Interpretation tool, marketing and promotion workshop - CONT.

19th May 2009 ( Tuesday ), 11.30am

Figure 1: Ashwin give the talk

Our second session begins with the sub-topic of marketing tourism which it makes money and sense.

This session it will be presented by Ashwin from Penang Tourism Action Council (PTAC).

Basically he is being talking about the background of the organization of the PTAC. Then he starts with the marketing tourism. What we really need to look in marketing are as stated below.

What is marketing?

People hold a variety of misconceptions about marketing. Most common is its confusion with selling and advertising. Selling and advertising are actually types of promotion which is only a component of marketing. Marketing involves much more, including product/service development, place (location and distribution), and pricing. It requires information about people, especially those interested in what you have to offer (your "market"), such as what they like, where they buy and how much they spend. Its role is to match the right product or service with the right market or audience.

Things to do in the marketing tourism.

1. Statistic analysis

The first step will need us to do the analysis of the following section

# Product Analysis
# Position Analysis
# Prospect Analysis

The purpose of the analysis is to make sure that you are on the right track – who wants to be on the wrong track?

Two basic questions need to be answered with the analysis:

1) Is there sufficient demand for the product or service?
2) Can the product or service be provided on a profitable basis?

2. Communication

The way of communication ----> A.I.D.A

A – Attention : how to create attention of the product
I – Interest : is it bring any interest in the communication
D – Desire : to find Y factor
A – Action : take relevant action

3. Implementing

# Set time frame

# Monitor

Many well designed marketing plans fail because they are poorly executed. Businesses, agencies, and communities can increase the likelihood of successful implementation if they:

(1) identify specific tasks which must be accomplished;

(2) assign people or departments specific responsibility for different tasks;

(3) provide employees with information on the marketing plan.

(rational, objective and strategic.)

(4) develop time lines and deadlines;

(5) adhere as much as possible to the budget; and

(6) regularly monitor and evaluate progress.

4. Evaluate

It is important that marketing efforts be continually evaluated. This will improve the effectiveness of marketing strategies by identifying differences between actual results and expected performance and determining likely reasons for the success or failure to objectives that have been plan earlier.

5. Entry

# Being an imitator

It is not wrong being an imitator as long we did not take other authorised. We can imitate the idea of the best marketing planning. This is because sometimes we could not see what other sees. Then by being an imitator, we can get the rough idea and try implementing it in our own way. Similar but not the same. For example we have in our market 7 Eleven, the imitator would be the Lima, J-Mart, Speed Mart and etc.

# Being an initiator

This surely is good initiative. People will look at us and will admire our work. Beside we are going to be the person where people would imitate our idea from. We can be such an inventor.

Figure 2: Everyone sitting and have discussion

After the words from Ashwin from PTAC, we all sit in circle and discuss the resource and constrain that the participant face. Janet start the talk and keep asking people around are the constrains regarding their resource available. Lot of thing been highlighted. One of it from the Penang heritage Centre. This is where they have a lack of budget to run their program. Then they seek for the fund from the PEMADAM – “Persatuan Mencegah Dadah Malaysia”. They take the ex-drug addict to become the trishaw puller. Give them some work to be done. As well as the marketing tourism could be helping the jobless ex drug addict and as well gain the fund from the PEMADAM. This is call such an effective way of the constrain and resolution they manage to handle.

We end our session for that day at 1pm.

Interpretation tool, marketing and promotion workshop

19th May 2009 (Tuesday), 9.30am

The interpretation tool, marketing and promotion workshop was held at the Penang Heritage Trust. on the first session, the workshop being presented by Janet who is one of the Anak-Anak Kota Organization Members.

On that specific day, we have learnt into three sections. Which are:

Introduction to interpretation tools.

Introduction to promotion and marketing strategies.

Working with your site resource and constrain.

Figure 1: Janet gave the talk

The reasons of doing this workshop are:

To define, introduce, share and study various interpretation tools.

To define and study marketing and promotion strategies in relation to Cultural heritage products or site.

To brain storm and overcome issue of the site limitation and constraints.

I was real surprised when the detailed being discuss are actually as the same as Pn Nazlina mention when to create a good web site. They are as below.

The first session begin with:

1. Know your attraction:

What one organization or people who have the cultural heritage products or site must compile their inventories of what are the site or products offers for visitors or tourist.

One also must know their knowledge from person, library, where is the sources or method used.

They need also to determine whether their site is historical, natural or cultural site. This is to ensure they are in the right tract of making further planning marketing and promotion.

Then they need to ensure their site have to contain the living experience around. Which mean they are people who leave and there in the site.

2. Conduct a market research:

While conducting the research, the things should you bare in your mind would be:

What primary reason tourist come to our site or used and buys our products?

Identify the type of tourist that visit your sites or look at your collection.

3. Know your market:

Know who the tourists are. Their age, race, and preference will determine what they want from our sites either just to have a look or appreciate the site and products.

Besides, we must look the significance in the sites offers is it related to materials shown?

The key value and integrity must be retained.

ISSUE:

Penang Islamic Museum. While we enter into the museum, the feeling and surrounding are so cold. I mean the message that the museum try to deliver to the visitors did not reach to the level of satisfaction. For those Malay who familiar with the things shown will understand. How for those who is Caucasian, Chinese and Indian will not be able to understand well.

The Quran shows in the glass showcase. For those who were not Malay and Muslim, they would like to know where the Al Quran is being recited. They would like to see that kind of living heritage. Even the Quran it is not good to be put on the floor, how ever photo of people recite Quran using “rehal” or Quran holder can be shown.

The interpretation must be good to ensure visitors feels like they in those era and they can feel it without just read the interpretation.

Remember: Focus on customer needs and interest.

Figure 2: Everyone is giving great attention. The view was not good since I have to sit at the back.

What is interpretation?

"Interpretation is a communication process, designed to reveal meanings and relationships of our cultural and natural heritage, through involvement with objects, artefacts, landscapes and sites." (Interpretation Canada)


Why interpret site?

In some cases where a heritage site is big enough or well known enough, it might not require as much interpretive effort to attract visitors – people will want to see it or experience it because of other benefits the site provides. Interpretation is a "value added" benefit to the total site visit. (Scotland Interpretation Seminar, Oct 2000).

But for most moderate to small heritage sites, providing outstanding interpretive programs and services, and having a good interpretive plan will be required for their long-term tourism success. (Scotland Interpretation Seminar, Oct 2000).

Example:

If we used curry leave, then we need to interpret. Why we used it, how it help in medical purpose, where it is from and so on. The best if you can relate your interpretation with the visitor’s daily life. This will help them remember last and create some interesting to be heard.

What is static interpretation?

Signpost, plague, description on site, photographic collection and newspaper cutting.

In short hand, we can summarize the basic principles of interpretation as:

Provoke

Relate

Reveal Address the Whole

Strive for Message Unity.

Do remember, the memories of giving interpretation will last by:

90% what they do

50% what they see

30% what they read

10% what they heard


Then we break for a while to have some drink and food. Basically the food is good that day. Fried noodles and a pack of pastries. Later we start with our second session of that workshop.