Century Campaigns

Proposed Media Campaign for Art Gang

 

 

Introduction

            The 21^st Century campaigns for a Singapore that is likewise driven by the arts, apart from technology.  In embarking on this artistic movement, Mediator Publishing is going to publish a new reading material called “Art Gang”, a comic magazine for the young reading public.  Other than marketing and advertising tactics, the media is an equally significant intervening variable to be taken into account.  Expect in this written piece a media campaign plan for “Art Gang”; and it includes an outline of the plan in a detailed fashion.  The general objective that governs this paper is to showcase the importance of media relations strategies as a function of a product or service’s launching. 

 

Within Singapore Perimeters

            A part and parcel of the system of governance in the progressive city-state of Singapore is media censorship.  According to Ad Cunha (2002), “the Government is concerned that its message may be lost if the media are not Singapore-controlled” (p. 247).  Significantly, the media is a socializing agent, which is functional to the stability of the Singaporean society at large.  Policies are easily implemented and observed by the citizens as it serves as a channel for reinforcement. 

 

            As of the moment, the Ministry of Information and the Arts is aspiring to “develop Singapore as a vibrant global city for information and the arts, while enhancing our Singaporean identity and multicultural heritage” (cited in Ad Cunha 2002, p. 229).  Furthermore, the products and services for the young Singaporeans are reported to be higher in censorship than those for the adult ones; however, those that are believed to contain artistic and educational benefits are not as much as greatly censored (Ad Cunha 2005, p.249).  Such is the governing policy that the product has to live with in the market. 

 

Proposed Media Campaign for Art Gang

            Since Art Gang is in itself a form of media, the major media relations strategy it has to undertake in the event of its debut therefore is to collaborate with other divisions of Mediator.  It is undeniably the first major step to take for Mediator Publishing.  To institutionalize the consumption of this new product among its target consumers, Mediator Publishing should arrange its marketing and/or advertising strategies accordingly with Mediator TV, TV 12, Press, and Radio. 

 

            Before anything else, let me give you a brief introduction on what the comic magazine product to be launched is all about.  Art Gang features the journey of a gang of youngsters, who are students, belonging to different ethnicities as they pursue their artistic passion.  The story unfolds the Art Gang’s daily life encounter in the light of the arts.  The target audience of which is specifically the young reading public aged 5 to 12.  As such, the readers will surely love it as it comes in full color and in handy mini sizes. 

 

1. Press Relations

            According to Evans (1987), business enterprises that are armed with the accurate tactics can effectively send the significant point to the public through the press (p. 104).  In other countries where the media exist outside the realm of the government, companies are pressured to deal best with the press or the public as it builds on its image.  In Singapore, where the media functions as the arm of the government, scrutiny comes not from the public but from the government per se, as to whether it results to a stable city-state.  In launching Art Gang, Mediator Publishing should ensure that every press item, i.e. news or article, corresponds to the goals of the Singaporean government. 

 

            One effective press strategy in making a company visible to the public is to come up with a newspaper (or ensure that in a certain newspaper) that places a premium on the company being a good member of the community.  This way, the public sees the company as a solution and not a problem to the society (cited in Evans 1987, p. 124).  In this case, Mediator Publishing has only to deal with Mediator Press.  It has to guarantee that the content of the news or feature articles about Art Gang positive in the eyes of the audience.  It should stress on the following advantages of purchasing this comic magazine: 1) it is an educational material for the young readers aged 5-12, 2) it awakens their creativity or artistic side, and 3) it fosters a sense of national harmony. 

 

2. Featured in Other Prints

            The campaign starts right where it belongs – Mediator Publishing.  One of the media relations strategies for the launch of Art Gang is to feature it, by way of advertisements, in other prints that will surely connect to the target consumers of the product.  Lime, Kids Company, and Family are the possible magazines that will do so.  Lime’s audiences are the youths.  Kids Company, as the heading says so, is a magazine read by aged 5 to 12.  Family is specifically designed for “good living” and “better parenting”.  The rationale behind is that the immediate family members surrounding these kids aged 5 to 12 are most likely capable of deciding what to buy.  With the art movement campaign of the government, parents are deemed to buy Art Gang for the good of their children or the youth are deemed to encourage the purchase of Art Gang for the younger ones. 

 

3. I Saw and I Heard

            Mediator is said to be largely specialized in television and radio broadcasting (‘Mediator’ 2006).  Therefore, it has to make Art Gang visible in the eyes of the media consumers by way of marketing and/or advertising it through television.  Likewise, Art Gang has to be echoed by everyone through the radio. 

 

            Kids have to be informed.  They have to see.  Of course, superb marketing strategies have to be utilized in order to attract the kids.  In this part of the media campaign, Mediator Publishing can utilize Mediator TV and Mediator TV 12 as part of the launching sites.  A good instance is to make use of TV advertisements on Mediator TV 12’s Kids Central.  Another activity is for it to knock on Mediator TV’s Channel 8’s Life Scent 2, which highlights new products, trends, and lifestyles, to feature Art Gang.  Another example is for variety shows to feature Art Gang by wearing costumes or talking in ways or assuming roles, which all correspond to the new product.  The main idea in this strategy is for Mediator Publishing to take advantage of the television division of Mediator at large.  The success of Art Gang’s debut lies in a constant reinforcement by this favorite form of media called TV. 

 

            Kids have to hear too.  Mediator Publishing can employ the marketing strategy of freebies or winning prizes and of course, advertise through the profuse radio stations of Mediator Radio.  Leave the connection of Art Gang to Singaporean values and ideals to its marketing department.  Mediator Publishing just has to ensure that Art Gang exists all areas of communication media. 

 

4. Exhibition Event

            Before the event of the marketing strategy of exhibits, Mediator Publishing should have channeled excitement and thrill already to the public through the various business units of Mediator, in order to have a successful launch of Art Gang.  Mediator Publishing should introduce Art Gang in the market hand in hand with the other business units of Mediator.  During the Exhibition Event, Mediator Publishing should display friendliness with the TV, TV 12, Press, and Radio.  Similar to a wave, it is believed that the effect of the existence of their signs, i.e. station ids or icons, in the exhibition event of Art Gang is a manifestation of strength not only from Mediator but also from the Singaporean government. 

 

Conclusion

 “For these possibilities to be realized, however, it is imperative that a fundamental point be recognized: that the arts lie at the core of the cultural sector, and creativity as a process is at the core of the arts.”

-Derek Ad Cunha

 

            It has been found out that on top of marketing and/or advertising strategies is the media that directly conveys all these messages and information to its recipients – the consumers or the audience.  In giving birth to a product (regardless of kind) into the market, the producer has to carefully plan in such a way that every form of media builds on each other.  The press significantly attests a product’s benefits.  The television is functional for the benefits of advertising/marketing strategies.  Likewise, the radio reinforces, as it resonates all strategies.  This essay concludes that a media campaign produces equal staggering effects to a product.