOL attributes rather than the event performance indicators determine the perceptions of the promotion of image destination and economic development. The event spectacle level has a particular influence on the residents’ self-esteem. Practical implications The paper discusses the implications for public decision-makers, tour operators and event managers, focusing on the community as an important driver for placemaking. Social implications This type of event has an impact on residents’ self-esteem, thus enhancing their QOL and hospitality. Originality/value This study supports the role of a peripheral island’s community as an active stakeholder, which interacts with the event organization’s key success factors.

Lighthouse tourism: is there a “dark” side?

Purpose The lighthouse tourism, which has been flourishing in several coastal areas and port cities with waterfront, provides the ideal scenario for escape experiences. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implicit (dark tourism) meanings, symbolisms and emotions evoked by lighthouses, in particular those related with recreational storm chasing, “land’s ends” pilgrimage and gaze upon dystopic places. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach such as filmography’s content analysis (filtered by IMDb database), photo elicitation and engagement with lighthouses promotion websites, this study searched for evidences supporting the classification of lighthouse tourism as a “lighter” dark tourism product. Findings The qualitative information gathered from different sources provided support for a taxonomy of motives for engaging (dark) lighthouse experiences: risk recreation; isolation and loneliness; pilgrimage; shipwrecking; memorials; dystopia; and gaze for “ice palaces.” Research limitations/implications This conceptual paper suggests a taxonomy for a systematic classification of dark lighthouse experiences and suggested some research propositions for further research. Practical implications Public decision makers, maritime authorities and tourism operators may acknowledge the theoretical and practical contributions provided by this paper and develop innovative escape experiences. Social implications The lighthouse tourism is an innovative and creative way to promote the sustainable development of waterfronts of port cities, giving more “energy” to these coastal and often peripheral areas. Originality/value The paper fills a gap in the literature that so far never had deeply explored the relationship between the lighthouses’ meanings/experiences and dark tourism and introduces the innovative concept of (dark) lighthouse tourism.

Do glamour, self-sexualisation and scopophilia influence celebrity endorsement?

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of glamour, scopophilia and self-sexualisation in luxury celebrity endorsement.,In step 1, an experimental study was conducted with 100 respondents assessing the response towards manipulated print ad stimuli operationalizing the influence (in general terms) of lay out, endorser’s beauty pattern, body language (cool, smile appeal, sex appeal and disruptive), gazing and landscape. In step 2, respondents evaluated their response towards five perfume print ads retrieved from real advertising campaigns with different brand personalities (DKNY, Moschino, Chanel, Gucci and Boss).,The ideal copy strategy is: a couple of brunette Caucasian endorsers; “close-up” photo; sexy body language; indirect smiling gaze; and urban landscape. Multiple regression models were built for each ad/brand (personality) in order to predict the willingness to pay for a bottle of perfume.,The paper suggests a holistic theoretical framework describing the influence of celebrity characteristics, advertising copy strategy, social-cultural trends and brand variables in the advertising processing.,Advertising copywriters and brand managers must control the role of glamour and the self-consciousness of women seduction power in branding advertising.,Glamour, scopophilia or self-sexualisation are three different concepts which have a lot of sociological implications because they influence the way as the society perceive the role of women as endorsers in advertising, but also in other life dimensions.,This paper fills a gap in the literature, since this paper make an innovative analysis of the influence of these recent post-modernist socio-cultural trends.

Celebrity Branding Advertising Processing: A Conceptual Model

Recently, some celebrities have created their own perfume brands. This study proposes a conceptual model for the celebrity branding advertising processing which acknowledges the influence of celebrity-related factors, sociocultural trends, and the advertising copy strategy. Using a sample of 100 subjects, this study analyzes the branding advertising processing of Beyonce/Heat and the simulation of the branding of a new celebrity brand—Lana del Rey. Focusing at the catalyst role of congruence between the celebrity brand personality and consumer self-concept, we analyze the implications of self-sexualization, scopophilia, and glamour as predictors of the willingness to pay for a bottle of perfume.