The augmented product would be facilitating products to make the event more attractive. The decoration of Singapore Night Safari had succeeded in creating an eerie and creepy Halloween atmosphere. The tram, retail shops and F&B outlets are supporting services for the Halloween event.
The core product is the benefits that visitors actually buy. I would say that the core product of this event is the exclusive experience of being part of the occasion. It is rare to be able to celebrate Halloween in Singapore in a large group.
Singapore Night Safari had not suffered from product orientation since the mentioned tangible products had help convey the message of the product. And together with augmented products, core products are bought out through the visit in Singapore Night Safari.
PLACE
It refers to the location and setting of the event.
The Halloween Night event has used Singapore Night Safari to its advantage since the attraction operates at night and is accessible by Bus, Car and Taxi.
Besides, it makes use of forest giant trail and dark places as destination features which add on to the ambience (which is a major part of this component in marketing mix). These result in good ambience which suits the Halloween theme.
PROGRAMMING
The Programming within the event is a marketing decision, especially by way of creating targeted benefits.
The Halloween Night event in Singapore Night Safari did not focus much on time-line programming; it is more of a free-and-easy tour around the place either by tram or walk. My opinion for this is that overcrowding at a specific place and congestion of the whole area pose a problem to Singapore Night Safari, hence the lost of focus on time-line programming.
However so, programming component is not deemed as ineffective since Singapore Night Safari itself has incorporate hourly night shows by the creatures.
Not only so, the free-and-easy tour can be considered as a program itself since the walk/tram are interesting when customer get to experience the night of fear since whole Singapore Night Safari is animated with Halloween-theme with cast dressing up in costumes.
Singapore Night Safari could have done better if they’ve line up programs such as Night Walk Exhibition. They could have exhibit information on the different types of Halloween character; information could include cultural aspect, myths. Like this, visitors will have some educational knowledge about different types of Halloween character and myths after the trip and not merely have a Night Walk and end up being scare all-the-time.
Another program I have thought of is to have the best dressed or scariest Halloween character contest. This will also encourage visitors to come in costumes and participate actively in scaring one other while coming to Singapore Night Safari for this Halloween Night event.
Singapore Night Safari staffs had dress themselves up to blend with the Halloween theme (examples are ticketing staff are dress up like a Witch and tram emcee dress up like Vampires). The “cast” interact with the customers by photo-taking session,
or simply scaring their hearts out by chasing after them.
The “cast” had played their roles well, such that tram emcee not only dress up like a character (example: Vampire) but act and sound like the character as well. The tram emcee must have been well trained since they can commit themselves with total memory of the 45minutes tram trip information and engage us into the creepy and eerie atmosphere. I think Singapore Night Safari had done well in this aspect.
The audience are very participative as well. Based on observation, every 2 out of 5 people are dressed in costume; some even act as though they are part of the “cast” and go around taking photos with other customers.
I would say the people component is effective as it had direct impact on the whole Halloween atmosphere as well.
PARTNERSHIP
Partnership is a part of facilitating the whole experience. Partnerships are stakeholders in producing the event, and government agencies are most common partners.
In this case, Singapore Tourism Board (Uniquely Singapore are Singapore Night Safari’s partners.
Halloween Night event had made use of the partnership between Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Night Safari to its advantage since tourists would first come to know more about Singapore through Singapore Tourism Board.
Passion Card is another partner for the Halloween Night event held in Singapore Night Safari.
Members of Passion Card will have privileges upon visit to Singapore Night Safari for this event. On the other hand, Passion Card, as a partner, will gain awareness of the brand as more visitors notice the discounts given and the partners with Singapore Night Safari.
The communication mix requires ongoing management and relationship building, not just one-off efforts.
For this Halloween event, it was largely promoted online with various intermediaries. Various intermediaries then had their own packaging (such as 2 way transfer by mini van, tour guide services). This shows that good relation had been maintain between intermediaries and Singapore Night Safari if not intermediaries would not have helped promote Singapore Night Safari just for the Halloween event.
Posters of this Halloween event can be seen on various bus stops.
One example is the bus stop located right outside of Bugis Street. Singapore Night Safari had took the effort to advertise the place itself on the bus stop for quite some time, and this Halloween event had take advantage of this to put up posters of the event there as well.
The F&B outlets also had come out with promotion in regards to the Halloween Night event. These promotion packages suit the theme and are attractive to the visitor since this is an extra feature that cannot be obtained otherwise (this can be linked to packaging)
A package is any combination of elements offered for sale at a single price. Packaging seeks to make the event experience more attractive.
For this Halloween event, Singapore Night Safari had come out with a package, Halloween Cocktail Express. It was offered at a price of S$50. However so, it includes Cocktail, Tram ticket and Admission to Singapore Night Safari. In this way, customer will find the package attractive since this is an extra feature that cannot be obtained otherwise. (this can be link to price)
The packaging and distribution component of the marketing mix would have been more effective if there are more packaging. An example could be packaging the admission ticket and a tangible product (for instant, mask or touch light). This way, customer will bring home with them the tangible products (which remind them of the event) upon purchasing the package since the package will be attractive to them if the price of package is lower as compared to buying all the elements singly.
(
http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/whatsnew/halloween08.htm)
PRICE
Every event comes with a price tag. Singapore Night Safari had been charging S$22 for admission and S$10 for a 45min tram ride; that would sum up to S$32. For the Halloween event held in Singapore Night Safari, the cost of admission and tram remain.
However, there is a different price for the package, Halloween Cocktail Express.
This case, customers will find it value for money since one can choose to participate in event upon purchasing of admission fee (there is no additional event admission fee) or purchase package.
Being able to attract local Singaporeans to Singapore Night Safari due to Halloween Night event is a successful part of place marketing as it attracts residents. Besides, it also helps in increasing sales receipts. Long queues at the Ticketing booth show how popular the event is and how it had brought in crowds.
On the other hand, Halloween Night event does not create positive images as it is towards the horror theme side. Newspaper event report that “it is not suitable for people who easily hallucinate, or easily have nightmare, to go Halloween at Night Safari”
By having this event, it may mislead others in what Singapore Night Safari actually wishes to achieve; objective of having visitors to come and experience the night life with a difference by appreciating the animals.
Increasing visitor spending is a segment of tourist attraction. Since Halloween items were sold in retail shop located at entrance/exit of Singapore Night Safari, this Halloween Night event already encourages visitors’ spending. Besides, packages (such as Halloween Cocktail Express) and F&B outlet (Bongo Burger) had helped in increased visitor spending.
The Halloween Night event had attracted quality tourists. As quoted from the “Xin Ming Ri Bao” Newspaper, 8th October, it states that the response for Halloween Night event at Singapore Night Safari was overwhelming last year and hence explain why Singapore Night Safari held the Halloween Night event this year.
(
http://spi.com.sg/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11213)
IMAGE MAKER The Halloween Night event had helped create a horror theme for Singapore Night Safari. Now, Singapore Night Safari is portray as an adventurous attraction where one will not only able to appreciate and admire the night wild life animals, but also able to explore the place and have fun.
However so, there are some who strongly object the idea of having a Halloween Night event at Singapore Night Safari because they believe that the image of horrifying characters are giving bad impression on the innocent animals.
Though so, I think Singapore Night Safari had make good efforts by having scary motions at places where animals would not be disturbed, such as “Forest Giant Trail”.
CATALYST
By having the Halloween Night event in Singapore Night Safari, it is acting as a catalyst by stimulating business opportunities for other attractions (including Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park). This is so since the packages (“park hopper special”) on the three locations seeks to make the event experience more attractive because the price of package is lower as compared to buying all the elements singly.
Beside, I think it speed up and increase the rate of Singaporeans visiting Singapore Night Safari since not many locals will visit own country’s attraction.
http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/visitor/rates.htm
ANIMATORThe Halloween Night event had helped make Singapore Night Safari more alive by animating the whole place. Because of this event, I find Singapore Night Safari filled with more visitors interacting with each other and with the staff, compared to the past where visitors merely appreciate and admire the night animals and not as much interaction with the staff.
ECONOMIC VALUE
With travel agents packaging Halloween Night event at Night Safari with the trip to Singapore from various countries, it is destinational promotion and it increases tourist visit. Increasing in tourist arrival number will result in tourism revenue being earned, boosting the tourism receipts. It also results in higher yield and increase tax revenue. Being able to work hand in hand with agents and Singapore Tourism Board, this event has had economic value to Singapore.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe that Singapore Night Safari efforts of making Halloween Night event possible is paid off by high return on investment since it helped in increasing tourist receipts and is well-liked by many.
In my opinion, holding the Halloween Night event in Singapore Night Safari is killing two birds with one stone. This is because firstly, it draws people to the attraction. At the same time, Singapore Night Safari brings the western Halloween culture into Singapore so that Singaporeans can too experience Halloween Night.
The experience of celebrating Halloween Night at Singapore Night Safari was memorable. I would say that the credits go to the place and people of the marketing mix.
The place was appropriate and suits the Halloween theme very well. Singapore Night Safari was ideal for this event as it is a night attraction in the first place.
Not only so; Singapore Night Safari staffs had made great efforts in dolling up in costumes and acting like the character that they dress up to be. I believe staff play a part of the whole experience that visitor receive. If Singapore Night Safari staffs had not make the extra effort to blend into the Halloween theme up dressing up, I trust that I wouldn’t enjoy that much since interaction between me (visitor) and the staff is limited now.
Product (Tangible, Augmented and Core), Partnership, Price, Promotion in marketing mix had help contribute to the success of the event.
In additional, if there are more programs for the events (Programming in marketing mix) and more packages (Packaging in marketing mix), I believe that the Halloween Night event held at Singapore Night Safari would be more successful. Programming is important since it has direct impact on visitor’s experience, and packaging should not be neglected as well since it’s facilitating factor affecting success of event.
All in all, I think that the Halloween Night event in Singapore Night Safari was a success, though there are still room for improvement.
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