Two Benefits of Hosting Comic-Con in San Diego

Over a hundred and thirty thousand people attended this year’s Comic-Con convention in their enthusiasm to submerge themselves in the spirit of “geekhood”. Comic enthusiast contributed $203 million and booked over 378,000 rooms in the area over the past three years (1). This means big windfalls for hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the area. 

There are two benefits from Comic-Con that helped to steer a course for San Diego. The first is the immediate benefits to local businesses and the second is the long-tail of marketing of San Diego to the world. Businesses may see a short burst of revenue but also may find their environment improving over the long-run. 

Sometimes people need an excuse to see the beauty of San Diego. Conventions such as Comic-Con give young people a reason to visit San Diego who might have otherwise have optioned for another place. Some of those people will be impressed by the area and may come back for a vacation or another time when a large event is being held. 

Just in the same way as Comic-Con grew from a small event in the 70’s, to the powerhouse draw of celebrities today, areas also grow in appeal. Because we are creatures of habit, visiting once often perks our interest into visiting again. The same mental processes occur in consumer choices in events or any other buying behavior. 

Some businesses will receive enough revenue during this period that it makes a difference between hiring another employee and laying off another employee during the year. Small businesses need this revenue to increase their profit margins and make small changes in their expansion. Hotels, restaurants, bars, retail, and other associated establishments should have seen a spike in revenue. 

Comic-Con offers value for the area and should be encouraged. Whether we are concerned about marketing the area to the rest of the world or getting a little extra cash into the hands of local businesses owners the value of similar events cannot be underestimated. With San Diego’s vacation weather it should be a popular option for future events.

Don’t Escape the Details of the Servicescape

Your stomach is growling with hunger pains and you need a great place to eat. You don’t want just any place but need that perfect place that expresses your mood. Feeling a little upscale with that great bonus you just received from work you scan your memory for a restaurant that will not only satisfy your appetite but also perpetuate that positive feeling into the evening.  You know big things are going to happen since you have now been recognized for your great work. Thinking of possible alternatives you finally settle on a fancy French establishment with valet, fireplaces, patio dining, fountains and violin music in the background. It costs more but heck it still feels great to spend your reward for superior effort!

What you have just thought about is called servicescape. The servicescape is the physical environment that customers exist in that influences both customer behavior as well as overall impression of the business. Successful retail management includes the understanding of physical layout and how this impacts the overall customer experience and impressions of the total experience.

Such experience is often seen in the way establishments are designed, how atmosphere feels, and the overall impression that customers leave with. Knowing and managing the servicescape can help create positive feelings and memories that help to cater to customer’s self impression. Servicescapes often include the following concepts (Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons, 2011). 

• 1.)    Ambient conditions: The back ground of the environment such as lighting, temperature, noise music, etc… This is the general use of our five senses to create a culture and environment that encourages positive feelings and memories of an organization. Nothing sells a home like the sweet smell of Apple Pie.
• 2.)    Spatial Layout and Functionality: The successful layout of an environment often determines how well customers can manage to find their way within the environment in order to encourage quick paced purchasing behavior. When the layout of the establishment is not strong a resulting safety and service problem results.
• 3.)    Signs, Symbols and Artifacts: The signs, symbols and artifacts create a perception of the business as it relates to its value and purpose. Those signs, symbols and artifacts can also create impressions of an organization. For example, a high end restaurant is likely to have fireplaces, pictures of elaborate dinners, and certain types of silverware to ensure that all of these factors are in alignment with the sales product. 

One of the beneficial ways to encourage stronger servicescapes that lead to stronger sales and customer satisfaction is through the use of surveys. Surveying customers helps organizations understand the overall perception of the environment, layout, and symbolism of the organization. For example, A total of 109 participants from six hotels in Delhi india found a positive relationship between ambience, spatial relationship, and symbolism on customer support (Medabesh & Upadhyaya, 2012). This study helps highlight the overall nature of the need servicscapes in enhancing products and services. 

With servicescapes the devil is often in the details. The right forks, flowers, table cloth, temperature, food design, food offerings, decorations, etc… all work together. Understanding how these multiple aspects of the business fit together to create a totality of impression can do wonders with enhancing the sensory experience of customers. The next time you go to eat remember that it isn’t only the food that counts.

Fitzsimmons, J. & Fitzsimmons, M. (2011). Service Management: Operations, Strategy, Information Technology (Seventh Edition). NY: McGraw-Hill. 

Medabesh, A. & Upadhyaya, M. (2012). Servicescape and customer substantiation of star hotels in India’s metropolitan city of Delhi. Journal of Marketing & Communication, 8 (2).