References...

Gray, R. (26^th February 2012) Crufts Hit By Row Over Health Of Pedigree Dogs [online]. The Daily Telegraph. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/petshealth/9105682/Crufts-hit-by-row-over-health-of-pedigree-dogs.html [Accessed 12th March 2012]

Wilson, C. (2012) Rockin’: Maverick Sabre Proves Why He’s Shot To Fame With A Perfect Performance At A Secret Rooftop Gig [online]. Available from: http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/going-out/music/maverick-sabres-secret-rooftop-gig-757704 [Accessed 12th March 2012]

Richardson, N. & Laville, L. (2010) Develop Your PR Skills. 1^st edition. Great Britain: Kogan Page

Crufts Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Crufts

Crufts Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/#!/kclovesdogs

Crufts Official Webpage: http://www.crufts.org.uk/

Maverick Sabre Facebook Page; http://www.facebook.com/mavericksabre

Maverick Sabre Twitter Page; http://twitter.com/#!/mavericksabre

Maverick Sabre Official Webpage; http://www.mavericksabre.com/

News Releases....

' Media relations is highly valued as a PR tool because of its impartially; journalists are largely impartial and objective, they look at the full story from all angles and generally thier reporting is concidered to be factual and credible' (N. Richardson & L. Laville, 2010)

Both have had coverage in the media in forms of press releases although one was better than the other....
The heading for the Crufts press release is:

Crufts hit by row over health of pedigree dogs

The Crufts press release is about an investigation that revealed the extent of health problems suffered by popular breeds. The claims are from a documentary as a follow up show Pedegree Dogs Exposed, which first highlighted the health problems from dog breeding practices. This then led onto some of the sponsors pulling out of the event and the corporation ended its coverage after 42 years.
It then goes onto say the conditions these dogs suffer which is a severe neurological condition known as syringomyelia.  Many of the readers were angry about this and the report ended with a quote from the Kennel Club stating:

 ' The Kennel Club hopes the research will enable breeders to mate dogs that are as genetically different from each other as possible in a bid to cut inbreeding. They will use the information to develop a new service that will allow breeders to check the compatability of mating pairs'
Becuause the Crufts press release was bad, and has a purswasive impact on the reader it could effect their ticket sales. We shall see if  the ticket sales decline'

Here is the press release:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/petshealth/9105682/Crufts-hit-by-row-over-health-of-pedigree-dogs.html

'When press releases go wrong (and they go wrong with worringly regularity!), they can have deverstating effects. Not only can precious time, money and resources be wasted, but your name, brand equity (the value of the brand) and the reputation could all be adversly affected' (N. Richardson & L. Laville, 2010)

This press release broke out just a week before the event which although it didnt put Crufts in a good light it does make people talk about the event and what the press release said.

Maverick Sabre didnt have any press releases prior or during his tour, which could have effected the numbers attending. He did however have a press release after the tour had finished.

The heading for the release is.....

Rockin; Maverick Sabre proves why he has shot to fame with a perfect performance at a secret rooftop gig 

The press release starts with the fact he has sold over 500,000 copies of his album in the last four weeks and that he had reached two in the album chart last month. continuing with a description of Maverick Sabre's style and genre to let the readers aware. It then goes on to say that this performance alongside Mistajam at the Motorola Urban Mountain party ahead of the pair’s appearances at April’s Snowbombing music festival in the Alps. Lastly, they end the release with a couple of quotes from Mistajam, who is seen as a professional in the industry saying:

 'It’s just an amazing time for British music and Maverick Sabre epitomises everything that’s great about the UK right now'

This is the press release:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/going-out/music/maverick-sabres-secret-rooftop-gig-757704



Although it doesnt have any relevance to his 'Lonely Are the Brave' tour, it is however promoting his appearance at April's Snowbombing Festival. This press release was only released one day after his tour ended so people that would have heard of him or went to one of his gigs will be recieving more information about him keeping it fresh in their minds. Because this press release is a positve one fans and potentail followers will think even better than him then they did before.

Advertising.. 'Outside'

' The term 'outdoor' traditionally refers to billboards, posters, transportation, illuminations, artworks and street furniture. This form of advertising has a long life and is concidered a low cost option because it has a broad reach. Targeting is generally therefore not that specific, although billboard rotation systems and relocation packages can be  purchased in order to reach new territories' (G. Masterman & E. Wood, 2006)

Both Crufts and Maverick Sabre use marketing 'outside' although in different ways.

Crufts have a poster in Birmingham train station, which allows for great coverage of the event as it is a busy train station. Their advantages and disadvantage is thier mobility and therefore their targeting limitations, saying this, many people who get trains im guessing get there a little before so they dont miss the trains and so will have time to look around and so will see the advert.

Maverick Sabre has a billboard for his new album cover and although it isnt specifically for his tour, people will look at it and maybe look him up on the internet so then you will see that he has a tour. I feel it is still an effective way of advertising. However, short exposure time is a problem and drivers pass billboards quickly even if they pass them frequently messages need to be clear so passers by can get all the information they need with a quick look.
Here is the billboard-

Social Media.. Twitter..

 Twitter, like facebook is a social media networking service and microblogging, that enables its users to send and read text based posts of up to 140 characters known as 'tweets'. these are then either displayed to the public or to followers. Twitter users can also send direct messages to followers and you can also re-tweet.

This is graph from Mintel which shows the unique visitors to twitter as a percentage of all internet visits, UK, October 2008-March 2011

From this we can see that over the years the number of vistitors is on the increase and by the end of 2011 there was just under 15% of internet users using twitter, and therefore a good place to advertise an event and get people talking.



Crufts do have a twitter page that has been set up by the Kennel Club, which is called KC Loves Dogs. This can be easily accessed either through the offical website or it can be found through a search on the twitter page.

The useage for twitter for fans and visitors means that they can see up to date news about the event, and also like facebook can see what others think Crufts and the previous shows. Users of twitter can also comment on other peoples tweets meaning they can have a full conversation and as many people can get involved.

The Crufts twitter page has
9,350 followers
5,752 Tweets
3,812 Following

Maverick Sabre also uses twitter even more so than he does facebook. On his official website it actually has the tweets at the bottom of the page so fans or visitors of the website can see what he is up to without having to go into thier twitter account. This is also good as people that dont have twitter can still see whats going on.

His twitter page is updated regularly which is good as it lets his fans know what going on and he is able to inform anybody if anything changes or if he has any important announcements.

Currently Maverick Sabre twitter page has:
94,680 Followers
13,305 Tweets
408 Following

In conclusion to this, it is clear that both use this kind of marketing communications to advertise and to connect with the visitors. Both of the pages were updated recently and so it is hard to come to a conclusion on which one is more effective. The last tweet on the crufts page currently was 15 hours ago, whereas Maverick Sabre's last tweet was 13 hours ago. It is clear that they both make good useage of twitter and understand the popularity of socical media sites hence why they make sure visitors and fans are kept up to date.
Finally, Maverick Sabre has 94,680 followers whereas Crufts has only 9,350 so it may be that the target audience for Crufts use facebook or use the offical website for infomation. From this graph from Mintel, we can see the age range of people that use social networking sites are aged between 16-24 closely followed by 25-34 which is the target market Maverick Sabre aims at which could explain why the numbers of followers he has is much greater than Crufts. Although, Crufts twitter page is still an effective way of marketing the event.

Social Networks.. Facebook

Social networks such as facebook and twitter are becoming more and more popular and are a cheap way of advertising an event. With clear links on the websites of both Crufts and Maverick Sabre it is easy to start following the events and have your say as well as talking and meeting people who are also interested in these events.

Facebook is the leading social network site in the UK and according to Mintel 73% of internet users have used Facebook, and 57% are regular users who visit Facebook at least once a week.
With the new apps and services facebook offers such as tagging people in pictures and 'likes' it makes the visitor feel more involved and you can also get discounts, take part in competitions and gaming.

Crufts have their own facebook page which is easily accessible from the official website. Here fans will be able to leave comments and post on the wall, and look through the pictures from previous years as well as video links. looking down the wall of the facebook page I found that having a facebook page for Crufts is really beneficial as i didn't realise how many people would actually talk and discuss and yet found the post that was at the top of the page, after 5 minutes there was 18 new posts, where people had joined in conversation and uploaded pictures of their dogs.

To the side of the page there is a section of what Crufts is about and have all of the information you may need if attending the event, such as; Dates, times and location, with a link to the website.
There is also a section where you can go directly to twitter, youtube, results, buying tickets, and subscription to the Crufts magazine.

Facebook allows you to have different 'likes' where you can see what that person or group like so you can click on there to see if you are also interested. Crufts have all the sponsors on this section, which is good as they are getting yet more coverage.

Currently the Crufts facebok page have:
64,200 people liking the page
3,251 people talking about this

From these numbers we can see that having the facebook page for Crufts is really worthwhile, as it gets people talking and getting hyped for the event, and will have people talking about it for a while after. I believe this is a really effective way of marketing communications.



Also like Crufts, Maverick Sabre has a facebook page that is very informative and is updated regularly.

The facebook page has the same layout as the Crufts page, and so has the same sort of information. On the about section, there is a biography of Maverick Sabre and all of the things he has achieved so far. This is good as if fans wanted to find out any information they are able to access it all in this section.

There are hundreds of pictures of Maverick Sabre from previous tours and performances and also some pictures of him in his everyday life which is good for fans as they like to see what he gets up too. There is also a separate page where fans can upload their own photos.

There is a section on the page called 'also on' where Maverick Sabre has listed all of the relevent information such as direct links to his official website, youtube page, twitter and myspace accounts. There is also a long list of music links so you can listen to all of his music and music that is similar to his. These links include: spotify, VEVO, and Deezer.

Again like Crufts fans will be able to get involved in conversations and chats. Due to the nature of the different events, you are able to talk to Maverick Sabre in person as he writes all of his statuses.This is a good thing as his fans will feel they are being acknowledged and that Maverick Sabre cares about what the fans think.

The Maverick Sabre facebook page currently has:
74,923 people liking the page
2,332 talking about this page

I feel the Maverick Sabre facebook page is slightly better in the way that when you first get onto the page, there is a massive picture of the album cover which shows visitors straight away that you are on the right page. Whereas, with Crufts there is a much smaller logo. Although saying this they both have a similar amount of members and likes. Both of the facebook pages are updated regularly and they both allow for fans to get involved and have their say.

Maverick Sabre doesn't have coverage on TV or many other ways of advertising because he is a newcomer, so I feel he really makes this up with the use of social media, although it is clear that the facebook page also works well for Crufts.

Public Relations....

In the events industry mass media and methods are often too expensive, and so use public relations as a way of communication between an organisation and the public. Public relations can help an individual or organisation to grow the public opinion of them by what the organisation do, say, and what others think of the organisation. Most forms of PR are free and if done correctly can have great results.

Public relations is all about raising awareness of your brand, without it no one will know about you. PR puts your brand in front of people that you want to know about you.

The uses of PR can be categorised as the following:

Customer Retention: using PR activity such as events, launches and media liaison to support marketing push to retain customers, grow sales and market share.
Investment: using PR activities such as corporate hospitaltiy to encourage new and further investment via the development of investor relations.
Barganing Status: using PR to build brands in order to achieve better relationships with suppliers and customers.
Staff Relations: Using PR to portray a healthy organisation in order to attract and maintain a desired quality of staff.
Business Development: Initiating and building new businesses through PR activitiy such as events, corporate hospitality and business- to- business communications in order to develop business from new or existing customers.
(G. Masterman & E. Wood, 2006)

It may not increase sales immediately as it is a long term strategy. It is all about building relationships and informing people of the organisations or individuals background so that if somebody wants to go to the event or wants to know more they will remember you. A combination of public relations and social media can help position you in the market, connect with your target audience and build trust.

Crufts and Maverick Sabre will be using different kinds of public relations to make them more successful, here is what they will be doing:

Advertorials
Feature Articles
Advance Articles
Spokespeople and expertise
listings
Reader offers & competitions
Created news

Both of the events want to get their objectives out to the publics to promote Crufts and Maverick Sabre Tour. They want to create awareness and knowledge, ensuring that everybody has an idea of what they are about and to make sure people know when the events are and the purpose of them, plus, where to go for more information. They want to raise awareness to the local communities of how the event will benefit being in the area and to let stakeholders know of the perks of being involved with the events.

Crufts has been around for a long time and so already has the trust and connection with the people that already go there, so using PR means that they are getting a wider audience and to also getting people to talk about the event again as it is a year since the last one you need to put it in front of people faces so they remember. Maverick Sabre will be touring around 8 different places and so all public relations will be used in all of these areas to generate talk of the event and to get people to come to the event. It may also increase reputation for the places that he will be performing at, and loyal fans that follow Maverick Sabre throughout the whole of his tour may want to go back and visit a place again which generates tourism.

Television and Radio ...

' Digital television and radio allow for a higher quality transmissions, more channel and programming choices and a higher degree of interaction than analogue systems. The move to this technology therefore increases the uses and effectiveness of these media for marketing communications. Interactivity is provided in a similar way to the Internet, with the viewer or listener being able to click for additional information, to respond to surveys, to enter competitions and to make purchases' (G. Masterman & E. Wood, 2006)



Crufts have coverage on the More 4 channel who will be covering the event over the 4 days. Viewers will be able to watch the event from the comfort of their home on the 8th to the 11th of March, from 18:30 - 21:00. As well as being able to stream live videos from Youtube and videos on the C4 website. Documentaries commissioning editor Anna Miralis ordered the coverage and said: “Crufts is an extremely popular event, with a loyal audience that looks forward to coverage on More4''
 http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/commissioning/channel-4/crufts-gets-third-run-on-more-4/5038320.article

According to TGI, we can see the type of people that watch More4 and find out everything about them.

From this information, we can see that the average age of people that watch More4 are people aged between 25- 44. The average total personal income before tax is £30,000- £33,000 and it shows that the majority of the people watching this channel have children. The people that watch this channel are more likely to go to Crufts as this is the target market they are trying to target, and so having Crufts on this channel is a good idea. It also means that many different countries around the world can watch Crufts.

Here is an advert for the event;

Crufts will be covering the event through iTunes podcasts. There is an easy link on the website which takes you directly to the page, showing all of the various podcasts. The page is also going to be updated throughout the weekend so you wont miss out on the lasted news and interviews.

Maverick Sabre doesn't have any coverage of his tour on TV although he does get a lot of coverage on Radio1. Being a listener myself of Radio1 I have now heard Maverick Sabre twice being interviewed, on searching the website Maverick Sabre has got 15 different videos of interviews and songs which fans can watch and catch up with his latest songs and news.

This is an interview with Fearne Cotton:

From TGI we can see that the majority of listeners of Radio1 are aged between 15 and 34 and that the highest working status for the listeners are non working but full time students, which are the people Maverick Sabre  is targeting his tour to.


I think both of the events have considered the marketing through television and radio very carefully. Although with radio you are only limited to sound, however Maverick Sabre is an artist and so if you like the sound of his voice you do not necessarily need to see him. Also, Radio1 listeners are diverse and like many different genres of music, being able to have interviews on the show means he can advertise to a wider range of people. Crufts being on television means that viewers will have the visual of colour and movement that can be combined with sound, unlike radio. This means that they are able to be creative to build the atmosphere effectively in order to build brand image. Crufts will also be able to offer the sponsors a lot more coverage as it is on the television for the four days throughout the event and you can now watch Crufts after the event on catch up channels. This doesn't affect Maverick Sabre as he doesn't have any sponsors.

Overall, television offers the highest potential for reach, while it is in the relatively higher rates paid, the cost per contact is low, and with all media selection, targeting is crucial. I feel they have both got the targets right and are using the right advertising for their type of event.

Email Marketing....

Emails are a marketing tool which is used as a way of channelling word of mouth campaigns, also known as viral marketing. Very few event companies worldwide are without are now without e-mail capability and the majority of individuals in a large number of countries around the world can be contacted via work or home e-mail address.

Crufts do provide customers with e marketing newsletters, but before you can receive newsletters and updates you have to fill out a form online and there is a link through the Crufts website. This link will take you through a step by step guide on what sort of information you would like to be sent to you. such as; show information, trade stalls, competitions and updates.

This is an email I received on signing up for the newsletter. Its an email welcoming me to the kennel Club and has a direct link to their website. They also say on the email to register for the email digest and subscribe to the Newswires so you can keep up to date with the latest news. In order to do this you have to go into your profile which has just been set up and follow the instructions. This does seem like a lot of effort considering you have just filled out forms for this newsletter. Although, if you are really interested and would like to keep informed of everything then its a good idea.



On the Maverick Sabre website there is no link to be updated via emails. This could be due to the fact the people he is targeting wont read emails. He updates statuses regularly on twitter which is gets put on his website so fans can be updated without the use of email. His fans will more likely use social networks and so  Maverick Sabre might not bother with emails at the moment because it costs money to come up with an effective campaign and so you will have costs in the creative development. Maverick Sabre hasn't been around for long and so may not have the expenses to do this yet.

Because Crufts have been around for a long amount of time (120 years) they have grown and gained many loyal customers and followers. They are also trying to expand on their customer relations and try everything to get the customers attention. They will also have the money to do this and have various competitions and more information to give to the customer as there are many things to do at Crufts. It also adds to the credibility of the organisation and at the same time endorses the brand. On the other hand, Maverick Sabre is just doing a tour and all the information you will need is the opening times and how much tickets are, there may not be much point in the use of email just yet.

I was quite shocked to see that Maverick Sabre didn't offer any emails or newsletters as it is a popular tool used because it is a relatively cheap way of advertising. Being a fan of Maverick Sabre myself and not being on any social media sites i would of liked to see this marketing communication to be kept in the loop. To me it is clear that Crufts are more professional in the way that on signing up with them i received an email back within minutes this to me shows that they have more of a care for their customers and are valued more than maybe Maverick Sabre.

Sponsorship..

‘sponsorship is fast becoming the fourth arm of marketing, in addition to advertising, promotions and public relations. According to the international Events group or IEG, Inc Of Chicago, Illinois, sponsorship is the fastest growing form of marketing’  (L. Hoyle, Jr, CAE, CMP, 2002)

Sponsorship can be defined as ‘ Supporting an event, activity or organising by providing money or other resources that is of value to supporting the sponsored event. This is usually in return for advertising space at the event or as part of the publicity of the event’  (Tutor2u.net, 2012)

'Advertising that seeks to establish a deeper association and integration between an advertiser and a publisher, often involving coordinated beyond-the-banner placements'http://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/sponsorship/



Crufts have their own separate page especially for the sponsors of the event as well as having links throughout the website.

http://www.eukanuba.co.uk/

The principle sponsor for Crufts 2012 is Enkanuba. They are a pet food company which try to create pet food of nutritional high quality animal based protein products. These products include food for specific breeds, puppys & different sizes, care formulas such as; daily care for sensitive joints, overweight, sensitive skin and sensitive digestion. So they are really dedicated to the welfare of dogs.

Enkanuba’s aim is to develop quality dog nutrition to help nurture the best qualities dogs and their contribution to nutritional science has helped millions of pets be the best they can be. As we know Crufts is presented by the Kennel Club, whose aim is  ‘’We invest, provide knowledge and education to ensure dogs live healthly, happy lives with responsible owners’’  we can see that both have the same aims and target markets. This is good as they can work together to get outcomes they both want. ‘ Sponsorship is a mutual agreement for exchange of beliefs’ (Sleight, 1989; Meenaghan, 1998) Event target markets need to match up with the sponsors target markets. On the Eukanubas’ website they say;

‘Eukanuba’s knowledge and respect for the different nutritional needs of different breeds, has led to partnership with breeders and with key organizations like the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and American Kennel Club (AKC)’  So, Crufts having Eukanuba as a sponsor works really well and they clearly understand how sponsorship works.’

The major sponsors of the event are;

  http://www.agriapet.co.uk/

Agria are a company of which they offer insurance for your pet. The Alliance is the leading insurance group in Sweden supplying non-life insurance, life insurance and private banking services. they have now got over a hundred years of experience and knowledge to the UK dog community.

Again, being a sponsor of Crufts mean they will get to expose their products to over 137,000 potential high quality customers over the 4 days. They again have the same target markets as Crufts which is why they work well together.

 http://www.samsung.com/uk/

Samsung has been a sponsor of Crufts for 20 years and continues its support for animal welfare. Samsung will have a smart living area which showcases its cutting edge technology. Here visitors will have a chance to demo the latest Samsung products for themselves, including its range of Fido vacuum cleaners* - the vacuum cleaner specifically designed for pet owners.

Samsung are also involved in funding Samsung Guide Dogs for the Blind based in Korea where growing number of dogs are trained every year.

Other Sponsors include:

 http://www.royalcanin.co.uk/
http://www.ardengrange.com/

 http://www.lathamsdogfood.com/

 http://www.purina-proplan.co.uk/Home.aspx

 http://www.rlpetproducts.co.uk/




For the Maverick Sabre tour, they havent got any sponsors. This is because Maverick Sabre has only been on the music scene for the last year, and so not many people would have heard of him so at this stage he will be trying to promote himself as a musicain and trying to get people in the UK to listen to his music let alone for promoting other companies. This could work both ways and companies may not want to be a sponsor as they wont get much coverage and so there wouldnt be much point.

For larger bands, that tour around the world will have sponsors as they will get a lot more coverage and so making it more worthwhile. You need to prove to potential sponsors that your opportunity will deliver a good return on investment for them, as touring can be expensive.

Although, if Maverick Sabre did decide to have sponsors, it can offset production,  travel, promotion and virtually any of your expense. The right sponsor can also significantly augment your advertising, publicity and promotions. But, getting sponsorship participation can take a lot of effort and commitment on his part.

 

Websites...

Both Crufts and the Maverick Sabre 'Lonley Are The Brave' tour have official sites which allow potential attendees to get to the source of information they are looking for quickly and efficiently, that also provide up to date information.

When tracking the marketing communications, the first place I turn to is the internet. Mintel say that 'much of todays landscape has evolved from the growing penetration of broadband, used by 61% of GB adults in 2009 ( up 51 percentage points on penetration in 2003). This has encouraged consumers to spend more time on the web, partly because broadband offers an 'always on' access, reinforced by faster, more compelling, browsing speeds. Increasing time spent has also been driven by the increasing amount of choice online, from e-commerce sites to social networking and beyond, as well as sophisticated and accessible web design' This shows that some of the potential customers that are attending the events will look on the internet.

A quick type into the search engine and both of the events official websites are listed high up on the first page, which is good as they need to make sure web information is as easily accessible as possible.
According to L. Hoyle 2002, ' One of the most important important ways to generate traffic to your event website is to get listed on all of the popular search engines and directories' I feel its the most common place people go when researching events.
'According to ComScore, in May, 2010, 43 million unique internet users used a search engine. According to the web management firm, Google is the most popular choice used by 38 million unique internet users that month' (Mintel, 2010) which confirms this is a good place to start!!

                      http://www.crufts.org.uk/
The Crufts website is very simple and easy to use, which is a good thing because as a customer, you want to find things quicker and have easy navigation and it could also entice you to go to the event. They also use bright colours and pictures making it more attractive and gives the potential customers an idea of fun.

All of the information is set out into different headings making it easier for the user to find information they are looking for. throughout the whole of the homepage there are many different links which take the consumer to the different sections straight away. Such as tickets and facebook. this is so people are not having to search though the website before finding the things they are looking for.

On the homepage, the first thing you are drawn to is the eye catching design. On the top of the page, it has the dates of the event so you can see when Crufts is which is informative and also makes the customer aware without having to look anywhere. It also has a countdown, saying how many days there are left up until the show. This will help potential attendees know how long they have until the event to which they can plan and arrange their day out. Also on the top of the page, next to the heading, is a picture of a dog which shows what the event is about.

You can also see a video of Crufts which is large making it more likely people will go on it. Its good that they have a video because you can see what Crufts is all about possibly making more people attend. You get a real feel for the event, without having to go. This is also a good way to market the event.

This is the second half of the homepage, where you can see, on the right of it is the latest news from Crufts which have short news articles informing readers of the latest news and updates. If you click on the news update it will take you to the full article.

Next to this is a 'whats on' section where you an see what breeds are performing on the different days. This again makes it easier for the reader to find information more quickly.
(add tickets picture)
Crufts also provide an icon where you can directly purchase tickets from. Having a quick link to purchasing tickets is good as it will make potential attendees more likely to buy a ticket there and then as its easy navigation and doesn't seem to be too much of an effort to get the tickets.

Dotted around the homepage are links to social networks such as facebook and twitter. Readers will be able to go onto these pages and be able to see what other attendees think of the event, and what the event is all about.
Lastly, at the bottom of the page is the official Kennel Club logo, and links to all of the relevant information that attendees will need, such as terms and conditions and accessibility. This makes the event look more legitimate and professional and more trustworthy.

The webpage for Maverick Sabre is different....


           link ....

Maverick Sabre has an offical website which provides fans and visitors with lastest news, pictures, videos, merchendise and a blog. From tracking the marking communications and being a fan of Maverick Sabre myself I can see the website has been updated recently, Straight away I can see that there has been a video uploaded from on of the 2012 tours.

The homepage obviously differs somewhat to Crufts and you can see even with a quick first glance. The colours and design are not as bright and colourful as Crufts. Maverick Sabre has a black and grey background colour which isn’t as eye catching.

He does however, like Crufts have videos of different performances and music videos. This engages the reader and gives them the opportunity to get a feel for his music and what the atmosphere and ... would be like at one of his gigs.

Straight away I can see the tour dates and the different venues where Maverick Sabre will be playing, if you hover one of the dates there is more information such as ticket prices and timings, although it doesnt have anything on there about prices. This is .... as visitors that want to get a ticket will be spending more time searching for the various venues to try and find the gig and to then purchase the tickets and to also find out more information, because this is not provided on the website.

The layout of the websites are very different design wise, although they have both got clear links to the information, and are laid out in different headings making it easier for the reader to find the information they are looking for. Maverick Sabre has links to; music and video, gallery, gigs, blogs, merch, 'about Maverick Sabre and also has his latest single. There is a picture of Maverick Sabre which is the picture from his album cover which to me is a clever way of advertising as it keeps the image in the visitors head.

On the about Maverick Sabre section, there is a biography of the artist which is very informative and tells the reader his story to how he got to where he is now and all of the achivements along the way.

There are clear links to social media sites at the top of the page, which is good as many people use these sites to talk to people and are a good way of meeting people with the same interests and is also a chance to have your say. There is also a picture of his album cover with links to all the different retailers that are selling his album, they are; HMV, Spotify, Play.com, Amazon, and iTunes.

Half way down the page, there are more vyou can clearly see the whats on section to the right and also in the centre. It gives the videos of recent performaces such as; live from London roundhouse, and BBC London session. There is also a competition which lets guests take part in a competition to win tickets to one of his gigs.  

Both of the events have official websites, although it is clear which one is better than the other. Crufts straight away give you much of the relevent infomation you will need if going to the event, making it more informative. The first thing you can see on the Crufts webpage is the dates, and they also have a countdown. With Maverick Sabre the dates are clearly listed at the top of the page although you do have to search further and navigate of the page to book tickets and to find out more information. You could be looking through the webpage for a significantly longer amount of time than you would with crufts. This could effect the number of attendees as visitors might not want to have to browse though websites until they find the information.

The designs are obviously different, and Crufts is a lot brighter and more easy to look at. Although Maverick Sabre does have videos which interact with the consumer giving them a feel for the experience. Both have clear links to social media sites which is good as it gives people a chance to talk to people who are attending the events and they can have their say. The broken down headings make the webpages more easily navigated, though I do feel Crufts have done this better.

Overall, I feel Crufts have a better webpage that is more up to date and that has all of the relevent information in the right places making it more easy for potential attendees to find infomation they need.

Target Audience....

'In order to meet the general communication objectives specific stakeholders groups will need to be identified and targeted. Once this has been done, the final level of objective setting can be undertaken where objectives are developed for each identified target group, as each group may have differing communication preferences'
(G. Masterman & E. Wood, 2006)

The main target audience for Crufts are dog owners with their companions who are competing in the various competitions.
Families are also targeted to visit the event. As you can see from the website thier key slogan is ' Tail wagging fun for the whole family' Families may also want to find out infomation about dogs, as dogs make an ideal family pet.
Stakeholders are a potentail audience, as there are hundreds of stalls there, exhibiors may have an interest in going.
The last target group for Crufts are adults ranging from 20-50 that are middle to upper class as they have more of a disposible income to spend. They may have a key interest in dogs or even own a dog. They may visit the exhibition to see different breeds of dogs or maybe to find infomation about breeds or products.

The main target audience group for the Maverick Sabre tour are devoted fans who support him and especially go to see him live and up close.
People who are interested in listening to that type of music genre which is pop with a slight soulful gritty tinge, may go but not really a big fan or may not even heard of him before but like the style of music.
Lastly, another target audience are people aged between 18-30 year olds as they are the younger generation that attend these types of music events. young people listen to pop and music in the charts so may be influenced to go because of this.

This leaves me to believe that both of the events have a completly different target audience, being that Crufts appeals to people that have an interest in dogs while Maverick Sabre appeals to people to like his genre of music.
The purpose of each event are completly different, which means potential attendees go for the enjoyment they get from the event. People that go to see Maverick Sabre are wanting a night out to experience live music and to socialise. Crufts, people go because they want to enter thier dog in a competition, and to find out infomation.

Videos ...

This is a video from Crufts Best in Show 2010

This is Maverick Sabres first song released from his debut album called 'I Need'

My Choosen Events.....

It could be said the events I have choosen are somewhat different, they are; Crufts, the most well known dog show, held at the NEC Birmingham and Maverick Sabre, the London born Irish raised singer songwriter at the Roundhouse, Camden.

    Crufts is one of the largest dog events on the globe and is hosted by the Kennel Club, which is the UK's largest organisation dedicated to the health and welfare of dogs.

The annual event is held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham. Crufts is held in march, and over the years, due to interest and expansion, the event takes place over 4 days. This year crufts is held on the 8-11th March 2012.

Crufts best in show is the ultimate competition where only the finest breeds compete for the most reputable prize in the dog world.....

This year is said to be bigger and better than before, the live finials will take place in the brand new arena.

There are seven different groups; working, utility, hound, pastoral, toy, terrier and gundog. A dog from each of these groups will be awarded best in breed and best in group, before the exciting climax... Best in Show!

This year the categories will compete on the following days-

Day 1- Toy and Utility

Day 2- Gundog

Day 3- Working and Pastoral

Day 4- Terrier and Hound

Crufts offer the chance for you and your pooch to pamper yourself and indulge in the hundreds of trade stands selling anything you and your four legged friend could possibly want. From clothing to dog food and bedding to human jewelry. Crufts promises great deals that you wont find anywhere else.

If you have a love for dogs and are looking into buying one but cant decide on the breed, then going to Crufts could be a good idea. As they have over 200 different breeds where you are able to meet and talk to the owners and breeders in the 'discover dogs' hall. You will leave with a better understanding and knowledge of what the perfect dog for you will be. 

This year the tickets for Crufts are: 

Best in show tickets: £23

Adult day tickets: £17

Concession* day tickets: £10

Children under the age of 8 will be admitted free of charge

Maverick Sabre is a newcomer to the music scene, with his debut album only being released in 2011. He has a soulful yet gritty tinge to his music which is drawing in the audiences and leaving them hooked.

The London born Ireland raised singer songwriter  has a trulely unique voice due to his childhood and was first championed by BBC Radio1 & 1Xtras Mistajam as a 2011 'one too watch'

Maverick Sabres debut album 'Lonley are the Brave'  was released on Febuary 6th, and is selling out. he has also released three singles off the album, which have all done extremely well in the UK music chart. Singles I Need and No One have both had a lot of coverage on national radio stations such as Radio1 and Kiss Fm.

2011 has seen Maverick Sabre go from strength to strengh and other artisits have noticed his truely unique voice. He has collaborated with Cee- Lo Green and Chase & Status, and with the track 'Jungle' who he collaborated with Professor Green won a NME award.

Throughout his 'Lonley Are The Brave' tour Maverick Sabre will have special guests including Aruba Red and Ms Dynamite.

The dates for the 2012 tour are at the following:

29th Febuary- Dublin, The Academy
1st March- Glasgow, The Arches
2nd March- Leeds, Met Uni
3rd March- Manchester, Academy 2
5th March- Cardiff, Uni Solus
6th March-  Birmingham, HMV Insitute
8th March- Bristol, Uni Anson Rooms
9th March- Portsmouth, Pyramids
10th March- London, Roundhouse


Because Maverick Sabre is performing at different venues, there is going to be a difference in the price depending on where you go, although they wont be much difference. For example; At the Arches in Glasgow tickets are £16.00 and at the London Roundhouse tickets are £15.

Welcome to my blog....

Hellooo.. This is the first blog I have ever done. I'm actually quite excited!!

... I hope you enjoy :)