“In a village of La Mancha”: exploring how the marketing strategies of handmade guitar manufacturers in Casasimarro, Spain, led to international recognition

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate how the town of Casasimarro in La Mancha, Spain, achieved international commercial recognition for its traditional craft of producing handmade guitars. Thanks to strategic product, price, place (distribution) and promotional marketing policies (the 4Ps), these guitars have gained worldwide recognition and fame and have been purchased by renowned international customers such as Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, thus contributing to word-of-mouth recommendations. Design/methodology/approach To achieve this research objective, the authors conducted a comprehensive review, providing an historical examination of the marketing strategies used by handcrafted guitar makers in Casasimarro over the past few decades. The authors analysed these strategies and their implications throughout history. To fulfil this aim, the authors conducted an exhaustive investigation, focusing on primary sources (including testimonies from artisan guitar makers) and secondary information sources (including biographies, historical newspapers, journal articles and research articles). Findings This study demonstrates the key role played by handmade guitar manufacturers in the historical and economic development of Casasimarro. No other economic activity has contributed greater prestige to this small town at a national or international level. This prestige is related to the marketing strategies used by the manufacturing dynasties, which include producing good quality guitars; adapting communication strategies to suit the times, such as attending trade fairs, creating websites and using social media; and maintaining traditional business practices, such as taking customised orders. These marketing strategies therefore suggest a selective demarketing approach. Originality/value Studies on the marketing strategies of musical instruments remain scarce, and even more so when it comes to such traditional handmade manufacturing instruments. As a result, the small town has gained worldwide recognition thanks to this craft.