to extra attention. Radio advertisements can set a mood or a theme
and attract attention.
Cirque du Soleil, a new-wave, rock-and-roll Canadian circus,
is difficult to describe. By the use of colorful print advertisements,
however, prospective spectators can gain a sense of this type of
event. Radio is very important for marketing musical events as
sound is the key to these types of programs.
If you are marketing the annual home and garden show, do not
randomly run advertisements in a local newspaper. Instead, target
media that have a connection to the event. In the newspaper, tar-
get the weekly home or garden section. On radio, promote the
event on the Saturday morning garden shows. On television, tar-
get cable TV networks like the Home and Garden network and
shows like This Old House.By spending advertising dollars on
media that relate directly to the product, you are being efficient
with your media dollars. The marketer must look at the event and
find the advertising opportunities that fit the event the best.DEVELOPING A MARKETING SCHEDULE
The promotion of festivals, fairs, and concerts requires a different
time schedule than other types of events. In promoting first-time
events, one needs to educate the public to promote the new event.
First-time events need to cut through the clutter. The consumer
needs to be exposed to many different media, ranging from radio
advertisements that heighten interest, to TV advertisements that
visualize and excite, to print advertisements that give information,
to Web sites that provide a comprehensive overview. In contrast,
having a big-name band or movie star at an event will certainly
contribute to its success, but needs to be promoted in a different
way. There is a seesaw effect in scheduling a proper marketing
program for this type of event.
You may want to allow extra time to promote the event. If pro-
motions start too far out, however, it will be difficult to get the mar-
ket to focus on the event. If promotions start too close to the event,
there will not be enough time to educate the audience about your
event. Let’s look at two similar events with different histories.
Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian circus, has been touring in
North America since 1984 and has built up a huge following.
When this attraction comes to town, there is much more demand
for tickets than supply of seats; thus, Cirque’s promoters put tick-156 Chapter 7 Marketing Festivals, Fairs, and Other Special Events