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COMPAGNIE DES ALPES RELAUNCHES AN OLD FAVORITE AS A NEW BRAND
Story by Juliana Gilling
Photos by Patrick Mascart
Big parks, big brands” is the mantra at Compagnie des Alpes (CDA). The overhaul of the Walibi parks is the latest example of that ambition in action.
More than just a makeover, “Project Walibi” created an entire universe for the parks’ namesake kangaroo mascot, furthering the group’s strategy to develop strong brands with international appeal. “In five years’ time, you will think of Walibi not only as a theme park brand, but as a global entertainment brand with characters, worlds, and products that people will want, even outside the parks,” says Serge Naïm, head of marketing and development at CDA.
Building Walibi’s World from Scratch
When CDA acquired the four Walibi parks from StarParks in 2006, it inherited a European brand that had rather lost its way. Visitors rated the Walibi parks for providing a fun family day out but lacked affection for the brand. The parks, conceived in the 1970s, were aging. Walibi the kangaroo had been sidelined by the Looney Tunes characters when the parks were part of Six Flags.
The mascot and the parks needed a fresh start. So began a three-year process to rejuvenate the brand involving more than 300 people and a €15 million (US$21.5 million) budget. “Our shareholders were ready to invest a lot of money in something unique; they gave us the freedom to invent a new world. That’s pretty risky in an industry where companies are more comforted by buying a new ride or attraction,” says Naïm.
Because Walibi has no backstory, the project team built his world from scratch. “We started by asking: ‘Who is Walibi? Why is he here? How does he look? Who are his friends?’ We wanted to create Walibi as a character of tomorrow,” says Naïm. This new Walibi has a rock band called W.A.B., and Walibi’s twin brother Squad leads a rival band, the SkunX. “I was sure we’d find an endless source of stories and adventures in a band,” says Naïm.
He hopes Walibi’s musical theme will strike the right chord with the target “tween” audience of 8- to 12-year-olds. Audiences can follow the bands’ exploits on Facebook, or choose their favorite band and participate in the Music Battle between W.A.B. and the SkunX on Walibi.com. New manga episodes about the bands are released fortnightly, fostering an ongoing relationship with the brand.
 In April CDA started introducing the new Walibi and his friends into the parks, having prepared the way with a rebuilding and infrastructure renewal program. The new content includes themed decor, signage, music, children’s areas, live shows, street entertainment featuring the mascots, refurbished shops, and branded merchandise.
Highlights include an original nine-minute 3-D movie, “Rokken Roll,” and reworked rides such as “Speed of Sound” at Walibi Holland. “We took a traditional Boomerang ride and transformed it into a musical attraction, using new cars, special effects, lights, and onboard music. It’s now a completely different experience,” says Naïm.
Similarly, CDA hopes to relaunch the troubled “Turbine” roller coaster at Walibi Belgium in 2012. “‘Turbine’ is an iconic attraction and people loved it. It would be fantastic if we could integrate it into the Walibi universe,” says Naïm. “In 2012 you will see new attractions, new shows, new lands, and new initiatives to move the business forward. We are entering a cycle where every year we’ll have novelties related to the Walibi brand.”
Branching Out
One of the biggest developments this year is the unveiling of Aqualibi, Walibi Belgium’s waterpark, after an €11 million (US$16 million) revamp. By September, CDA hopes to successfully conclude negotiations to produce the first Walibi television series. “This will be a great complement to the seasonal theme parks because it will expose the brand yearround,” says Naïm. CDA is also considering movies, video games, concerts, road shows, and licensed products. “Everything that can feed the entertainment brand,” he says.
Companies are already showing interest in Walibi. “We had a tremendous deal with Carrefour [a major supermarket chain] in Belgium. They really believed in our product and put a huge amount of marketing money behind our brand. In early April, all of Brussels was covered with Walibi posters,” says Naïm.
As music is such an adaptable theme, the Walibi brand will also travel well—a distinct advantage as CDA looks for opportunities to develop and manage new parks. “We are targeting a specific market—theme parks that cost between €100 and €500 million (US$143 and US$717 million)—where we don’t have much competition,” says Naïm. “We are well positioned in countries where there is an appetite for parks such as in the Far East, Russia, and North Africa. Walibi can provide an alternative offer to Disney or Universal.”
 The Future
Whatever the future holds, the Walibi brand must remain coherent, recognizable, and driven by quality, according to Naïm: “Walibi is an iconic character with incredible awareness, especially in Belgium. We wanted the new characters and universe to be accepted and loved by our visitors. I can tell you that this is the case.
“Within four years, Walibi parks will look new, and that will really change the value of these parks for our customers. I’m not necessarily expecting more attendance, because the parks are well established. But I do expect them to be better perceived. People will want to spend extra time at the parks and in our boutiques because they’ll find exciting products. They may even come more often.”
Early indications suggest Naïm’s expectations will be met. Fine Easter weather and an influx of guests eager to see the changes contributed to double-digit attendance growth at the Walibi parks from April to June. “They have outperformed all the rest of the parks in the group, and their quality rating has improved dramatically,” says Naïm.
Looks like Walibi’s star is rising again.
Juliana Gilling is a specialist attractions journalist.
E-mail: julianagilling@gmail.com.
The State of Compagnie des Alpes: 4 Questions with CDA Director of Communications Sandra Picard-Rame
Why did CDA undergo restructuring recently?
Our CEO, Dominique Marcel, wanted a renewed and clearer strategy and, consequently, a more dynamic management of the portfolio. He decided to cede control of seven leisure parks [to HIG Capital France] whose size, activity, or geographic location no longer made them a good fit. Our objective is to focus on high value creation by capitalizing on the theme park brands, making them more visible and taking them outside the parks, as we’ve done with Walibi.
Developing licensing for brands like Walibi is a source of additional revenue, and it gives you visibility. It’s a positive circle: The more people know your brands, the more they will come to your parks. You become the platform for good storytelling and events that make people want to visit.
Parc Astérix, Grévin, and Futuroscope are all interesting brands with the potential for targeted, ambitious projects. There are parks in our portfolio that do not have strong brands yet, but they have high potential in terms of geography or brand platform.
What’s happening with the Grévin rollout?
We hope to announce two major contracts to develop Grévin wax museums in North America and Europe by the end of this year. We are so confident that we are about to open new Grévin workshops to have production ready, because to launch a new Grévin you need 24-30 months.
How will you develop Futuroscope?
Futuroscope is new to the portfolio [January 2011], and it’s an interesting complement. It’s almost an indoor park. It is the kind of concept where you can continue to apply with confidence—as its current management has done for several years—an investment of 10 percent of the turnover to renew 20 percent of the attraction, which leads to the development of the 60 percent of repeat visitors that Futuroscope gets. Also, Futuroscope is a resort destination; there are a lot of hotels around, even if they do not belong to us.
Futuroscope’s strength is its creative people, who know how to renew and personalize the attraction. This is consistent with our strategy to develop strong brands, and they can help us with innovation. Futuroscope will benefit from the commercial strength of the company.
Next year is Futuroscope’s 25th anniversary, and we don’t want to cap their creative spirit; we want to accompany them in that celebration. In Europe people are looking for more than pure entertainment value, and Futuroscope has that educational aim. Maybe it just needs to become more “theme park” by wrapping up the concept with consistent storytelling and putting leisure in the middle.
What are your ambitions for Parc Astérix?
Parc Astérix is unusual for us because it is not a brand we own fully; it belongs to Les Editions Albert-René. We are about to develop a new area with a major attraction for 2012. It will be the most important investment in the park since opening—something like e20 million [US$28.5 million]. |
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