Teddy Bear Show in "A Bear Perspective"

Introduction

The objective of this report is to identify how the various components of the event marketing mix had been adopted in the event that I had visited and to evaluate how effective these components had been used to contribute towards the success of the event. Besides that, I will also consider the role of this event to Singapore and its value to the tourism economy.

For this assignment, I have chosen to visit the Singapore Teddy Bear Show 2008, which was held on 9th November 2008 at the Arts House (which is located at the Old Parliament).

The Singapore Teddy Bear Show 2008 is an event organised by Positive Solutions Pte Ltd and Moob International. Moob International was founded in 2002 by a couple, Isaac Kong and Pamela Theng. They are both artists equipped with the aim of furthering the passion for teddy bear making and to spread this love in soft-sculpture art form to people around the world.

Prior to this event, they have had their first show in Singapore last year, The Singapore Teddy Bear Show 2007, and a Teddy Bear Making Workshop 2008 in October this year. Being in its second year, The Singapore Teddy Bear Show 2008 has international award-winning artists showcasing their signature creations and shows us why their works are so popular through their unique design. Using a theme of “A Bear Perspective”, they open up the entire world of the teddy bear to reveal multiple dimensions from which to fall in love with the simple teddy bear. In addition, the artists have added another dimension this time as they work in collaboration with The Little Arts Academy, contributing part of their proceeds to help the underprivileged children acquire a fair shot at life through an art education.

The methodology of research that I have adopted for my field trip is by doing Internet research and collecting relevant brochures before going for the event; participating in the event; making observations and interactions with some of the exhibitors; and by interviewing one of the organisers, Isaac Kong.

Evaluation of the Effective Use of Marketing Mix

Product
The product of an event comprises the set of intangible leisure experiences and tangible goods designed to satisfy the needs of the event market.

The intangible leisure experiences include the service provided by the organisers and the artists, and the interaction between them and the visitors. I felt that the service provided by them was excellent as they were very hospitable in a number of ways. When I entered the event and asked for someone that I could speak to, I was immediately directed to one of the event organisers, Isaac Kong. He was very patient and understanding in answering my questions. In addition to answering my questions, he would also provide additional information that he felt was relevant and useful along the way. During the event, I noticed that there were people giving out notices on The Little Arts Academy and informing us about some of their programmes, inviting us to join them. They were very friendly and provided clear details as they approached the visitors. As they did so, they would also respond to queries posed by the visitors; which I felt was essential and a very good thing. Another point is that the interaction between the artists and the visitors was very positive, as the artists being very amicable and knowledgeable, were able to answer all the questions the visitors posed to them, clearing their doubts. Besides that, they would also take the initiative to interact with the visitors while they are exploring the various teddy bears, providing explanations about their design and details of the bears.

The tangible goods that were present in the event include the teddy bears as the main item on display, bear material (the material – skin and fur, that is used to make the bear from), and merchandises. There was a large variety of teddy bears being displayed as each artist had created their bears with a different theme. An array of bear materials was also displayed at one section, to showcase the type of materials that the bears were made from and to reinforce the quality of these bears. Bags and shirts were being sold at the entrance of the event as merchandises. Some of the bears and bear materials on display could also be bought, and all the proceeds would go to The Little Arts Academy as donations.

Therefore, since high quality is exhibited on various aspects of the event, I would evaluate that the event has used Product effectively to its advantage.

Place
The event was held at the Arts House, in the Gallery on the second storey. As mentioned by Isaac Kong during the interview, the Arts House gave them this location on a subsidised basis, and that the purpose of this event is to create more awareness in Singapore.

Firstly, I felt that the location of the event is appropriate as being under the category of visual art and family entertainment; it is situated at the Arts House. It can also easily draw the attention of other visitors at the Arts House who were unaware of this event going on. If those people who had an interest in the other exhibitions, they would most probably be interested in this event too, bringing about greater awareness of this event.

Secondly, the setting of the event could be improved. The event was held in the gallery which is not a very large room. When many people start to enter, a crowd started to form which made it difficult to walk around and it became quite noisy too. As there were quite a number of exhibitions in the room, they were placed quite close to each other. Each section was only separated with a gap in between to allow the artists to walk through. At a few instances when there were many people in the room, a crowd would form at the tables where visitors were viewing the bears on exhibit which made the situation very chaotic. Visitors at the back were unable to view the exhibits until the people at the front left, and they could not view all the bears on display as there were too many people around moving in all directions. Everything was very disorderly, and the artists could not attend to all the visitors too. The visitors could not take their time to enjoy viewing the exhibits on display. Thus, they would not be able to have an enjoyable and pleasant experience, unless they were one of the few who came in earlier or when there were less people in the room.

Thirdly, the atmosphere of the event was relatively simple, casual and lively. The visitors could choose to view any displays that they were interested in without any restrictions. It was a casual event, people could be dressed in any attire they were comfortable in; and they could choose to walk around on their own or to interact with the artists. There was a relatively good interaction between the visitors and the artists and organisers which made the atmosphere lively. However, on occasions when the room became quite packed, the atmosphere became quite noisy which I felt was awful as it would not provide a pleasant experience for the visitors.

Therefore, although it can be seen that the event had a highly suitable location with captivating destination features, and a relatively positive atmosphere, there is definitely room for improvement with regards to the event’s setting. Thus, I would evaluate that the event has used Place to its advantage effectively only to an extent.

The event organisers should first try to obtain a few more rooms, if not, a larger room. Having a larger area would allow more space for each section of the exhibitions. The different sections should be further spaced out, and each room should have a limited number of exhibitions. Queue lines should be used at every section to facilitate the process of visitors viewing the exhibitions, allowing them to view all the displays and there would not be problems of people walking around, blocking the visitors while they are viewing the exhibits or jamming up the queue. This would also facilitate the interaction between the visitors and the artists allowing them to have a smooth interaction with the majority of the visitors. In addition, if there are a lot of visitors in one of the rooms, the organisers may direct some of the visitors to view the exhibits in another room with fewer visitors first, thus maintaining a smooth flow throughout the whole event. This would then improve the event’s setting to allow the visitors to have a more pleasant experience.

Partnerships
In organising this event, Moob International worked together with Positive Solutions Pte Ltd, as mentioned by Isaac Kong during the interview, whereby the creation on teddy bears came under Moob International and the organisers came from Positive Solutions Pte Ltd. These two companies are actually “sister companies” with the same director(s). I felt that such a partnership was quite good, as it would be able to guarantee a better working relationship between the two companies. In addition, it will allow for mutual benefits for both companies. Furthermore, I believe that working together with a common goal will be able to strengthen the relationship of the companies involved, which is critical for all companies, especially them being “sister companies”.

The stakeholders in producing this event includes the companies – Moob International, and Positive Solutions Pte Ltd; the Arts House; The Little Arts Academy; public relations partner – Betty Yeoh; printing partner – Ability Graphics Pte Ltd; Singapore Visitor Centre; the various artists; tourists, local and foreign visitors. It would also include any other person or companies involved in this event.

I would evaluate that the event has used Partnership effectively to its advantage as it has a positive working relationship in terms of its partnership.

Promotion (Communications)
This event, being in its second year in Singapore is targeting locals and tourists to generate greater awareness of their existence.

In advertising this event, the methods adopted includes the Internet, and distribution of flyers. On the Internet, this event is posted on websites of Moob International and Uniquely Singapore, creating awareness to people who visits these websites. Being linked to search engines, it also reaches out to other people, making it available to all. Flyers have also been printed and distributed at places which comprise of the Arts House and Singapore Visitor Centre, whereby they are able to reach out to both locals and tourists.

According to Isaac Kong, the company had engaged a free-lance public relations partner, Betty Yeoh, to assist in advertising and promoting their events whilst building relationships with their customers.

Direct marketing is also employed to promote this event. During the event last year, the company had actually gathered some of the customer’s information so that there would be able to contact and inform them about their activities which include this event. Thus, they provide a more personalised service to customers who had been to their event before, providing them with updates on their events, inviting them to turn up.

In addition to the above, there is also a group of media people who specially came from Vietnam to seek an understanding of this event in Singapore; and a local children home would also be attending this event. Thus, this shows how the event is being further promoted regardless of whether it is for profit gains or for charity.

Although they have made use of several methods in promoting this event, I think it can still be improved in terms of creating awareness among locals. Therefore, I would evaluate that the event has used Promotion to its advantage effectively only to an extent. One way that this aspect can be improved is by having more advertisements through the television, radios, designing banners, or promoting it in schools to generate greater awareness of this event, especially among locals.

Programming
Throughout the event, programs and activities that occur are the exhibition, bear-making demonstration, and the selling of merchandise. Visitors can choose whether they want to participate in these activities, as it is free and easy. The bear exhibition and selling of merchandise was ongoing throughout the event, whereas there will be only one session of the bear-making demonstration from 2pm to 3pm in a separate room.

In my opinion, I would evaluate that the event has used Programming ineffectively to its advantage. As the exhibition was the main focus of the event, and there were only a limited number of activities, the organiser could create other activities such as a talk on the bears and by the artists to provide a greater understanding for the visitors. They could also have multiple timings for the talks and bear-making demonstration so as to attract more people and to also capture the attention of those who were only interested in the exhibition. In this way, not only would they be able to capture the visitors’ attention, they would also be able to give them a better understanding and a longer lasting impression of this event, creating greater awareness, instead of simply a walk-and-go event.

People
During the event, it can be clearly seen that the organisers and artists were very approachable and hospitable. They were able to build a strong and positive interactive communication with the visitors. As I have mentioned above under Product, the service provided by them was exceptional. However, when crowds started to form, it hindered the service that they were providing and the kind of service they were able to provide.

Therefore, I would evaluate that the event has used People to its advantage effectively only to an extent. This is due to problems of overcrowding as I have mentioned above under the setting of the location under Place. Some solutions that might be useful may include the use of signage at each section to provide a brief introduction and explanation of that particular section; or having a fixed briefing time for each artist to talk and provide an understanding of their bears and their concept to the visitors. This would allow them to cater to both people who want to explore on their own, and people who are interested to find out more.

Packaging and Distribution
For this event, almost no components of this aspect were used. This event was organised and held individually – there was no packaging partner and no intermediaries being used or engaged. No distribution network was present as this event was non-ticketed.

Therefore, I would evaluate that the event has used Packaging and Distribution ineffectively to its advantage. The event organisers could work with travel agents or tour operators and package this event with certain trips to Singapore, bringing tourists to this event. This is especially so since its location is around a tourist attraction. It can also further make use of its ideal location to package the event with either selected attractions around its vicinity such as the Singapore River Cruise or the Asian Civilisation Museum, or with services such as the Hippo Bus. This would allow them to attract both locals and tourists to their event which in my opinion, they should have fully utilised the strengths of their event to do so.

Price
This event allows free admission as it is non-ticketed. The event organisers were able to have this location from the Arts House on a subsidised basis, thus, minimising their expenses. The only fees that were charged in this event were the merchandises, which include the bears, bear materials, shirts, and bags. The shirts were priced at $6, $8, and $12 respectively and the bags were priced at $8. All the revenue earned from these merchandises would be directed to the Little Arts Academy as donations.

Although this event is non-ticketed, it does not mean that people will definitely come for the event as there are other costs incurred such as time, travel and transport cost, and lost opportunities in using their time to do other activities. Such costs are present at almost every event, what organisers can do to minimise these costs is to make the event attractive and allow the visitors to bring back a pleasant and enjoyable experience with them.

Therefore, I would evaluate that the event has used Price to its advantage effectively only to an extent. As the main aim of this event is still to create more awareness, making the event non-ticketed is a good choice as it allows more people to come and take a look, to find out more about them. The purchasing of merchandise was free and easy, depending on the visitors’ choice. However, I think the event can still be improved in terms of its attractiveness and appeal, to minimise the opportunity costs. This may be done by improving the event’s Programming.

Discuss the Tourism Roles and Economic Value of the Festival/Event

Tourist Attraction
Mid-November is generally a month where tourist arrivals starts to increase, thus, it would be beneficial if we are targeting tourists during this period. Besides, if this event has attracted tourists to specially come for the event, the tourists will most probably stay for the weekend since the event is on Friday. If this is so, it means that the event will allow the tourists to extend the length of their stay and thus, increase their expenditure and tourism receipts.

Animator
As mentioned above, direct marketing is also used as one way to promote the event. Therefore, if some of the customers are from another country, the event is actually attracting them to make a repeat visit to Singapore and even to the same attractions, as the previous event was also held at the same venue. On the other hand, the event may also be attracting first-time visitors to Singapore as they also target tourists who may or may not been to Singapore before. Therefore, by encouraging first and repeat visits to Singapore, they will be increasing the tourism receipts as the tourists will have expenditures while they are in Singapore, regardless if it is before, during, or after the event.

Image Maker
The theme of the event being “A Bear Perspective” invites us to enter the innocent and charming world of the teddy bear which appeals to both adults and children. However, neither does it creates or enhances any traditional image pertaining to Singapore context, nor does it opposes any negative views; thus, this event does not have any economic value in terms of image maker.

Place Marketing
The location of this event being at the Arts House is located amidst various attractions in Singapore. The images would consist of colonial buildings, museums, and the Singapore River, thus, it helps to reinforce the city island image of Singapore. It will most probably create a positive image of Singapore; thus, drawing the attraction of locals and tourists to come for this event. Hence, it may increase tourist arrivals.

Catalysts
This event may stimulate the business of shops located in the Arts House which includes Earshot (books, music, film) – a cafe for eating and reading; Thai 1827 Restaurant; and Theshop Singapore Design. Similarly, the business of other attractions in the vicinity such as the Singapore River Cruise, or the Asian Civilisation Museum; and other businesses which include eateries, and shopping centres such as The Central, which are just a short distance away may also be stimulated. Thus, these shops and businesses will be able to benefit through profit gains from the presence of this event, bringing in economic value for Singapore as well.

Conclusion

Generally, I felt that the event has made use of all the components of the marketing mix. However, some of the factors, Programming and Packaging and Distribution, were not fully utilised to the advantage of the event. The other factors such as Place, Promotion, People, and Price, were made use of fairly well, although there is still room for it to be further developed. The remaining components, Product and Partnership, were employed effectively in this event. Therefore, I would judge that overall, the marketing mix had been used effectively only to an extent in contributing to the success of this event.

In conclusion, I felt that the flow of the event was quite smooth, and everything went quite well. The service provided, and the tangibles that were displayed and for sale were of high quality. On the whole, my experience at the event was a pleasant and enjoyable one.

Appendices