Swissôtel The Stamford Event Marketing Strategy

Swissôtel The Stamford, a luxury hotel in Singapore located in the heart of the city is a hotel that is actively involved in marketing themselves through events.

One famous and popular event of Swissôtel The Stamford would be the Swissôtel Vertical Marathon held by them annually. Ranked as the 8th out of the 2012 Vertical World Circuit, it soars at a height of 226 meters high. With a thousand and more people participating, it is one of the most anticipated events by Swissôtel The Stamford. Another sport event would be "We Care Week" Campaign, whereby Swissôtel The Stamford encourages people to jog 3.5km around Singapore’s attractions.

Swissôtel The Stamford also takes advantage of occasions to create events in conjunction with them. For example, Valentine’s Day and Christmas. On Valentine’s Day, they held a “Pink Champagne Sunday Brunch”, a food and alcohol event that is decorated pink everywhere. While on Christmas Day, they held a fund-raising event in 2010 and treated children with cakes, games and presents in 2011. According to Swissôtel The Stamford, they believe in “the season and spirit of giving” and hence, from their Christmas events, we can see that Swissôtel The Stamford has been creating events that helps the society and community.

Photo Credits to Swissotel The Stamford Facebook Album, "A Christmas of Hope"

Beisdes the occasions and sports events, Swissôtel The Stamford was also the stakeholders of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards andthey hosted the IIFA Awards Post Party in their hotel.

As we can see from the photo below, the backdrop has "Swissôtel The Stamford" printed over it. Hence, with the brand inside, it would help market the hotel and boost the reputation.

With so many major and minor events that was created and are involved in, Swissôtel The Stamford definitely has a great reputation through the marketing they did for the hotel. In return, it boosts profitability as it attracts more organizations who would want to host their events in their hotel.

Anime Festival Asia 2012

Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2012 is the most anticipated Japanese cultural event which is able to provide the ultimate experience for you in Singapore. AFA stars artistes, entertainers and voice actresses, holds talks and concerts and features the popular Japanese culture of Anime and Manga.

Organized by Dentsu Singapore and SOZO, this is the 5^th year AFA is held in Singapore. AFA debuted in 2008, holding the event in Singapore which made the event rise in popularity immediately due to its unique and differentiating programs which no other events in Southeast Asia had. Due to this, news have reported that AFA received about 85,000 visitors in 2011 whereby a third of them came from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. For the first four years till 2011, the venue of the event was held in Suntec Convention Centre. Attempting to target the local and regional market, their new venue was at the Singapore Expo.

The main highlights of AFA are entertainment, merchandises and culture. Concerts were held by Anisong, namely “I Love Anisong Concerts: Electric Groove”, bringing 7 artiste groups and 4 artistes from Japan to Singapore. Chosen participants from 5 different countries also came to participate in the yearly “Regional Cosplay Championship” held in AFA. Special Guests and Celebrity Cosplayers were invited, making fans squeal in delight and join in the fun at AFA.

Photo Credits to Anime Festival Asia Facebook Album

Once you enter the event, you will arrive upon “Akiba Town”, where you are able to purchase anime goods and merchandises. “Akiba Town” derives from the word “Akihabara”, a city from Japan that is a major shopping area for anime goods. Looking around the event, you will see many who are dressed up in cosplay costumes- imitating the 2D characters they love.

Photo Credits to Anime Festival Asia Facebook Album

Whereas if you are looking for food and service, cute maids and dashing butlers are ready to serve you in their cafés namely, “Moe Moe Kyun Maid Café” and “Atelier Royale Butler Cafes”, allowing you to feel the fullest, authentic experience of such cafes in Japan.

Photo Credits to Anime Festival Asia Moe Moe Kyun page

If you would like to experience an anime and manga convention or a Japanese cultural event, AFA is the event for you.

Event Marketing Mix, 8 P’s

To make an event smooth and successful, there are definitely marketing strategies behind the event which the event has to adopt. There are a total of “8 P’s” supporting the event, contributing to its success- Product, Price, Packaging, Place, People, Promotion, Partnership and Programming. 

8P- Product

It is important for an event to know what are their target market’s needs and wants, and their willingness to pay.  For AFA, the market would go for the experience of the event and concerts. As J-POP concerts are not common in Singapore, this makes it exclusive and the perceived value is much higher than before.

Photo Credits to Anime Festival Asia Facebook album

Secondly, the market will go for the exclusive merchandises such as figurines, cards and dolls. Some of these figures are specially brought into the stores and hence, will only be available during the event itself. Moreover, when different booths and stores from the different locations in Singapore come together in the same event hall, visitors will feel that it is more convenient to shop for the things they want at one go.

Photo Credits to Edmund Tan

One example would be Jeslyn Tan, 29, a sales manager who is an anime fan. She said to ‘mypaper’ that she purchased a one day ticket for the concert and she would rather spend the rest of her money on buying some of the anime merchandise. 

Besides these products, the ticketing counter provides an event brochure with an event map to help visitors find their way around the event place.

Hence, this shows us that AFA provides the visitors with products that they would need and want while they are in the event. This would lead to customer satisfaction.

  

8P- Pricing and Packaging

 

Ticketing
	9 November, Friday	10 November, Saturday		11 November, Sunday		9,- 11 November, 3 Day Package
Festival Access only	SGD8	SGD8		SGD8		SGD8
Festival + Stage Access	SGD20	SGD20		SGD20		SGD20
Concert – Basic Package	SGD58	SGD58		SGD58		SGD148
Concert – Standard Package	SGD88	SGD88		SGD88		SGD238
Concert – VIP Package	SGD148	SGD148		SGD148		SGD408
Movie Screenings
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Movie	10 November, Saturday		11 November, Sunday		Early Bird Special (Part 1 & 2) 2 Day Package
Part 1	SGD28				SGD45
Part 2			SGD28
Part 1 & 2	SGD 58

Pricesof tickets were distinctly separated for each category and clearly shown to the visitors.  From the price chart, we are able to see that the management of AFA proposed several packages and bundles for the market to further appeal and interest them. For example, visitors are able to save SGD13 if they purchase the Early Bird special bundle for the Puella Magi Madoka Magica Movie.

Festive or Festival and Stage tickets were easily available through the ticketing booths at the Singapore EXPO Foyer 3 on the event dates itself and were opened as early as 7.30am. Timings and ticketing information were uploaded onto Facebook and updated in their webpage. Also, another alternative is that the AFA Shop located at *Scape Level 1 sells all tickets for AFA and could be purchased before the event date. Having two locations that sell the tickets can provide convenience to people as they have a choice of where to purchase their tickets. 

8P- Place

The place the event is held would be very important to the event itself. If the venue is placed poorly, visitors may not enjoy the event and will feel dissatisfied. In the case of AFA, there are four components to it- Ticketing, Festival Grounds, Main Stage and Max Pavilion. They were held at the Singapore EXPO halls 7, 8 and 10.

Tickets were available at Foyer 3, which is outside Singapore EXPO halls 7 and 8. The Main Stage, which had presentations, movie screenings, showcases and talks were located at hall 8. Max Pavilion, where the concerts were held, was located at hall 10. These locations were side by side and thus make it convenient for the visitors.

The Venue, Singapore EXPO.

Picture shows Foyer 3, Ticketing area.

Moreover, Singapore EXPO halls 7 to 10 are on the opposite side of the road. Hence, there is a distinct crowd control from the other events that were held on the same days as AFA.

One main reason why AFA has chosen Singapore EXPO as their venue this year is because they expect to attract both local and regional visitors. (AFA, 2012) Being so near the Singapore Changi Airport, it would be more convenient for regional visitors. This would then result in a boost in the percentage of regional visitors that comes to AFA Singapore.

Another reason is because the venue is easily accessible and there are different modes of transport nearby. Visitors can get to the event through public transport such as SBS bus services or MRT train services. The car park is just beside the event and visitors may reach the event by car as well.

Never fear for a hungry tummy as food can be purchased almost anywhere near the event. There is Japanese cuisine in the event venue itself, food and beverage outlets outside EXPO halls 1 to 6, and even more food and beverage outlets at ChangiCity Point, which is just a 170m walk away from the event venue.

Wonder Bun, a Food and Beverage booth in AFA

On the left: Wonder Bun's Buns

On the right: Takoyaki, a Japanese cuisine.

Booths sells Japanese sweets and candies as well.

Moreover, Singapore EXPO has proposed expansion plans in 2007 to build malls, restaurants and hotels. Plans were carried out and the new mall, Changi City Point had its grand opening in April 2012. A 5 minute walk away from the mall would lead to the new Hotel- Capri by Fraser.

8P- People

The cast, audience, host and guest makes up the people of the event. Without any of these components, the event would not be a success. Every year, AFA attracts this market of people, often called “Otaku”- someone who is has obsessive interests, particularly anime and manga.

Special Guests of AFA.

Seeing visitors and special guests wear wigs and costumes is quite the norm of AFA. These “Cosplayers” like to dress up in their outfits as their favourite anime characters with their handmade props. Being in character, they would appear like as though they have just walked out of the anime world to the reality.  Special guests were also invited from neighbouring countries to compete in their handmade costumes in the annual Regional Cosplay Championship.

Being involved in among the audience in the "People", I cosplayed and experienced the event.

Photo Credits to Edmund Tan

This segment of “Cosplay” is one of the highlights of the event as well and there are visitors who attend the event to cosplay or to take photographs of these cosplayers. 

8P- Promotion

As AFA has been around for 5 years and is the biggest Japanese cultural events in South East Asia, many have known about this event. Hence, this is probably the reason why AFA did not do any advertising such as commercials this year. Also, due to the event’s nature, it is unsuitable for them to use one of the promotional tools, “Personal Selling” as well. However, they do practice the other 3 promotional tools: Sales Promotions, Public Relations and Online Presence.

Sales Promotion

There are promotions for the ticketing such as the early bird specials and 2 or 3 day packages, which encourages people to buy their tickets in a package, to save some money (up to $36). This way, tickets may seem more attractive and not only does it boost sales, it reduces the possibility and risk of perishability. 

Public Relations

Public relations build awareness and a positive image for the company by disseminating information in media channels. After the event, XinMSN, Straits Times and mypaper wrote articles about AFA and posted pictures of the events online. These channels are accessed daily by many people and hence, will allow people to learn about this event.

Online Presence

Targeting and accommodating to the characteristics of their target market, “Otakus”, AFA’s main channel of promoting themselves is through the online network.

Firstly, AFA has owns a website and channel. The website provides all the necessary information to the event itself while the channel provides information of the special guests through the form of a video. Fans get to see the interviews with their idols and messages left by them through the channel's webpages. This makes the fans feel closer to their idols by knowing more about them and hence, they will support their idols and experience the atmosphere during the real event.

Besides websites, the platform which everyone is using now is social media. AFA connects to their fans through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Through these platforms, they regularly update statuses, details and photos to their fans which add up to about 229,000.

Secondly, AFA has 5 official regional media partners that supports and promotes their website as well- Culture Japan, Animax, SGCafe, Tokyo OtakuMode and Animavericks.

Culture Japan and Tokyo Otaku Mode are companies that disseminate Japanese cultural information and news to around the World. Danny Choo, who is the owner of Culture Japan as well as the host of AFA, would usually promote the event to his followers and readers in his Facebook and website, making AFA even more noticeable than before. Animax is a television channel that shows anime around the World. SGCafe is an anime and manga forum mainly for Singaporeans and is constantly updated by the community. Lastly, Animavericks is a Japanese entertainment magazine that in based in Australia.

From these, we are able to see that AFA is expanding and promoting itself not only in Singapore, but throughout the world, making fans travel down for the event. Hence, it was a right decision to place the event near the Singapore Changi Airport.

8P- Partnership

Partnership refers to the formal agreement between parties to work together towards a common goal. The official and main sponsors of AFA are Bushiroad, Canon and Japan Credit Bureau (JCB).

JCB allows their card holders to enjoy privileges such as giveaways, discounts and lesser queuing time. This will appeal to people and tempt them to sign up for a JCB account as well as to attend AFA as well for the privileges. Hence, this is a win-win situation for both partners.

Not only does Canon present the Regional Cosplay Championship, they have an area in the event called “Canon Cosplay Zone” where cosplayers will go there and have their photos taken. This will benefit them as there is an increase in brand awareness and through the photos they took of the cosplayers, it acts as a marketing tool for them. While for the event itself, it is an event brand enhancement as well as a financial investment. Again, this benefits both the partners.

AFA is also supported by Amuse, Bandai, Horipro, King Records, Panasonic Singapore, Lis Ani! and Pere Ocean. One example would be Pere Ocean supporting AFA by providing their natural mineral water to the event and the artistes. These supporting partners help market the event.

As special guests and artistes are invited from Japan to Singapore, even airlines such as All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines are also involved in the event and are their official travel partners.

Working along with official sponsors, supporters and partners, this is the reason why AFA has been continuously progressing and has become one of the most anticipated Japanese cultural events in Singapore.

8P- Programming

AFA has called their programs the “experience zones”. Like what they call it, they want to let their visitors experience the event to their fullest.

Some of the programs include Akiba Town, Atelier Royale Butler Café, Moe Moe Kyun Maid Café, Anime KARAOKE MA’☆, AFA Regional Cosplay Championship, Creators Hub, Electric Groove: I Love Anisong.

Once you enter the event hall, you will find yourself in “Akiba Town”. “Akiba Town” mimics the city, “Akihabara” in Japan, selling merchandises and goods. Walking around the event, you will find the “Atelier Royale Butler Café” and “Moe Moe Kyun Maid Café” whereby the butlers and maids will delight and serve you with their warmest hospitality. Whereas for “AFA Regional Cosplay Championship”, cosplayers from each country compete for the regional’s best cosplay title.

Maids from Moe Moe Kyun and Butlers from Atelier Royale dressed up in Japanese high school uniforms to serve their customers. 

Photo credits Moe Moe Kyun Facebook page

AFA also have a music and arts section. For music, “Anime KARAOKE MA’☆” had a booth in the event for music lovers who love to sing. These music lovers can go up to the booth to perform the songs they wish to sing. For Art, AFA has a “Creators Hub” whereby they dedicated the area to Artists for them to draw and sell their fan-made merchandises. The products range from bookmarks to posters and even manga.

There is also a segment for dedicated fans that wish to support and see their idols perform- the “Electric Groove: I Love Anisong”. This may be a once in a lifetime chance for these idols to come to Singapore to hold a concert. Hence, this is the reason why this segment is one of the main highlights of AFA.

With all these programs in place, it brings the event as a whole and visitors will feel that there is a lot of value in the programs and event. 

Anime Festival Asia 2011 VS Anime Festival Asia 2012

In AFA, there are always the “must-have” programs every year such as the “Akiba Town”, “Regional Cosplay Championship”, “Moe Moe Kyun Maid Café” and “Atelier Royale Butler Café”. However, despite some similarities, there are still some changes that were made in the event after all.

Firstly, there was a prominent change in venue. For the past 4 years of the event, it was always held in Suntec Convention Centre. Yet, there was a change in venue in 2012. As stated by the organizers themselves, “Held at Singapore Expo,AFA 2012 expects to attract both local and regional visitors – from anime enthusiasts, music lovers, to anyone who is interested in Japanese popular culture”. Hence, the reason behind the change is because the event organizers wanted to look and expand into the other markets. Also, another reason is because of the poor crowd control in Suntec Convention Centre. If the event is now across the road, visitors of AFA will not obstruct any in-conjunction events.

 

Secondly, there was a slight increase in prices, rising from $18 last year to $20 this year. However, the festival director of AFA, Mr Shawn Chin explained that, "While various factors are in place that have raised our production costs by six times over the past five years, the objective has always been to provide the best value, and a range of ticketing options that offers choice and value to everyone," Hence, because of the steep increase of expenses, there is a need to increase ticket prices as well. However, if the perceived value is there, visitors will not mind paying more. 

Thirdly, in 2011, AFA did some marketing of their events by placing decals for the SBS bus. However this year, most of the marketing was done online through websites, social media and bloggers.

Lastly, AFA has expanded greatly to Singapore’s neighbouring countries. Last year in 2011, the organizers of AFA has confirmed and announced that AFA will be held in Malaysia and Indonesia in the following year.