THE FERRARI WORLD TOURISM EXPERIENCE in ABU DHABI Esekong Andrew-Essien, Ph.D Depart

International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020 ARTS & TECHNOLOGY IN THE MARKETING MIX: THE FERRARI WORLD TOURISM EXPERIENCE IN ABU DHABI Esekong Andrew-Essien, Ph.D Department of Theatre, Film & Carnival Studies University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria Abstract The functions of arts have long grown beyond the realm of aesthetics to diversified utilitarian roles. In some parts, this evolution was fast-tracked and has been sustained by technology, which is often engaged to simplify processes of production and to enhance value and access to artistic products. In this paper, the art and technology binary are evaluated in the context of marketing of products to tourists at Ferrari World, a popular tourist attraction in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. To theorize the use of art and technology in tourism marketing, the paper uses Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle Theory, which illustrates the stages of development of tourism products, and from the domain of Marketing, the paper uses Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model to evaluate the intensity of competition, profitability and attractiveness of products and ideas. Case studies are drawn from the architectural layout, products on display, service schedule and the performances at Ferrari World. Analysis is done towards finding the exact points of connection between the arts and other elements of the marketing mix; the subsisting strength and weaknesses of the Ferrari World concept, the impact on patronage, and the sustainability of the art and technology marketing plan. Key Words: Arts, Technology, Marketing Mix & Tourism. Introduction Quite often, the ultimate aim of production, whether of goods, services or ideas is to make profit, which could be monetary or otherwise. Marketing is introduced to push or promote the products to prospective customers whose patronage would bring profit. Many methods have been used in marketing publicity and a number of them are connected to the arts. They include handbills, flyers, billboards, television adverts, phone pop-ups, live performances or a combination of these and many more options. Principally, all the marketing publicity options are deployed to gain patronage towards making profit. From historical perspectives, deploying artistic skills in marketing dates back many ages and across cultures. In some indigenous African societies, for instance, herbalists were known to hawk their wares together with a group of singers, drummers and dancers who would lure prospective buyers as audiences to a location where the herbalist would proclaim and sometimes demonstrate the wonders of his merchandise. Between the olden day approaches in marketing and now, much has happened, particularly with the introduction and advancement of technology. Adverts on the media are produced and driven by technology. They are typical products of the art and technology fusion for the purpose of marketing. One of the most dramatic examples is the use of dancing robots to market products. The VIVA 4 GiG device, a technological product that allows web surfing, downloading and video streaming is a perfect illustration for the art-technology-marketing nexus. In the video that marketed the product when it came out, the company used a remote-controlled robot, which was made to dance to a popular tune to attract customers. This was an all-round fusion of art (as seen in the music and - 19 - International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020 dance) and technology (as seen in the robot), all used in the process of marketing. This paper is a comprehensive. evaluation of the approach used in Ferrari World where arts and technology are also engaged, this time in marketing Ferrari products, allied services and accessories to tourists in Abu Dhabi. Theoretical Framework This paper is anchored, in part, on Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) Theory, which focuses on the product or destination life cycle. Butler postulates that new products grow progressively and later stabilize before experiencing decline. He specifies the periods of development to include: the exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation and decline or rejuvenation stages. Central to Butler’s model is the concept of dynamism and the fact that changes are triggered by a number of factors. It is certain that the tourism destination of this study and the products therein have passed through the initial stages of Butler’s growth model and may be somewhere between the development and consolidating stages at this point. This deduction is based on the fact that the number of tourists to the destination of study is very high, exceeding the local population and creating certain impacts. Moreover, the economy of the area is now mainly tied to the tourism industry, which is well supported by marketing and advertising. These are some of the indicators of the development and consolidation stages of Butler’s theory which have been identified in the location of study. On whether the destination will go through the remaining stages of growth is a matter of management. From the perspective of marketing, this study is anchored on Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model. Porter submits that competition in a given industry, potential of new entrants, power of suppliers, power of customers and threat of substitute products not only shape every market, but also have become templates to measure competition intensity, attractiveness and profitability (Porter 3 – 28; Bartol & Martin 196). This relates to this study in the sense that these determining forces seem to interplay to incite the management of the destination and product of our study to improve marketing strategies towards making better business returns. Figure 1: Michael Porter’s Five Forces - 20 - International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020 Plate 1: Aerial View of Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, UAE Introducing Ferrari World and its Products in UAE Ferrari World is an indoor tourism facility located on Yas Island, one of the numerous Islands in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The amusement park, covering about 86,000 square metres was officially opened to the public in November, 2010. So far, it has received a number of awards given by notable tourism bodies as the leading tourist attraction and theme park in the Middle East region. A principal component of the Emirate’s economic agenda is tourism. This may be why all the elements of tourism have been put in place to cater for teaming tourists that arrive the country all year round. Many of the tangible components of tourism are in excellent condition. Transportation is supported by excellent road and rail networks. Airport facilities are standard with Emirates and Etihad Airlines flying in and out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, respectively. Their services are excellent and the flights regular to different locations across different continents. Accommodation is available in various categories for all classes of visitors. There is an even spread of standard hotels, holiday apartments and other facilities for hospitality, especially in the cities. Eateries and world-class restaurants provide excellent continental and local cuisines. Souvenirs are a matter of choice. Many tourism initiatives have been able to develop because of the existence of these primary facilities. Tourists move in to have adventure, exposure, relaxation and other non-tangible experiences for tourists. The tourism plan of UAE covers a variety of subsets, with emphasis on cultural, ecological, adventure, ancestry, creative, educational, medical and a number of others subsets, serving the needs of culture-core and peripheral tourism. - 21 - International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020 Plates 2 & 3: Interior of Ferrari World The products of Ferrari World are diverse, but all revolve around Ferrari, an Italian Sports/luxury car company based in Maranello. Ferrari is a celebrated Italian brand created by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of Alfa Romeo's race division. They rolled out their first product officially in 1947. While their initial interest was on the production of racing cars, they later began manufacturing exotic road cars and customized products for commercial purposes. Ferrari road cars are popularly regarded as symbols of luxury, wealth and icons of speed, but there are many other exotic automobile brands – Mercedes Benz, BMW, Lamborghini, Porsche and others whose prevalence has, obviously set up rivalry and put Ferrari in competition. It therefore became necessary to market the Ferrari brand aggressively despite its exorbitant cost1. Arising from the Ferrari concept, other related products have emerged. They include a fashion line, consisting of casual and sports wears and accessories. Many Ferrari boutiques exist worldwide, some owned directly by Ferrari and others operating as franchises. These outlets sell branded clothes, accessories and racing memorabilia. Clothing includes expensive and budget-range collections for men, women, and children. Some stores have race car simulation games for entertainment. Whether Ferrari world is directly owned by the Enzo Ferrari car manufacturing group or it is one of the franchises, its mandate is clearly to project the Ferrari ‘culture’ - 22 - International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020 Plates 4,5,6 &7: Some Displayed Products at Ferrari World The display at Ferrari World is aesthetically pleasant and seems to compel the visitor not only to continue through the exhibition, but also to take part where participation is required. The entrance is modeled as a large front of a Ferrari car through which the visitor moves into the facility. The display consists of vintage and current models of Ferrari automobiles, spaced out in the entire complex at various levels – high, middle and ground. The display is interfaced with natural and in some cases artificial plants, a network of metal structures, some constituting a part of the architecture and others propping up some of the game facilities and displayed items. The layout is like a large gallery or museum with well curated artifacts that give space to the tourist to navigate and interact with them.

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