Price
Ticket prices of for entry to the SB, which includes admission to all 3 exhibition areas (except the Singapore Flyer), valid for the entire duration of the exhibition, are as follows;
Single Entry Pass: $10Concession
(Students and Senior Citizens): $5
A ticket come with a short guide of the exhibition, and also entitles the holder to discounted prices for the Singapore Flyer. There are also ticket discounts for several PAssion card holders, etc.
It is evident that this pricing scheme is rather low as compared to some other art festivals, exhibits, or events held here. These other events which charge higher prices would most likely provide a more luxurious or comfortable experience, like a welcome drink, or complimentary tour for example. However, when such pricing strategy is adopted, only the people, or groups interested in the arts exhibited in the particular event will be attracted to attend, hence willing to pay.
By keeping prices low at the SB, they would be attracting many more visitors who may not necessarily be interested in, or very well-informed about the exhibition. For example, a couple walking past the City Hall and chance upon the SB, they may be curious to see what’s going on, and because the price is so reasonable, they would decide to go in and take a look. It would most definitely be a different case if the entrance fee was say, $30.
The SB may like to consider having more pricing categories, instead of the present 3. Introducing group tickets, or family packages may be a good idea.
Product
As this is an art exhibition, it cannot be tailored to an extent where it will cater to a specific target market. Especially when the pricing scheme is aimed at attracting large numbers of general public, it is difficult to alter the product to their needs. The SB was a display of contemporary art, visual, audible, and sensorial. It showcased several forms of art, such as installation, print, performance, painting and photography, unlike other exhibitions which focus on one, or a few aspects.
And because many members of the public may not be fully aware of the many facets of exhibition in the SB, they may perceive it to be a boring, monotonous gallery, or something too abstract to understand. This would make up the formal product, which is what the visitor thinks he or she is buying.
In actual fact, the visitor is treated to a multisensory experience, paired with fascinating architecture, which after all, isn’t so boring and hard to understand. When he compares this newly formed augmented product to the core product mentioned above, it would be better than expected, forming a good perception of the SB. He may then return again in 2010!
One thing that was noticed during the visit was the effort to explain the meaning and significance of the art piece from the artist’s point of view; this was done through the several write-ups placed near every exhibit, detailing the specifics of the artwork. Also, the guidebook provided a more in depth explanation, together with the audio tours, which were offered free of charge.
Also, a kid’s biennale specially set up for young children, allows the SB to become a family affair, drawing families to visit. There, children can draw and create their own little art pieces, which can be entered into contests, displayed on the walls, or simply brought home. This simple idea to incorporate children has allowed the SB to target yet another lucrative market.
One suggestion to improve on would be to help the general public understand the works of art from an artist’s perspective, instead of just at face value, which I believe many have. Not just admiring at the craftsmanship or creativity bit to understand the feelings and messages behind the work, organizers may consider simplifying the write-ups and audio tours to a more ‘lay-man’ level.
Programming
The Singapore Biennale is a rather free event, in a sense that there is no fixed schedule to follow. Visitors come and go as they wish, and may spend as much (or as little) time at one art piece as they like. The exhibition being viewed at one’s own pace made a detailed program specifying where to go and what time not necessary.
However, there are still some elements that can be classified under the programming category, that have played a significant role in the SB’s marketing strategy. These are;
Parallel Events, held as early as March 08, begin to prepare the public for the arrival of the Biennale. These events, compared to the main exhibition, are smaller in scale, but are still related to the SB in one way or another. The objective of holding these parallel events was most likely to ‘get the ball rolling’ and drumming up the hype and anticipation to the SB, giving sneak previews of what to expect, at the same time helping to publicize the event.
As explained above, the Kids Biennale is yet another aspect of the program.
According to the SB’s website, (
http://www.singaporebiennale.org/programme-encounters.php) a program named Encounters was launched, which ‘comprises of 'get-together' sessions in Singapore or at international arts events for interaction between the interested public, the arts communities and the Singapore Biennale curatorial team.’ The several informal meeting sessions provided a platform for constructive criticism and suggestions on how to better organize and execute future Biennales. This would allow the organizers to interact with their target market and finding out their feedback, which is crucial for planning of future events.
Lastly, education and outreach was also implemented, to inform the younger generation of the arts scene, and to hopefully capture their interest and engage them in art, whether now, or in the future. Targeted at Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges and Tertiary institutions, activities such as the Biennale Race 2008, School Tours, and Peer-led Guiding were organized.
Promotion
Promotion refers to the advertising and sales promotion, telling the target market that such an event exists and is ongoing, and the reasons why he should visit or participate in the event. Because the SB has chosen such a low pricing strategy, it can be deduced that the market they wish to target is the general public, and not those passionately attached to the arts.
That being said, promotions and advertising of the SB is one of the aspects of the marketing mix that in my opinion is extremely important towards the success of the event, in order to attract sufficient crowds.
However, advertising efforts for the SB seemed to be rather sparse and weak. There were not many posters on newspapers, bus stops, and billboards, etc. that were seen promoting the SB. How did the organizing committee tell potential visitors that the SB was taking place?
Perhaps it was the excellent reputation that has snowballed from the previous Biennale that is drawing the crowds, or the strategic location of the exhibition, which would be a giant banner by itself. In any case, the SB managed to pull it off, and must have saved quite a sum of money in the process. Still, more promotions would have most definitely drawn more attention to the event, and this can be done through advertising in generic magazines and newspapers such as 8Days or The Straits Times.
Place
The Singapore Biennale 2008 was held at numerous locations, South Beach Development, City Hall, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Esplanade Bridge as well as Marina Bay. Of these venues, South Beach Development and City Hall were the main exhibition locations.
Evidently, these sites see a heavy human traffic flow, both on weekdays and as well as weekends. This would mean that more people will chance upon the event and perhaps visit it out of curiosity. For example, one may come across a art piece on display at Raffles City Shopping Centre whilst shopping, and be intrigued by it. Realizing this was from the SB, he may decide to visit the main exhibition site.
Maybe this explains the lack of conventional advertising and promotional efforts. The locations and sites themselves are being used as a promotional tool. Artistic indeed!
People
People in the marketing mix refer to the customers, and the staff, as well as those involved in the planning and organization of the event. In order for the visitors to feel welcome the staff should be warm and friendly, offering their services whenever possible, still bearing in mind that this is an art exhibition, and they may want their own time and space to appreciate the art.
Staff at the entrance where all young, friendly and knowledgeable. They were very informal in greeting which was appropriate for the setting. Ticketing was a breeze and we were ushered in the right direction will instructions on how to cover the exhibition grounds, from there, we were left alone to enjoy the exhibition.
Yet, there were staff scattered around the grounds, and their jobs were quite obviously to keep an eye on the art pieces. When approached with a question, they were very responsive and knew quite a bit about the piece. The presence of staff also gave a sense of decorum to the place, as visitors knew they were being watched and dare not play a fool. All in all, the unique brand of the people selected to run the exhibition certainly made a difference to the experience, in future however, staff may want to be more proactive, and to approach puzzled visitors gazing at artwork without a clue.
The other major group of people is the customers, or in this case, visitors. As we know, no matter how great or successful the event is, it will still not seem interesting to a person who does not appreciate art, or ignorant to learn more about it. Again, this may be another reason why the organizers chose not to aggressively peddle the event to everyone out in the streets, as they wanted to only attract those with interests. True enough, those seen roaming the exhibition looked like they were really enjoying an understanding it.
Packaging
Similar to promotion, packaging is how the event was put together with other items to form a more complete, more attractive end product, which may make it easier to sell, or more profitable. An superb example of packing in the Singapore Biennale is the Art Compass program.
The SB Biennale coincides with several other Contemporary Art events throughout the Asia pacific, including the Sydney Biennale, Gwang Jiu Biennale, Shanghai Biennale, and Yokohama Triennale. Packaging all these events together, it not only puts Singapore’s Biennale on the world stage and promotes it on an international level, but it also facilitates the ‘touring’ of the other Beinnales in other countries. A good idea would be to organize group tours where tourists of the same interest can visit the exhibitions together, sharing their thoughts and ideas along the way.
PartnershipA list of partners of the Singapore Biennale 2008 can be found at;
http://www.singaporebiennale.org/ourpartners.htmlObtaining sponsorship is another important step in the marketing mix. Without it, the organizers will have a very tight budget to work with and may not be able to work within it. A sponsor such as Ikea was seen providing the furniture and other items needed for the Kids Biennale, and Raffles City Shopping Centre supplying a large outdoor banner space, which can otherwise be used to make profits.
Collaboration with Government Agencies such as the Singapore Land Authority and the Preservation of Monuments Board has also given the SB access to historical buildings like City Hall, and the South Beach Developments, which are ideal locale for a contemporary art. Also, the Singapore Tourism Board would help by themselves promoting the Singapore Biennale, because having a successful event works to their advantage as well.
Partnership also gives the visitors to the SB perks and privileges, which is an added bonus. For example, SB ticket holders can purchase a Singapore Flyer pass at only $21.00 instead of the usual $29.50, as there are some art pieces displayed at the flyer.
Apart from sponsorship, partners can also provide their expertise in a specific field. For example, the SB Committee may consult the planners of the Sydney Biennale on how to plan, and operate an art exhibition. Or perhaps an expert’s opinion may be sought for lighting, or building restoration in the case of the South Beach Developments. These however are theories and evidence of this has yet to be found in real life.
