The study examines the role of word of mouth (WOM) and reputation in the context of networked festival production. The focus is on managerial attributes and the way in which WOM is employed in activities related to festival marketing and brand building. In terms of theoretical background the study links reputation and WOM to the concept of cultural branding to provide a framework for how a festival’s reputation, based on a cultural branding logic, can be understood as a means of creating a culturally meaningful message. The empirical analysis is based on a multiple case study involving the three Finnish festivals hosted in the city of Pori: Porispere Rockfestival, the International Pori Jazz Festival and the International Lain§uojattomat Theatre Festival. The cases represent festivals of different sizes, and varying organisational structures, contents and lifecycles.

The findings indicate that the meaning and use of WOM varies depending on the notable constitutive differences that affect the nature of festivals’ reputation and brand-building processes. Although the significance of external and internal stakeholders in these processes is evident it seems that, when the power of networks is recognised as crucial for festivals, WOM has a leverage role in brand building and gaining a favourable reputation, and the value of the leader’s persona is of utmost significance in these processes.