An Exploratory Investigation of Temporal Distance and Event Promotions: Effects on the Volunteer Call to Action

Pre-event promotion is an important tool for fund-raising campaigns, and sporting events. Local volunteers are often recruited to spread the word and solicit participation in community and cause related events. Frequent promotions with increasingly longer lead-times are techniques regularly employed to create event awareness and solicit participation. This study investigated the effects of temporal distance (distance between the promotion and the event) and its relation to a follow-through call to action of community volunteers. The use of a time horizon analysis in conjunction with Temporal Construal Theory provides insights to human decision-making behavior within a temporal distance context. The exploratory study investigated effects of temporal distance influencers and affective volunteer response to event activities. The report is focused on event marketing and effectiveness using case study methodology applied to the rapidly developing field of event promotion theory and management. The findings, though not conclusive represent interpretive analysis based on principles of disciplined imagination to extend Temporal Construal.