A n o n l i n e p r e s e n c e i n t h e f o r m o f www. comicconmumbai. com made information like ' how to get there ' available in a jiffy.
4. Give the visitors a chance to win a prize:“ What is in it for me” is the question in the mind of the typical consumer. So Comic-Con held a cosplay( costume play for the uninitiated) contest. This jazzed up the venue, giving something for all visitors to look forward to and truly formed the soul of the Event.
5. Get Advocates: By social media engagement the potential visitors were kept engaged. On the day of the Event people were provided with wristbands that helped further promote the Event as visitors left the Event to move around in the city.
6. Get a mascot: The fact that an Event needs a mascot is a no brainer. The mascot needs to embody all that the Event stands for. The organisers got it spot on with the caricature of the Kolibai( fisher-women) of Mumbai.
7. PR pays: The buzz of a funky contest, celebrity presence and super heroes is something any journalist would like to write about. The Event was extensively covered, before and after, in various print-media like the Times of India and Economic Times. Hindustan Times was also the official print media partner for the Event.
COMIC-CON MUMBAI: A SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths:
The Event drew strength from the fans of superheroes and comic books in India. The numbers determined the scale of the Event and the location of the Event. This Event has carved a strong niche for itself as competition today is non-existent. The patrons of the Event belong to the Section A class who have a fair amount of disposable income. Moreover, to rope in a larger crowd, movies and films have been integrated into the Event. The line between comics and films is blurring today with films drawing inspiration from comics and vice-versa.
Weakness:
The major weakness of the Event was its inability to connect with the masses to generate the scale seen in the United States version of the Event. The reach of communication needs to improve and investments need to be made in brand building through Above-the-Line communications for the next versions of the Event.
Opportunities:
This kind of event sees a lot of opportunities. The media houses of the west like WB, Disney and Sony gain from such Events becoming popular. This fact was proved by the presence of Warner Brothers India to promote their upcoming film The Hobbit in Comic-Con Mumbai 2012. In future, these media houses can be tapped to provide sponsorship and not only contribute financially but also in terms of exclusive content. The Indian Film Industry also sees such events as an opportunity to interact with viewers and promote their films.
Threats: The dying culture of reading on the whole and phasing out of comic books is the biggest threat being faced by the event. One may say that the event is an effort to combat this threat. At the same time nothing stops Bollywood from having its own annual convention if they so wish, to eliminate dilution from the studios of abroad. Such a move will greatly weaken the pull of Comic Con in India.
Thus, despite a shoe-string media budget, brilliant design and execution led to a successful event thanks to efficient PR implementation and social media inclusion.
84