♥ Thursday, May 14, 2009
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b)Compare the selected festival with a similar festival that has been successful in another city in terms of its marketing strategy;
The other similar festival that has been successful will be the Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is so successful and well known because of their marketing strategy in terms of the 8 Ps.
Experiential component,
Product: They know that their potential customers are drinkers therefore; they cater a wide range of beers for different people’s preferences and also for different occasion. They are product orientated and care about what the customers wants by thinking of the different types of beers to supply. The Oktoberfest is not all about drinking beer. There are a variety of food ranging local specialties such as roasted ox tails, grilled pork knuckles, or Bavarian Weißwürste, steamed white veal sausages served with sweet mustard to small appetizers, potato salad or potato soup, soft pretzels, cheese plates with bread.
Food at Oktoberfest
In Singapore, the Beerfest did not have a variety as wide as Oktoberfest. What i observed, there was hardly any food at the tables during Beerfest. It was all cups and bottles of beer. Singapore lack of space and cannot afford to have more booths with more beers. With limited space, Singapore is also not able to open more food booths but to make use of the food places around the Singapore Flyer.
Place: Munich is the third largest city in Germany. In Munich, the Oktoberfest is held in Theresienwiese. It has a space of 420000 square metres which is able to accommodate about 100 000 guests. Munich has a continental climate with several attractions. Visitors will also be able to enjoy places like museums, concert halls and churches.
People at Oktoberfest
Munich Museum
Munich Church
Munich Concert Hall
Oktoberfest held the event in the third largest city in Germany, Beerfest Asia held it at the Singapore flyer. Although the Flyer is an attraction I feel not many know about the event. Beerfest Asia should be held somewhere with more space such as the Singapore Expo. Getting to Oktoberfest is easily accessible because there are lots of ways; there is even a direct subway. Getting to the Flyer for me was a chore. I had to walk from Suntec City and there was a shuttle bus available with an interval of half hour. But I could not board the bus; it was always very crowded so I ended up walking there. When I got there, I could not find a place to sit. The area in front of the stage was reserved and the area outside was full. So my friends and I went to the back and sat on a sloping hill. It felt pathetic as we didn’t have anywhere pleasant and comfortable to chill with each other.
I recommend the Singapore Expo because it is easily accessible via public transport even though there are no attractions. There are several bus services and an MRT line which conveniently stops directly at the Singapore Expo. At the Singapore Expo, food booths can be set up in the hall together which much more different brands of beer. In addition, visitors can also choose to eat at the different fast food restaurants in the Singapore Expo.
Programming: There are events held at the Oktoberfest such as groups in traditional costumes and historical uniforms, marching bands, riflemen, thoroughbred horses and other livestock, old-fashioned carriages, and numerous floats. This will take place on the first Sunday of the festival. On the second Sunday, there will be open-air big band concert involving the 400 or so musicians who comprise all of the Oktoberfest bands. Besides watching and enjoying performances, visitors also get to sit on rides such as the Ferris wheel, roller coaster, or water slide, navigate their way through a labyrinth, visit a haunted house, be entertained by numerous types of performers, take a look at the flea circus, stop off at one of dozens of game booths, or take a festival tour, among other things.
Programmes at Oktoberfest
At Beerfest Asia, the only performance that was happening was the performance by Swiss Alpine Lions, a band playing country music. It was a little boring. When the band took breaks, there weren’t any games being played on stage to entertain and involve the people who attended the Beerfest. Comparing from what I read about Oktoberfest, families can afford to bring their children with them because there are activities catered to all ages; however, Beerfest lacks this and only caters to drinkers and business people. It needs to be more exciting and have interaction with the visitors.
Swiss Alpine Lions
People: The performances in Beerfest however were not good to me. I went for 2 hours on Labour Day and I felt that there was nothing to do except to talk and hang out with your friends. Comparing to Oktoberfest, an open air concert, I think Singapore should invite more artists and have lesser breaks. Keeping the crowd alive is the best way to make Beerfest Asia a more exciting and memorable experience.
Facilitating component
Partnerships: There are several hotels that are packaged and jointly marketed with Oktoberfest. These hotels slash their prices to make their hotels more attractive and reasonable. Beerfest also did the same.
Other than hotels, Singapore Tourism Board and the different sponsors helped to manage this event as well. For example, Power 98 helped to promote the festival.
Promotion: Oktoberfest had promotions via the Munich airport. There, people will get to taste, and receive free goodie gifts with purchase from various groups. This way, customers will be encourages and able to try something new and if they like it, they are welcomed to go to the Oktoberfest to enjoy even more.
Beerfest had promotions for tickets such as the concession and early bird, $10 and $20 respectively. This is targeted to different such as SAFRA members Senior citizen Tertiary students NSF markets so as to not only target drinkers and business people.
There are promotions on drinks such as the Singapore Sling. Buy 1 get one free for $10.Since the event was held at the Singapore Flyer, there were also promotions together with the flyer, such as, a fixed price for a ride together with drinks provided in the capsule.
The Singapore Sling
Comparing both events, I think it is a good idea to promote Oktoberfest at the airport because visitors who are there for a holiday might extend their stay if they are interested in the Oktoberfest. If Singapore were to do promote at the airport, they will be able to attract foreigners and as well as help the Singaporeans in the airport be aware of Beerfest.
Packaging & Distribution: Oktoberfest is held in Munich which people know about its history and how Oktoberfest came about. It is an event which is worldwide and well known. Beerfest is held at the Singapore Flyer, an attraction so that people will be aware. However, i feel that only the minority of Singapore knows about this event.
Price: Based on last year’s Oktoberfest, admission was $6(SGD12.19) at door sales and $5(SGD10.16) for advance which is cheaper than Beerfest Asia. This will attract visitors because the admission fee is cheap and so is the beer at the festival. People who attend Oktoberfest will spend more than the people who attended Beerfest because, the beers at Beerfest was not really very cheap. For example, a bottle of Hoegaarden cost $4 in grocery shops but a cup of Hoegaarden, costs $6 which is not very worth.
There are merchandises at the Oktoberfest such as shirts, mugs, pants, belt, hats, and accessories as well as the famous 1 litre beer mug and many more. Oktoberfest is such a big event that visitors tend to steal the mugs from the festival area. However, comparing to Beerfest Asia, the items sold there were only the guitar floats and shirts with slogans which is not in relation to Beerfest.
Oktoberfest Merchandise
Beerfest Merchandise
Slogan shirts
Guitar Floats
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I feel that Singapore should promote Beerfest more using both print and non print advertisements. Oktoberfest is a big event and is well known because of its history. As for Beerfest I don’t remember seeing any advertisements on print and non-print relating to the Beerfest. Furthermore, it is held at the Singapore Flyer which will not attract visitors easily because of its location. It is held in the facing the F1 tracks which is not easily seen to the patronizing public at the Flyer.
In addition to the location, Beerfest should also change its location to somewhere bigger, accessible and known to public. The Oktoberfest was able to accommodate 100 000 people and if Singapore were to promote Beerfest Asia and cater to all ages the same way Oktoberfest did, rides and performances, Beerfest Asia will be able to attract more than they did.
For Beerfest to earn more money using their merchandises, I feel that they should come up with more things. Other than the guitar floats and lighted shirts. They sold the guitar floats for $5. It is expensive because the guitar does not serve any purpose. Furthermore, it is not very in line with the Beerfest theme. I think they should sell shirts, mugs, and tumblers with Beerfest logos.
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The stakeholders of Beerfest Asia are the people directly involved in the event, such as. Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Flyer, beer suppliers and the organisers. The other people involved are the ushers, cleaners, stage and production management, sound sponsors, service staff of food and beverage outlets located around the festival (popeyes, O’Briens Sandwich Bar, Swiss Treats etc), the performers( vertical horizon, Swiss alpine lions etc) and the sponsors (Citibank, FHM, Absolut Vodka, Grand Pak City Hall, Time Out Singapore, Power 98 FM, LOWE Refrigeration etc.)
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The main purpose of the event is to promote and bring different beers to Singapore. This way, people will be more aware of the other types of beers rather than Carlsberg and Heineken. Singaporeans often stick to their comfort zone for beers and dare not try others. This festival will help Singaporeans be more aware of other brands of beers available around the world. Singaporeans will be more willing to try the different beers because it can be as cheap as $3 at the beerfest. With the recession, they will not feel that they wasted money on beers they don’t appreciate.
Generally most of the drinkers are working adults who are business people. With this festival, it will give them a chance to relax, get away from stress, hang out with friends or even clinch business deals. It is a business cum social event which allows networking between people to happen.
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The tourism benefits received by Singapore will be beneficial to a large extent. This festival is a regional/ worldwide event. It is a form of trade tourism. There is selling, networking between countries of the different beer suppliers and Singapore will be able to earn revenue from tourists.
For example, the brewery and performers book a hotel for their own people and this will already allow the hotel to earn money from the rooms because they may come in large groups. In the hotel, they will be spending additional money on food and beverage and transport.
Another example is business men or tourists who are visiting Singapore may have spare time. With the beerfest is happening and it is a spinoff event, they may stay for an additional one or two nights to attend the beerfest which they will spend more money in Singapore.
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Thats the end of this entry
