When Going Alone Feels Right: The Effect of Solo Cues on Interest in Attending Cultural Events

Inyoung Lee, Assistant Professor, College of Business, Gachon University, Gyeonggi-do, KoreaFollow
Sang-Hoon Kim, Professor, Graduate School of Business, Seoul National University, Seoul, KoreaFollow

ORCID

Inyoung Lee: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6624-3580

Abstract

With the rise of solo consumers, cultural event marketers face a challenge: how can events appeal to solo consumers without marginalizing group consumers? To address this question, the impact of solo cues in marketing communication is examined through the lens of role and script theory. Two experiments demonstrate that solo cues, which signal the inclusion of solo consumers among attendees, increase solo consumers' attendance interest but do not affect group consumers. For solo consumers, the impact of solo cues is driven by anticipated enjoyment and is particularly pronounced for events entailing a high (vs. low) level of social interaction, where script modifications exert greater influence. For group consumers, the impact of solo cues is limited because their roles are already embedded in the script. Together, these findings show how marketing communication can reshape consumption scripts and broaden appeal across diverse consumer segments, offering implications for more inclusive event marketing strategies.

Recommended Citation

Lee, Inyoung and Kim, Sang-Hoon (2026) "When Going Alone Feels Right: The Effect of Solo Cues on Interest in Attending Cultural Events," Asia Marketing Journal: Vol. 28 : Iss. 3 , Article 6.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.53728/2765-6500.1690