Thirarut Worapishet Kasetsart University, Thailand
Abstract
This paper aims to demonstrate the practices of a SME in execute the event marketing within the limited resources. The purpose can be divided into three sub objectives. First, to describe information about a small enterprise and event marketing created. Second, to identify the characteristics of event marketing in terms of characteristics, benefits, processes, objectives and designs. Third, to conclude techniques the small enterprise uses to create event marketing according to the characteristics identified with slight resources. Literature review about the characteristics and other important aspects of event marketing are described. To show an example of small enterprise applying event marketing, exploratory research by the method of case study is used. Nonprobability sampling type by the technique of purposive sampling is used to choose Cloud Book Club, Thai publication, as an example of SMEs. Basic information of this publication is explained. Two publication owners are interviewed with the unstructured questions to encourage the free expression. Conversation is recorded. The event that this publication applies is mentioned. Then the data are analyzed with three steps including data reduction, data display as well as conclusion drawing and verification. The analysis is done according to the contents in literature review. Cloud Book Club is found in 2007 and still operated by two people, husband and wife. Be not born in wealth family, a couple does not have huge money resources to run a publication business. Like bonsai, this publication launches new books for kids at an average of only two or three books annually.
But with the idea of storytelling originated from activities of their son’s kindergarten, the event marketing of telling stories to kids around Thailand, mostly Bangkok, is created. The couple contacts or is contacted to do storytelling events at places of friends or friends of friends. Luckily, their networks are the owners of several kindergarten, foundations for kids.
The name Cloud Book Club and the storytelling event spread toward many commercial places targeting to kids. The couple together with their son then has to travel around places to tell the stories with ordinary handmade hard paper settings decorated by inexpensive colorful clothes and some dolls according to the actors in the stories. Kids and parents joining the events enjoy and start to know this couple personally. The couple indicated that they get smiles from kids and also comments to improve their next books. In addition, they get word-of-mouth as their Facebook, one communication tools that they use to contacts with stakeholders, has more and more friends. The event created by this small firm with slight human and money resources meets all characters of traditional event marketing. The paper encourages SMEs to use creative ideas and networks to overcome the limitation of resources which are the normal characteristics of SMEs.
Introduction
Cloud Book Club (n.d.) was established by the Sundaravej family including Tanachai and Navittha who have the son named Thaitan. They had the idea of establishing a publisher
to produce books of fairy tales for children. The idea became true in 2008. The publisher has created many quality tales which proved by being awarded in several contests. Shy Rabbit win an award of morality storybooks from the Nanmeebooks Publisher. Nice Talking Manner Turtle was the award-winning book from 108 Selected Books event. Fun Colors tale has been selected to the final round of the contest of children's books in Rakluke Publisher program.
This publisher is a small and medium-sized enterprise. One of the important considerations is the number of employees including two founders, no other employees. In operating, the spouses serve as writer. They have their friends help for illustration. Familiar printing companies help in the publication. It is known that the organization has a staff of only two people. The other partners come from outside.
With the attitude that raising children with books is important, Cloud Book Club determined to produce high quality children's books, storytelling and learning medias to society. In 2015, the publisher produced more than 20 books (Cloud Book Club, n.d.) The outstanding feature is bringing the stories of Thai people into teaching good habits and depicting knowledge. For example, the practice when offering alms to monks is told through a Thai boy and a Thai girl. The importance of brushing teeth is told through the giant in Thai Temple who has cavities. A good leisure activity such as playing kites is told in the scene of Royal Plaza and Giant Swing, the famous places in Thailand. Knowledge about numbers is told through Thai farmers and animals. Target consumers are families with young kids, in middle class or above, that love to do activities with children.
In terms of business management, Cloud Book Club use several interesting marketing strategies such as offering book delivery services, creating Facebook to communicate with parents, making game applications related to the stories in the tales. However, the most striking strategy is event marketing. The spouse goes to kindergartens, department stores, foundations and organizes the storytelling events. The events are not required a lot of money and personnel which were a major limitation of most small and medium-sized enterprises.
This research will study event marketing strategy under the limited resources of small and medium-sized enterprises, the case of Cloud Book Club to be example practices for other small and medium enterprises in bringing the concept to application.
Objectives
First, to describe information about a small enterprise and event marketing created.
Second, to identify the characteristics of event marketing in terms of characteristics, benefits,
processes, objectives and designs. Third, to conclude techniques the small enterprise uses to create event marketing according to the characteristics identified with slight resources.
However, the data in this research come from a publisher. Generalization may limit to small and medium-sized publishers and may not cover all aspects of businesses from different types.
Rationales
1. This research will allow small and medium-sized businesses aware of the barriers that such businesses face. The barriers to operate business could be limited money and personal like in the business case study or other issues. Other business conditions may also vary, but the idea of going beyond the limitations will inspire other entrepreneurs to solve instead of being stuck with the limited resources.
2. This case can be an example in practice. A very small business with just two people can satisfactory perform event marketing. It is a great example for several small businesses that have more than this number of employees. It makes the point that although only two operators, business can overcome challenges faced as well. The example also highlights that collectivism characteristic of Thai people turns to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises to be able to solve the problems of the businesses.
Event Marketing
Event marketing is a communication strategy to publicize a product, cause, brand or organization through a themed activity such as exhibitions, seminars, social responsibility activities, product debut events, concerts, sporting events, music festivals and award granting events. The characteristics of event marketing are as followed. Moderators and participants communicate interactively. Organizers have to plan the processes of the events. Participants join voluntarily. Event marketing requires the cooperation from employees and others people outside companies (Phil Crowther, 2011). Stakeholders of an event can be divided into two levels: primary and secondary. Primary stakeholders are the groups arranging events such as companies, local communities or organizations. Secondary stakeholders are the group participating events such as people and media (Sacha Reid, 2011).
The processes include setting objectives, planning events, arranging as planned and evaluating (Phil Crowther, 2011). The objectives a company could set are gaining revenue, increasing awareness, accessing target market, building customer relationship, arousing
word-of-mouth, creating positive attitude from customers, creating customers’ experience about subjects (products, causes, brands or organizations) and receiving customers’ insight (Phil Crowther, 2011).
In planning process, companies have to plan many points such as about time period, registration cost, scenery (Anestis Fotiadis et al., 2016). Also in planning the challenges are about cost. Events could incur a big amount of cost including arrangement and sampling products if available (Cindy Johnson, 2008). Moreover, to reach high effective outcomes, events should not be standalone. Integrated marketing communication (IMC) such as public relations, direct marketing, social media networking, advertising and media planning should be planned in parallel (K. Prakash Vel and Ricky Sharma, 2010).
Third step is arrangement as planned. Fourth step is evaluation. Organizers can evaluate according to objectives. Moreover, there are several researchers found that event marketing effects several variables. Therefore, organizers can also evaluate on these variables. Event marketing could increase brand image, brand personality, brand awareness and event involvement (Natalia Vila‐López and MaCarmen Rodríguez‐Molina, 2013; Teagan Altschwager et al., 2017). Then brand personality effects brand awareness and event involvement (Kostas Alexandris , 2016); Natalia Vila‐López and MaCarmen Rodríguez‐
Molina, 2013). Also event involvement effect loyalty and purchase intention (Kostas Alexandris , 2016; Teagan Altschwager et al., 2017). This paper will give example case study analyzed with the characteristics and processes.
Methodology
This research is exploratory research is the category of case study which is a form of qualitative researches. Although a case study has limitation about generalization but, in this case, there are fewer disadvantages than advantages that arise from knowing insights.
Because the researcher and the owners of a case company is well acquainted. Triangulation is used to verify data. Data is come from multiple sources.
Sources include primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include observations by attending storytelling marketing events and unstructured interviewing with the owner of cloud book club. Secondary sources include data from the media such as advertising, social media and website.
Sampling is done with purposive sample method, nonprobability type. The criteria are as followed. The company is a small business. The company held a marketing event and gets
well-performed results. The company has limited resources. Cloud Book Club is a two-staff company with limited money. This publisher held storytelling marketing event. Until 2017 the publisher has stayed in business for almost 9 years.
Literature review about the characteristics and other important aspects of event marketing are described. Basic information of this publication is explained. The event that this publisher applies is mentioned. Then the data are analyzed with three steps including data reduction, data display as well as conclusion drawing and verification. The analysis is done according to the contents in literature review.
The storytelling event
On a nice morning of February 5th, 2013, a spouse from Cloud Book Club publisher came to the Rainbow Room Foundation, the center for special needs children. They parked their car along the road in front of the foundation which actually is the house of the foundation’s owner. They carry a paper looked like television screen and a lot of boxes into the house. Not long after having chitchat with people including parents who bring children to listen to a story, they started a show. Husband sat beside the TV screen paper with the hermit puppet on one of his hands and cotton-made beard. He changed his voice sounded like the voice of hermit. He began telling story about hermit who cures a lot of animals in a forest with special medicine. Staffs of the foundations putting on animal puppets on their hands sat behind the TV screen paper and help perform according to the story. A lot of children and parents watched and participated by answering questions, clapping hands. The show last for around thirty minute. After that people enjoy eating snack, chitchatting and playing some games.
Results and discussions
This story telling activities can be called event marketing because it has event characteristics. This activity publicizes Cloud Book Club through storytelling activity. The story teller and children communicate interactively. As Tanachai said:
“I see children's eyes staring at me, eyes sparkling. This is showing that they are listening.
Then there will be some children who have questions.”
Before the event date, the spouse planned a lot of things. This is the observation of the researcher. Food, games, venue and props are prepared. Everything is smooth. Navittha talked about props as follow:
“Normally, it is very unique. Everyone knows. We have full props. We transformed into a hermit or rabbit as in a tale.”
Participants join the event voluntarily. Primary and secondary stakeholder cooperated.
Children and parents enjoy coming to the event. No one seems to be forced. One television program also came to record a TV program.
The objective of this event is to create customers’ experience about subjects and receive customers’ insight. As Tanachai said:
“There are some children asked questions about contents or pictures. We need to improve.
Sometimes they may not understand some pictures or words. I brought to develop. Sometimes we have something new to write next stories as well.”
They use IMC together with this event to gain full efficiency including website, Facebook and game application. Tanachai and Navittha told as follow:
“[We have] website named cloudbookclub.com. When you go in you will see Facebook logo.
Go into Facebook and then we can talk. Many people are beginning to have an animation.
We developed this application. (Tanachai showed application with moving pictures.) A company said he like this story (One of their stories). He want to develop game application.
We are welcome.”
Table 1 Theory or concept about event marketing and practices of Cloud Book Club
Theory or concept Practice
Characteristics
Publicize an organization through a theme activity
Publicize Cloud Book Club through the storytelling event
Interactive The storyteller and children communicate interactively Plan the event Appoint the owner of the Rainbow Room, prepare the
story and props
Participant join voluntarily Children come with parents no participation score from schools
Cooperation from primary stakeholder
Publisher and the Rainbow Room Foundation join together to organize this event
Cooperation from secondary stakeholder
People and media who came to join Process
Setting objectives Creating customers’ experience about subjects and receiving customers’ insight
Planning process Plan place, time, activities, IMC Arranging as planned Telling story
Evaluating Customers have experience and gain insight
The interesting point is this event required low cost. The spouse does not use a lot of employees. They just ask for help from their friends in the foundation. They do not use a lot of money. Equipment is just dolls in the house, paper-made TV screen and other cheap tools.
They do not give sample so there is no cost from samples. All IMC is cheap. They use limited resources but still become an event according to event characteristics.
Conclusion
A small and medium-sized company can create event marketing without using a lot of resources. The company has to adapt all the process but the event still has all characteristics.
References
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Cindy Johnson, (2008) "Decision '08: event marketing or product sampling?", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 25 Iss: 5, pp.269 – 271
K. Prakash Vel, Ricky Sharma, (2010) "Megamarketing an event using integrated marketing communications: the success story of TMH", Business Strategy Series, Vol. 11 Iss: 6, pp.371 – 382
Kostas Alexandris, (2016) "Testing the role of sport event personality on the development of event involvement and loyalty: The case of mountain running races", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 7 Iss: 1, pp.2 - 20
Natalia Vila‐López, MaCarmen Rodríguez‐Molina, (2013) "Event‐brand transfer in an entertainment service: experiential marketing", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 113 Iss: 5, pp.712 - 731
Phil Crowther, (2011) "Marketing event outcomes: from tactical to strategic", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 2 Iss: 1, pp.68 – 82
Sacha Reid, (2011) "Event stakeholder management: developing sustainable rural event practices", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 2 Iss: 1, pp.20 – 36
Teagan Altschwager, Jodie Conduit, Tatiana Bouzdine-Chameeva, Steve Goodman, (2017)
"Branded marketing events: engaging Australian and French wine consumers", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 27 Iss: 2, pp.336 - 357
Innovation of CO
2Adsorption with Li/Zeolite A Derived from Bagasse Ash
Patcharin Worathanakul*, Nuntudchaporn Klinpol and Totsapon Sarai Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand
Abstract
The objectives of this research were to synthesize Zeolite A from bagasse ash as silica source and reduce carbon dioxide emission. The ion-exchanged method with LiOH of 1, 2 and 5 wt% was used to produce Li-Zeolite A for carbon dioxide adsorption. 0.3 g of zeolite A and 1, 2 and 5 wt% Li/Zeolite A samples were tested for carbon dioxide reduction. CO2 flowrate of 1- 5 L/hr with different temperatures of 100-400ºC were varied. CO2 conversion (%) was calculated. The scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer were characterized for their morphology and crystal structure. The results of carbon dioxide adsorption were during 5-16 mmol/g.
Keywords: Bagasse Ash, Zeolite A, Lithium, Carbon dioxide adsorption, Innovation 1. Introduction
Bagasse ash are residual by-products from sugarcane bagasse burnt in factory boilers, and their disposal is causing serious environmental problems worldwide [Wirojkul et al., 2008]. Bagasse ash was found that the silica in the bagasse ash that is not less than 90 % by weight [Wirojkul et al., 2008; Chandra et al., 2012]. Silica extracted from the bagasse ash can be used to synthesize zeolite [8, Wirojkul et al., 2008].
Zeolite is a suitable candidate for CO2 adsorption because of its high surface area and thermal and mechanical stabilities. Zeolite is a hydrated aluminum silicate material that exhibits crystallinity and has a porous structure with large surface area such as zeolite A, zeolite X, and zeolite Y. Many researches were found that the ability to CO2 adsorption has increased [Sripongpun, 2015]. (Li> K> Cs> Ca> Mg) on the radius of the positive ions are reduced in size as (Li+<K+<Cs+<Ca2+<Mg2+) due to the CO2 adsorption well on the electric field in porous is high [Akdeniz, 2009; Sripongpun, 2015].
In this research, silica will be extracted from sugarcane bagasse ash and used to synthesize zeolite (Zeolite A), exchanged with LiOH, the lithium (Li) is a cationic radius of less (Li+<K+ <Cs+<Ca2 +<Mg2+). The Li ion exchange with zeolite A was used to adsorb CO2. CO2 are causing the global warming [Sripongpun, 2015, Chester and Derouane; 2008. Groot, 2005]. Therefore, this researches could be useful for CO2 reduction with environmental aspect.
2. Materials and methods 2.1. Silica extraction from bagasse ash
Dry bagasse ash at 105 ºC for 24 hr. 10 g bagasse ash was heated at 70-80 ºC in 60 ml NaOH with 2 M concentration. HCl solution with 1 M was used to titrate until pH=7 and leave it for 18 hr. Finally filtrate was cleaned and dried at 80 ºC for 12 hr.
2.2. Zeolite A synthesis
Sodium hydroxide was dissolved in distilled water and divided into V1 and V2 are equal volume. Then V1 was added with 0.8258 g of sodium aluminate and stirred for 10 min.
V2 was added with extracted SiO2 and stirred for 10 min. The solutions were mixed together until homogenized. The sample was crystallized at 100 ºC for 4 hr, then washed with distilled water until the pH is below 9 and dried at 100 ºC for 8 hr.
2.3. Ion exchange between zeolite A and Li
LiOH solution was used to exchange ion with Li 1 2 and 5 wt.%. The ratio of 1 g of zeolite with 100 ml LiOH solution was used. The samples were then stirred continued at 80 ºC for 24 hr. The samples were filtered and washed at room temperature, then dried at 120 ºC
LiOH solution was used to exchange ion with Li 1 2 and 5 wt.%. The ratio of 1 g of zeolite with 100 ml LiOH solution was used. The samples were then stirred continued at 80 ºC for 24 hr. The samples were filtered and washed at room temperature, then dried at 120 ºC