The Appeal of Performers with Disabilities as Inclusive Marketing Communication in the “Mengejar Mimpiku” Music Event
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22441/marcommers.v15i1.2171Keywords:
Inclusive Marketing Communication, Event Marketing, Disability Representation, Emotional Appeal, Music Event, Audience ReachAbstract
This study examines how the Indonesian Music Therapy Association (ITMI) uses performers with disabilities as the central appeal of the “Mengejar Mimpiku” music event and how this positioning functions as marketing communication. The research responds to a practical tension: the event was designed to create an inclusive public performance space, while its promotional reach remained concentrated among families, schools, educators, and disability-related communities. A qualitative single-case study was used, drawing on interview accounts from the chair and vice-chair of ITMI, who were purposively selected because of their strategic roles in planning and implementing the event. The data were organized thematically around event purpose, digital promotion, performer recruitment, differentiation, emotional appeal, and audience reach. The findings show that ITMI constructed the performers’ artistic effort, confidence, and public visibility as an emotional and distinctive communication appeal. Website, Facebook, and YouTube promotion supported recruitment, sponsorship, and awareness, but organizer accounts indicate that broader public reach was still limited. The study therefore interprets the strategy as potentially valuable for inclusive event positioning, but it does not claim audience-level effectiveness because audience responses were not directly measured. The discussion integrates engagement-driven event marketing, inclusive marketing communication, and disability-representation ethics. Practical implications emphasize broader digital segmentation, collaboration with mainstream cultural networks, accessible communication, and representation that foregrounds artistic agency rather than pity or inspirational stereotyping.
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