Marketing Your Attraction

Hello marketers, I thought you'd enjoy this deep dive into the process that helped this attraction go viral on TikTok. Josh Sumsion from Dead City Haunted House comes on to discuss the process behind their TikTok videos, some of which are going viral. Here’s what you need to know to get your TikTok up and running.

This podcast is a recording from a recent panel on personalizing your messaging to guests in preparation of opening your attraction this season.The discussion is divided into three sections—recommendations about messaging for guests before you open, while guests are on-premises, and after it closes.Key Takeaways:Include safety in your messaging but focus on fun.Be aware of the rules and regulations in your area.Talk to this year’s haunt demographic.Be nimble and dynamic in response to feedback.Have a protocol for crisis management.Consider requiring advance, online purchase of tickets.Add value and raise your ticket prices.Introduce your safety messaging at the right time in the right places.Encourage guests to share their experiences on social media.Have staff visibly cleaning your haunt.Have a protocol for screening staff and responding if someone has symptoms.Let your guests know they’ll be scared safely.

For the first time on Marketing Your Attraction, we bring a listener on the show for live coaching. Gamliel Beyderman is Founder of OneBefore,America's First Jewish Escape Room in Brooklyn New York. Visit OneBefore here: onebeforeescape.com.

Scott Swenson joins us on the podcast to discuss the impact Story has in marketing your attraction.Scott has a new book out:Follow the Story: The Foundation of Every Great AttractionFollow the Story’s synopsis reads, “An attraction is most effective when it follows a path and takes guests on a journey. The story determines an attraction’s physical layout, character development, and technical design. It also points the way for clever marketing, merchandising, and branding. This book gives you the tools to develop a story and to use that story as a blueprint for your attraction's development.”Get your copy here or read more at www.followthestorybook.comHow does the story impact the marketing team?Because it’s not only about The Creatives. Departments must play together.Here are some takeaways from the recording: We become myopic when there are multiple departments but that isn’t true for the guest. The guest sees everything in one continuous experience. Moving past individual departments makes your attraction b

Main Topic: Adapting your attraction to a new target market’s cultureStep 1: You should have the demographic and psychographic analysis of this new target market done. Additionally, your team must have decided the new market is worth testing. Step 2: What that we’re doing now needs to change?You’ll go through each of the below considerations before deciding on tactics.Tactics/Considerations:Direct or Mass?Mass marketing is for high throughput attractions targeting a large target market. Mass marketing includes TV, Radio, Hulu, etc. Sometimes you find microcosms where you can go mass in a small way. For example, college radio stations, community TV, regional billboards, or influencers. Otherwise, most new target markets are a direct selling tactic.Language.The language applies to signage, directions, website, tickets, maps, apps, menus and more.Do visitors understand your website and can they purchase tickets? What about references that don’t translate to English? This need not be a large overhaul but could be

Content Marketing is one of the most misunderstood tactics, and we explain it all in this episode.“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.In short, instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.”-By Content Marketing InsWhy do it?Customer InformationCustomer RetentionThe History of Content Marketing: https://youtu.be/9OHgMMpGLzk John Deere & The Furrow Magazine: https://youtu.be/rbKvoKeu4vcGetting Started Guide: https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/getting-started/Examples:PC Gamer/Razer “The Complete Guide to PC Gaming”: https://www.pcgamer.com/in

Where do ideas come from? What makes someone creative? How do I get better ideas? Discover the process and best practices behind brainstorming in this episode.

Experiential Marketing Experiences are increasing in number and complexity. Some experimental marketing campaigns are nearly identical to attractions! We discuss the benefits and threats posed by this new form of campaign.A quick overview of the different ones that we have experienced:The Twilight Zone Pop-Up at The GroveSmallfootIT ExperienceReady Player OneGuinness Brewery TourKnott’s Scary Farm example of “#ScarySelfie” with C-K agencyRazer Tour - College campus and video game events. Use claw machine to encourage guests to share email and post on social media.Razer uses Future Publishing Events - www.futureplc.com/services/events/Could be a secondary source of income for an attraction to create experiential marketing experiences for companies. There are entire agencies that create events. Game of Thrones/Westworld Activations - www.giantspoon.com/Use of MarketingDecide your goal: Sales, in-person awareness, online exposureCosts/Location - Demographic, malls, festivals, community centers such as the beachI

Struggling with your attraction's marketing plan? This episode walks you step by step through a marketing plan. Download the template from our email list!

NEWS/Quick-Takes:The Halloween season is starting much earlier than usual and the Theme Park Halloween landscape is shifting to keep pace.See Festival del Terror at 6 Flags Mexico, the early Cedar Point opening of HalloWeekends, and Knott’s. Follow news from the Haunted Attraction Network for more Halloween updates.Six Flags Great America located just outside of Chicago is hoping to increase job applicants by offering a free ticket for anyone that interviews.Main Topic:Marketing’s Role In Recruiting - Support HR DepartmentCreate recruiting content while filming assets for consumersUtilize social media, both paid and organic, to get the word out and recognize employees through social media. (Disney does a great job with the “Every Role Is A Starring Role”)Offer incentives to current employees and returning employees.Facebook Jobs - https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/facebook-page-post-jobs Wrap-Up:Free Subscription to Seasonal Entertainment Source: http://seasonalentertainmentsource.com Visit MarketingYou

NEWS/Quick-Takes:Amazon has YouTube envy: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-15/amazon-wants-twitch-to-be-a-youtube-competitor?mod=djemCMOToday Theme Park Announcements:Canada’s WonderlandSix Flags Magic MountainCarowindsScary FarmSkullcandy creates live concert series as part of content marketing push“Consumers today, young consumers are very savvy, and they’re very savvy about paid influencers. Obviously, we’re a commercial entity, and of course we want to sell headphones, but we want the music to be pure,” Klodnicki said. Of course, Skullcandy can — and does — retarget attendees and viewers with more commercial advertisements after the fact. Skullcandy spends the majority of its marketing budget on digital ads. Unlike Apple and Bose, it doesn’t buy TV or print ads.”https://digiday.com/marketing/skullcandy-creates-live-concert-series-part-content-marketing-push/Secrets of the Wicker Man at Alton Towers revealed“Filmed over several months, the documentary follows the team as they complete constr

NEWS/Quick-Takes:This 18+ Horror-Themed Campground Is The Most Disturbing Place To Go Camping: https://www.narcity.com/ca/on/toronto/travel/this-18-horror-themed-campground-near-toronto-is-the-most-disturbing-place-youll-ever-go-campingSix Flags launches loyalty program:https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/six-flags-launches-preeminent-new-loyalty-program-2018-08-15 Main Topic:Groupon/GoldStar DiscountingOften necessary on slower days. Build the margin into your price. Make a discounting plan before you begin. You don’t want to be reactive (IE numbers are low, so we’ll reduce price). There’s not getting around that school and work nights are tough for our audiences. Nobody wants to feel like they spent more than they had to. Audiences come to expect something is listed on Groupon/Goldstar. Thus, it’s both an advantage and a disadvantage.Our recommendation?Build those margins into the plan from the beginning and form relationships with discount sites ahead of time. That way, when it is needed, you can pul

The hosts walk through best practices for working with marketing, creative, and media buying agencies for your attraction.NEWS/Quick-Takes:Physical products are more valuable than digital products - https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-can-marketers-deal-with-an-oversaturated-digital-space-turn-back-to-physical-products/ Expansion of Dollywood: “The "new land," a $37 million investment, was the theme park's largest capital investment ever.”https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/dolly-parton-announces-plans-for-new-dollywood-area-set-to-open-in-2019/51-580078465Snapchat Story Ads - https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/introducing-story-ads-a-new-way-to-showcase-your-brand-or-product-in-discover/ “With one tap, Snapchatters can jump into a collection of 3-20 Snaps and dive deeper into your new fashion collection, movie release, suite of products, and more.”Main Topic:Ad Agencies - Help businesses execute marketing strategies and they range from full service to boutique. Think of them as an extension to

NEWS/Quick-Takes:Empty Malls - https://digiday.com/marketing/online-retailers-using-empty-mall-spaces-test-products/ The Science of Storytelling -https://marketingland.com/the-science-of-storytelling-245561 The Expanding Market:“DXB Entertainments saw the number of visitors to Dubai Parks and Resorts rise 48% during the second quarter and 46% during the first half of 2018. International guests accounted for 38% of visitors during the first half, while annual pass holders made up 25% of visits.”Another Reason to Monitor your Brand:“A post on a Facebook page called 'Six Flags Club' has been shared over 100,000 times with over 40,000 comments. The post writes that every single person who shares and comments within the next 12 hours will get 4 free Six Flags tickets. Western Mass News confirmed with a spokesperson for Six Flags Wednesday night that the page is not associated with the amusement park. We're told Six Flags is working with Facebook to try and take the post down.”Peter Weishar is UCF’s new professor o

NEWS/Quick-Takes:Alien: Descent vs. The Void Midsummer Scream: A great convention chuck full of marketing examples for attractions. All the attractions in the Southern California area participate and each is a great example of attractions connection with guests at conventions. Track the hashtag online to see some of the examples. Six Flags brought a scare zone, scare actors, and hosted a main stage announcement panel. ​Main Topic:Yelp and TripAdvisor Review Websiteshttps://hbr.org/2018/02/study-replying-to-customer-reviews-results-in-better-ratings “Harvard Business Review found that when hotels start responding, they receive 12% more reviews and their ratings increase, on average, by 0.12 stars. While these gains may seem modest, TripAdvisor rounds average ratings to the nearest half star: A hotel with a rating of 4.26 stars will be rounded up to a 4.5, while a hotel with 4.24 stars will be rounded down to a 4. Therefore, even small changes can have a significant impact on consumers’ perceptions.”Why? “If th

NEWS/Quick-Takes:Theme Park WiFi - http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-theme-park-wifi-20180720-story.htmlReviews of Comic-Con Activations including escape rooms: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jack-ryan-walking-dead-san-diego-comic-con-activation-hits-misses-1128727 TEA Masters: http://www.inparkmagazine.com/tea-masters-call-for-nominees/Nine Ways To Build Brand Relationships With Teens On Social Media: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/07/21/nine-ways-to-build-brand-relationships-with-teens-on-social-media/#580c7517324bSix Ways You Can Use Yoga Principles In Your Social Media Marketing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/07/20/six-ways-you-can-use-yoga-principles-in-your-social-media-marketing/#3d453d6a4639​Main Topic:Digital vs. Traditional Marketing for big and small attractionsUnderstand the difference between Mass Marketing and Direct Selling; most traditional marketing is mass marketing.As always, you must understand your market.Crossing The Chasm h

Picking Partners: How To Evaluate Sponsorship OpportunitiesNEWS/Quick-Takes:Elevating Moments Into Lasting Memories article: http://bradjashinsky.com/memorable-moments-themepark-attraction/Live stream from a roller coaster: http://bradjashinsky.com/live-stream-roller-coaster/ Changing The Game: Socialize Founder Akanksha Goel On The Evolution Of Her Digital Media Agency: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/316645Explanation of strategy: “Goel reveals its strategy to be something she calls “ART + SCIENCE.” “ART stands for thumb-stopping creative,” she says. “In a region where people spend so much time on mobile, a brand’s content/message/story needs to stand out while their audience is scrolling. Our creative team specializes in creating this content that is built for the mobile newsfeed. SCIENCE stands for innovative media, harnessing the power of real-time social data to target audiences with military precision, allowing our personalized messages to be seen by the right people, at scale– driving measurable

NEWSBlooloop’s Top 50 Theme Park Influencer ListAn interesting read to see the diversity of the industry.https://blooloop.com/blooloop-50-theme-park-influencer-list/#top50How Cedar Fair Scaled An Immersive Mobile ExperienceJim Denny VP of eCommerce: https://www.bloomreach.com/en/blog/2018/06/how-cedar-fair-scaled-an-immersive-mobile-experience.html Main Topic:Ask More: A Simple Guide to Asking More Effective Guest Survey QuestionsRecommended Reading1.Ask: The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy. By Ryan Levesque https://amzn.to/2ztMn7k2.Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip & Dan Heath https://amzn.to/2u8ZeGQ3.Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini https://amzn.to/2KKVSEeGeneral Notes1.Everyone should be surveying, no matter the size/level of experience.1.It doesn’t have to be complex.2.Understand what you’re going to use the data for and how to codify it (see below for biases)3.Don’t make the surveys too long,

How do you set Prices for your attraction? Pricing is expensive or cheap depending on who you are targeting, therefore, framing & testing is critical.NEWS/Quick-Takes:California Data Privacy Law Passes“The bill -- AB 375, or the California Consumer Privacy Act -- turns the tech world's business model on its head by letting regular internet users ask for the data a company has collected on them and whom the data has been sold to. That alone could be eye-opening for consumers. Most people understand their online activity is being tracked for targeted advertising, but we don't have a broad understanding of what data's being used. The bill will take effect at the beginning of 2020.”Facebook/Twitter now publicly show all ads a brand is running“Every Facebook Page carries a new button called “Info and Ads.” That new section will display the ads the Page is currently running across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Facebook’s partner network. Facebook also will have a button to report each ad. Facebook also wil

There is no easy answer to which platform you should choose, but here’s a guide to follow!NEWS/Quick-Takes:Instagram TV is pulling us ever closer to a future full of tall videoshttps://www.popsci.com/instagram-tv-is-pulling-us-ever-closer-to-future-full-tall-videos“Everyone spends time on Instagram,” he said. “Every single person is always on Instagram. When you go to YouTube, you’re actively looking for something. Instagram, you’re waiting in line and it’s like, let me just go waste some time.”https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/21/style/instagram-igtv.htmlTours and Activities Sector Still Faces Challenge of Moving Bookings Online (I thought this could be an interesting conversation about last-minute bookings for seasonal events)https://skift.com/2018/06/12/tours-and-activities-sector-still-faces-challenge-of-moving-bookings-online/Main Topic:Social Media Starter KitThere is no easy answer.Here are a few things to try:Register your name at least on everything to keep it (yelp, facebook, and Google my business).M