Marketing Your Attraction

Just imagine the look on your team’s face when you receive that extra media coverage!How would you feel if your next media event makes a difference? Combining some recent experience from Great America’s new roller coaster with pointers from “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters” by Priya Parker (https://amzn.to/2ymtJ0E), we offer up a checklist for more meaningful media mentions.NEWS/Quick-TakesBarkBox cuts Facebook spending in favor of traditional channels“Smart companies will always be looking to find eyeballs in other places at lower costs.”https://digiday.com/marketing/barkbox-cuts-facebook-spending-favor-traditional-channels/ Warner Bros. crackdown puts Dark Mark over Potter festivals"It's almost as if Warner Bros. has been taken over by Voldemort, trying to use dark magic to destroy the light of a little town," said Sarah Jo Tucker, a 21-year-old junior at Chestnut Hill College, which hosts a Quidditch tournament that coincides with the annual suburban Philadelphia festival.https://www.n

The hosts discuss tracking versus email list retargeting and the best examples for using each at your attraction.“Retargeting ads are a form of online targeting advertising and are served to people who have already visited your website or are a contact in your database.” NEWS/Quick-TakesWhen: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect TimingBook by Daniel H. PinkBrad’s take: The book is a quick read that I didn’t completely enjoy, but there were some valuable takeaways. The chapter about the importance of endings was interesting and directly applied to attractions. “Endings are very important. Several studies have shown that experiences are judged by their ending. Peaks and endings are most prominently remembered. Just look at Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews. Signaling an ending can make people appreciate things more. For example, in a chocolate taste test, participants enjoyed the last chocolate more when told it was the last chocolate, even though it was exactly the same as the other chocolates. How can you make your a

Your listener challenge: Explain what you do in one sentence using a Character, a Problem, a Plan, & vision of Success.Using pointers from “Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” by Donald Miller (available here: https://amzn.to/2kOGSFY) we discuss the importance of explaining the whole story to your customers.Send us your one-liners for a chance to be featured on the show!Email: philip@gantom.comSubscribe to show notes: www.marketingyourattraction.comNEWS1. AT&T Shape Conference at Warner Bros. (Entertainment/Technology/VR/AR)-Red Hydrogen Holographic Phone-Brent Bushnel from Two-Bit Circus Presentation (Launching 50,000 square foot Micro-Amusement Park in LA later this year)Brad’s takeaways from Two-Bit’s Presentation:Scalability and immersion are opposing forces. Future Successful Experiences will be immersive, out-of-home, social, intuitive and as a bonus meaningful.Videos will eventually be posted at: https://shape.att.com 2. Mary Meeker’s Annual Internet Trends Rep

People buy the products they can understand the fastest. The hosts discuss simplifying concepts and campaigns using principles from “Make it Stick” and “Building a Story Brand.”Make it Stick: https://amzn.to/2xm6xPnBuilding a Story Brand: https://amzn.to/2IV9U5hNews-Pew Research Center report about social media usage: http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/-PDF on Top Email Subject Lines from Ask Formula: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ask-warming/Email-Subject-Line-Samples-FINAL.pdf?inf_contact_key=28ca53e19865bdb14bbbf48866e1d73cee94d3f3ef24fd570c0716b71686a8a4-The Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission gave Halloween City $4,000 for marketing efforts: http://www.lovelycitizen.com/story/2513061.html-“Decorating Disney: Halloween” will be part of “31 Days of Halloween.” https://www.disneyabcpress.com/freeform/pressrelease/breaking-news-from-freeforms-2018-upfront-presentation/-Excellent article on influencers: https://www.fairobserver.com/culture/social-media-influencers-m

The hosts discuss the value of local business partnerships. News: Google Duplex, Skorr, AI Influencers.Leadership Symposium: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seasonal-attraction-leadership-symposium-2018-registration-45141589710?aff=0a3e2d60b4Use ‘GANTOMINSIDER’ for $30 OFFFree Subscription to Seasonal Entertainment Source: http://seasonalentertainmentsource.com Subscribe to show notes: www.marketingyourattraction.com

We explore press kit essentials and media pitches.Subscribe for expanded show notes: www.marketingyourattraction.comLeadership Symposium: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seasonal-attraction-leadership-symposium-2018-registration-45141589710?aff=0a3e2d60b4Use ‘GANTOMINSIDER’ for $30 OFFFree Subscription to Seasonal Entertainment Source: http://seasonalentertainmentsource.com

Influencer Marketing is evolving rapidly and is a significant tool is today’s marketing toolkit. Dive into use examples, dos, and don'ts in this episode. News: Instagram payments & a warning on ‘experts.’Subscribe: www.marketingyourattraction.com

Ideas stick because they tap into emotion via our ‘Profound Motivation.’ As marketers, we frame ideas to tap into emotion, but often disregard the Profound Motivations of guests. We discuss the concept of framing for higher level motivations.News: Google Rules The World, but so does Facebook; Amazon's Ad Business; Thinkwell Media; Thorpe Park; Axe-Throwing Leagues.Subscribe: www.marketingyourattraction.com

Main Topic:Trends in The Social LandscapeNews Items:Once focused on scale, Hearst is cutting back on aggregation and viral fluffDisney Parks App Campaign Example:Google Connect LIVESubscribe here: www.marketingyourattraction.com

“For the first time in human history, people aged 65 and older will outnumber children under age 5.” Mass market is over and demographics are changing. What can you do to appeal to older adults?News:“The Dubai-listed Legoland operator received 851,000 visits in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 55,000 visits over the last quarter”: https://www.thenational.ae/business/travel-and-tourism/dxb-entertainments-reports-45-increase-in-visitor-numbers-in-q1-1.720854Brad MurderCo “Seriously, Black Market Escape Rooms was an unbelievable amount of fun, and now ranks in my top escape rooms, ever. From top to bottom, it excels in every way, and will delight even the most seasoned of escape room fanatics.” https://horrorbuzz.com/murder-has-never-been-so-much-fun-review-of-black-market-escape-rooms-murderco/IAAPA's Annual Benchmark Survey is now open for responses.Efteling: a trackless transport system that allows the vehicles to move in all directions.https://blooloop.com/news/efteling-thea-tea-symbolica/

News:Museum of selfies https://archpaper.com/2018/04/museum-selfies-graces-glendale-limited-time/#gallery-0-slide-0“The relationship between people and art has changed,” Mamedov told Mashable. “Now people don’t want to just be a silent consumer, they want to be a part of the art. There are many more selfies with the Mona Lisa than actual Mona Lisas.”The Museum of Selfies’ merging of artistic theory with mass-market consumerism is deeper pop-up fare than, say, the Museum of Ice Cream, and the questions raised by the exhibition echoes those that the architectural field are still grappling with.The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards has bestowed on Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, the first designation of Certified Autism Center ever awarded to a theme park. https://ibcces.org/blog/2018/04/02/sesame-place-becomes-first-theme-park-world-designated-certified-autism-center/Campaign Example: WDW Vacation VideoMain Topic: How To Break Up Projects For OutsourcingSubscribe a

Main Topic: Outsourcing is a necessity in today's workforce; we help you decide when and what can be outsourced.News:Facebook Data Breach:https://marketingland.com/facebooks-removal-of-third-party-targeting-data-what-we-know-237260Snapchat Advertisers can now target ads based on a radius around a specific geographic point or a location type -- like a beach, a movie theater or a university:https://marketingland.com/snapchat-bulks-up-location-based-ad-filters-launches-in-store-analytics-tool-236744Campaign Examples:Cirque Email:http://view.email.cirquedusoleil.com/?qs=6e94450c660aaad8f548cfb70bf4b55b2e0b23dbce3d25a0c1d313ed3724889653438ae5dc2ce868e31f3023a9a7be21aa57a9cbbc6fc76662d27a4be70113f2a10be02e4522c08dc4749412806de0e7Cirque Video:https://youtu.be/oiYqKUspXJg

Main Topic: Use collaborative idea sessions with your team to become newsworthy.Notes: Melanie from T Brand Studios on T.R.U.T.H. (Teachable, Reputable Sources, Uniqueness, Teachable, & Human Connection).Move from Product to Role and to Emotion.Duncan Wardle (Previous VP of Innovation):Use Naive Experts.Write down all the rules and then think about breaking one.Reword it.Use "Yes and" to nuture ideas in your team.Force Participation.References: Social Media Marketing World; King's Island Blog; Duncan Wardle.

Main Topic: Begin with 'Why' for any project at your attraction. Involving marketing early on to help with the 'Why' makes the entire process more efficient.References: "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin and "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek.News:PGAV Attraction of the Non-attraction: https://content.yudu.com/web/2r8b9/0A2rlk8/DestinologyFeb2018/html/index.html?refUrl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.inparkmagazine.com%252Fpgav-fight-for-attendance%252FWhen Marketing Is A Waste Of Time & Money -> “When businesses focus on marketing before really figuring out what they are marketing and why anyone should care, they struggle to find new clients.”https://www.forbes.com/sites/piasilva/2018/02/28/when-marketing-is-a-waste-of-time-money/#365053f26882Think Like a Journalist

Main Topic: Use 'Elevation' to craft memorable experiences for guests at your attraction. Summarized from "The Power of Moments" by Chip & Dan Heath.News:General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)Google's Mobile First Index (Why websites need to be mobile friendly)Snapchat Rolls Out New Analytics : Social Media Examiner

Brad & Philip discuss the concept of ‘Don’t Build Your House on Rented Land’ and how it relates to your marketing efforts in developing addressable audiences. The News is all about Facebook’s revision to their newsfeed algorithm.Subscribe to our email list for extra content: www.marketingyourattraction.comNews:Facebook Newsfeed UpdateDeclining Facebook Reach

Tyler brings the main topic of how attractions use Public Relations to protect, enhance, and build their brand. Philip discusses the news: 'Facebook, despite information that their audience numbers have been inflated, continues to evolve their platform. Here are 3 surprising changes that attractions should be aware of and strategize for.' We want to know what YOU want to hear and how we can help. Let us know here: http://hauntedapplication.com/

Tyler and Philip discuss list building, the Fake News Epidemic on Facebook, Instagram's growth, and the death of Vine- all in the context of Themed Attractions. For 2017- We want to know what YOU want to hear and how we can help. Let us know here: hauntedapplication.com/

Tyler and Philip discuss their upcoming season and shift to Themed Entertainment Marketing, Google's new Pop-up Policy, and interview Scott Swenson. We want to know what YOU want to hear and how we can help. Let us know here: http://hauntedapplication.com/

What? Facebook is evolving!Founded in 2004 Facebook became the fastest company ever to reach $250 Billion in July of 2015, and now 5 accounts are created every single second. Continued Growth of this nature is a difficult thing for a business, and Facebook has made many changes to stay relevant. Today we'll go through some of those changes, and what they mean for your attraction.