Funworld March 2010

Racking Up New Visitors

Old standby printed brochures are still valuable, even in the digital age
by Jennifer J. Salopek

It’s no secret digital media is now king. Parks and attractions are beefing up their web sites, publishing blogs, sending email blasts, using mobile text marketing, microblogging on Twitter, and pursuing many other virtual avenues to keep their properties top of mind with consumers at all times. With all of the available bells and whistles the digital age has brought, it’s easy to forget about traditional media—but it’s not wise. Don’t overlook tried-and-true methods, such as hotel rack advertising, which can still be effective and low cost.

“Printed brochures are a crucial part of the media mix,” says John Norris, vice president of Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, New York. Seabreeze produces about 50,000 printed brochures annually and uses a vendor to manage inventory and distribution. “People are staying in hotels in the region, looking for things to do,” he explains. “Parks must utilize the broadest possible array of media to reach the greatest number of people.”

Jennifer Mance, senior director of marketing at Parc Management in Jacksonville, Florida, agrees. Mance oversees marketing for eight theme/waterparks nationwide, including properties in Oklahoma, California, Washington, Colorado, and Texas. “It’s important to put our properties in front of people, especially those in tourist destination areas,” she says.

Parks and attractions outside tourist areas may go farther afield with their brochure distribution. Holiday World, a family- owned theme park since 1946, is located in Santa Claus, Indiana, about 180 miles from any major city. The park’s home county has a population of only 20,000, so it must extend a long reach to draw visitors. John Chidester, director of marketing at the park for 17 years, prints approximately 900,000 brochures each year, many of which are placed in hotel racks as far away as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Nashville.

“Rack cards have been used for decades. We began using them as soon as they became available,” he says. “They’re a very inexpensive way of communicating.”

“I insist that my clients do not abandon traditional marketing methods,” says Debbie Evans, who has more than 20 years of experience in the industry and currently consults from her firm, Stratcomm, in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. “Consumers are accustomed to printed materials. I don’t see them going away in the next five to 10 years.”

To garner maximum effectiveness from hotel rack cards and brochures, pay attention to these key considerations: design and messaging, distribution, and tracking.

Design and Messaging
“The brochure or rack card’s design must be attractive and must make people want to pick it up,” says Chidester, who notes surveys show people do see and value brochures. “The cover is the most critical element,” agrees Norris.

More specifically, Mance says, concentrate on the top third of the front panel of the brochure, as that is often the only visible portion in a full rack. Use eye-catching photos and graphics, and promote your park’s most popular attraction. Norris notes Seabreeze’s 2009 brochures featured a cover photo of the park’s new “Whirlwind” coaster; 2010’s will feature the “Revolution 360,” a Zamperla Mega Disk’O.

Of necessity, devoting more space to photos and graphics means less room for words. “This requires refining and focusing the message,” says Evans. She recommends focusing on your key selling proposition—your market differentiators. Be sure to include the attraction’s full name and catchphrase, especially if the name doesn’t convey what it is.

Don’t forget, advise both Mance and Evans, you’re marketing to hotel guests, people who are probably unfamiliar with your area. Include your property’s address, telephone number, and driving directions on the rack card. If space remains, also include your operating calendar and notices of any special events, such as concerts.

Distribution
Once cards are designed and printed, you have to get them into the racks. Steve Gorman, president of Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, prints 175,000 brochures annually for multiple uses. He assigns a seasonal employee to handle distribution within a 75- mile radius. He encourages that staff member to speak face-to-face with front desk representatives at hotels, asking them to display the brochures and presenting them with coupons as a thank-you gesture.

Because he is marketing in so many different urban areas, Holiday World’s Chidester works with multiple vendors to handle the distribution of his rack cards. He notes vendors charge fees based on the number of placement sites and the number of slots in each; costs will vary depending on the vendor and amount of services. They may invoice quarterly or annually; Chidester notes paying the entire invoice annually may get you an additional discount.

The downside to relying on vendors, Evans says, is their staff members don’t know your business, or how to distinguish between you and other advertisers. Better, she says, is to go directly to hotels and work out special arrangements in the context of a larger marketing relationship.

Gorman says convention and visitors’ bureaus and other tourism agencies are distribution sources as well.

Tracking
Key to the success of any marketing initiative is tracking, thus ensuring your efforts are bearing fruit. “Every brochure or rack card should include a URL and a call to action that’s trackable—an offer, a coupon, or some other incentive,” Evans says. On Seabreeze’s brochures, for example, Norris includes a trackable promotion code that gives users deep discounts on online ticket purchases; these codes are heavily used, he says.

For the attractions she markets, Mance is using the printed brochure’s call to action as a way to tie into digital marketing efforts. This year’s brochures will include an offer to receive a discount coupon by texting a code from the user’s mobile phone. The coupon will then be delivered back to the phone, or can be printed from the park’s web site. “This enables us to collect data and cell phone numbers for prospective guests,” she notes. Mance is planning on increasing the numbers of print brochures she produces this year, especially for Magic Springs, located in Crystal Falls, Arkansas. The Hot Springs area was named the No. 3 destination in the country for 2010 by TripAdvisor.com, so Mance expects many more visitors who may be seeking things to do.

Whatever your marketing mix for 2010, these experts agree it would be unwise to abandon traditional methods, which combine with digital efforts to create overall market and brand awareness. “We are on television and radio, on buses, and on billboards in all markets,” says Chidester. “Overall, it all works.” It must: Despite its rural location, Holiday World and its adjacent waterpark, Splashin’ Safari, draw more than 1 million visitors per year.

Jennifer J. Salopek is a freelance writer in McLean, Virginia. Contact her at jjsalopek@cox.net.