Marketing

AYN Marketing

Motivation Factors In Relation to Trends

Throughout the years, there has been an increasing demand for events that match the interests of consumers, this can be seen with the programme offerings for AYN. With the programmes at AYN, there is a focus for specialised interests for certain performances such as puppetry, orchestras, and variety of dances. These performances being highly specialised, they target both fans that are part of the niche interest group with a personalised experience and also fans that want to have choices to try something new. In addition, all of which adds to the point of variety within the overall performance line-up. Rather than having two dancers performing the same genre of dance, AYN engaged two drastically different dance styles. One being Wushu incorporated the other being an experimental movement performance.

Variety of events and activities to cater for choice

With increased demand for choice, AYN has responded to the trend by providing choices when it comes to performances venues. For instance, the same performance by the Orchestra Collective, can be viewed at three different locations around Singapore. With these locations and dates spaced out, audiences can choose which caters to them best.

Multiple venues and timing for the performance

AYN mainly utilizes social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram promote their events. With the use of promotion via social media, it makes reaching a huge audience easier. In addition, posts have the potential of an even wider reach if audiences decide to share these posts and spread the word. With AYN posting preparation photos and videos onto their Instagram page weeks prior to the event, excitement and interest is generated. Audiences can easily share posts with a couple of clicks, and these clicks cost literally nothing more than a minute’s worth of time. Therefore, many social media users tend to share with others what they deem interesting. And it is with these shares that the event is being highlighted which can drive more attendance to the event.

Instagram Stories by NAC on Instagram, building up excitement towards AYN

Shots of the bamboo structure display at Admiralty Park, Images by me

Social Media Strategies and Building Communities Surrounding AYN

One of the most prominent social media strategies adopted by AYN would be using platforms such as Instagram, which AYN utilizes the general account managed by NAC. Photos and videos of preparation leading up to the event and the event itself were all constantly uploaded to their Instagram page. The purpose of posting is to promote and raise awareness about AYN. These posts will be shared by interested parties to their friends and families which can translate to increase in event traffic.

NAC's Facebook page with over 23,000 likes

Another use of social media by AYN is through blogs and websites in the form of editorial pieces. These pieces introduce the event and its details its readers, and with the information provided, its intention is to promote event traffic and awareness. In addition, AYN hopes that readers will pass on the information. The advantage of utilizing blogs and websites compared to social media applications like Instagram, is the target audience involved. With blogs, target audience can be more specific in terms of demographics such as interests and age group. For example, Thenewageparents.com, one of the several websites that publicised for AYN, targets parents, more specifically families. With a zoomed-in scope and targeting specific demographics, resources are used more wisely, making marketing efforts for AYN more effective and efficient, rather than simply throwing everything on the wall and see what sticks.

Screengrab from Thenewageparents.com

Despite multiple efforts in utilizing social media when promoting AYN, its effectiveness is still questionable. Despite having over 23,000 page likes on Facebook, each of NAC’s posts garners from as little as 1 share, with higher numbers clocking at around 48 shares each, which also display inconsistencies. 48 shares for a post is not a huge number considering a page with 23,000 likes and comparing to other entertainment event posts. Factors such as the interest in the art scene in Singapore can possibly be attributed to such low numbers. Numbers aside, NAC has not fully utilised their social media to build communities around their event, which relates a lot to common passion. Many of NAC’s posts on Instagram and Facebook are about promoting AYN or other arts events. But there is very little engagement in each the social media posting other than simply stating facts and figures, when and where. At the point of writing this, AYN has concluded its events for nearly a week, but there has yet to be any post-event posts on their social media pages.