Crappy Marketing

I'm not sure on everyone else, but I really want to see the park turn around a bit and get out of the hole that has been dug over the past few years.

I feel that the park hasn't marketed itself right for as long as I remember. There's so much opportunity that they aren't taking AT ALL.

Here are my ideas. I personally liked Six Flags, Mr. Six ad campaign. It was funny, had a catchy song, and made people think about it. The key part of that is that it is funny and had a catchy song.

Cedar Point's ads are primarily low key with some stupid song (not catchy) with stock footage of the rides and some narration of what the price of a one day ticket is, etc. The only thing people get out of that is "that's nice" now back to American Idol, Entertainment Tonight, and so on. Nothing sticks with the person after they see the ad.

So my idea is for the park to get some kind of ad campaign that is much like the Mr. Six ads or maybe even something better like a well known spokesperson/comedian who can somehow talk about an aspect of the park for each ad. For example the person in one ad can be on TTD, talk about the park for the 20 second ad, and then it ends with the ride launching interrupting his spiel about the prices and such. The same idea can apply for the beach, resorts, live shows, and most importantly family attractions. This would be something people will remember after seeing it.

Another thing that is very obvious is the INTERNET. It is becoming very common for people to not even watch TV anymore. The internet has everything they want, so why can't Cedar Point market online as well. Put some fancy flash video with the POV on Maverick or Millennium Force, or get creative and make a mini flash game out of it that will attract attention from people. Finally, put the ads where people will see them, ie: Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, etc.

I can go on and on about this. The possibilities are endless, yet the park has shown little effort to reach out. It might cost a bit more, but getting the park on the minds of millions is the best way to get them into the park. Best of all, if they target most of the ads around their resorts, they'll grab people for multi-day trips.

The park continually reports dips in attendance and yet their strategy doesn't seem to be changing, at least not very quickly. I feel like the park has a lot to offer that not very many people see. The general outlook on the park is roller coasters, roller coasters, and more roller coasters. I say get the word out there more effectively and see how that can fix things.

The park's advertising is stuck in the Informative stage of marketing. Think of all the park ads you have seen the last few seasons. "Cedar Point: we have a lot of rides!" I hate to break it to the park, but you've been around for more than 130 years. If people don't know about you now, they never will. Spending advertising dollars every season to tell people there is a park in northern Ohio is money gone to waste. People in their "marketing radius" KNOW Cedar Point. Just as well as the rest of the country knows Disney. They shouldn't waste time on that.

They need to move into a Desire-creating stage of advertising. To make people WANT to take a vacation there. Invoke some emotion in people. Just like Disney, Universal and (to a lesser extent) the new Six Flags have been doing.

Imagine ads that get older audiences to think back to their vacations and trips (perhaps to CP itself) as a kid. They are then invited to relive those great old times at that old time park in the 21st century.

Or how about something that appeals to families that don't get to spend a lot of time together. Imagine ads featuring a family that gets to spend time together at the park.

Or one that appeals to teens and young adults who crave that thrill. Breaking away from the normal, boring, life of school and work.

I agree 100%. As much as I do not like Six Flags, I do like Mr. Six.

I think you both have some very good points and the folks in the big seats need to start listening to the people.

Putz for President 08

It's more of just the executives opening their eyes to the opportunities that are out there.

I mean they open a $21 million coaster and it feels like they spent $500 on marketing it. I know that's far from the right amount, but you get the idea.

*** Edited 12/10/2007 10:53:35 PM UTC by Gomez***

The last catchy phrase I can remember that says anything about Cedar Point is "America's Rollercoast" or "Get TO the Point". I still don't get this "Ride On" jingle. When I hear that it sounds like the people are saying "right on".

It sounds to me like you want them to market to you, and they already have you.

Like anything else they do, marketing has to show some return on investment or they won't do it. They can and I'm sure already do measure the effectiveness of every ad dollar spent. Besides, while attendance hasn't been great, they aren't exactly hurting either.

As for the Web site, look around. You won't find a more comprehensive site for any single park outside of Disney.

Gomez said:

Another thing that is very obvious is the INTERNET. It is becoming very common for people to not even watch TV anymore. The internet has everything they want, so why can't Cedar Point market online as well. Put some fancy flash video with the POV on Maverick or Millennium Force, or get creative and make a mini flash game out of it that will attract attention from people. Finally, put the ads where people will see them, ie: Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, etc.

CP has already tapped into this kind of marketing to an extent. Last summer I saw Maverick commercials in my AIM ad window all the time. I've also seen some CP banners on Facebook and Myspace. I was surprised to see them advertising in these types of media. Heck, they were even running "help wanted" ads on Facebook when they hired for Screamsters this past fall.

^^You're right about their web site being great, but you have to go to it to see it.

It's all out of my opinion, but their marketing just doesn't seem to justify the park well.

CP does a pretty good job with advertising here in the Youngstown-Warren area.

I think they do an okay job but since I moved to Virginia I found out that a lot of people do not know about Cedar Point. Granted it is not in their general area but Six Flags shows here and so does Universal and Disney (granted that Disney and universal is bigger).

I think they do a good job but it is true that the commercials show more of the thrilling aspect of Cedar Point than the resort aspect or family aspect. But hey, maybe this year it will be different knowing that they are bringing more family rides to the park.

I think they should maybe show some commercials like in the Hot Summer Lights show, at the beginning they talk about the resorts and about Halloweekends so maybe they should do some individual advertisments on their resorts.

I think they do good but it could be better.

Just my opinion

Well I saw 1 ad 2 years ago where I live. Now some people know about CP up here and some don't, yet everyone knows about US, Disney and BG.

Now I ask you, what park is closer then all of those? Cedar Point.

Cedar Point should be up there with those parks and to a certain extent they are, but it seems like they don't realize how unique and amazing of a place they have. It's about time they start showing it.

One thing CP needs to do is to change the perception that the admission price is too expensive. Sure it's not cheap, but compared to other forms of entertainment is really quite reasonable.

I live in a rather affluent western suburb of Cleveland. When talking to other parents at my 9 year old son's soccer or baseball games and I mention we are going to CP, I'm amazed how many say "Oh isn't that expensive?" I'm also surprised how many have never taken their kids to CP. Some of these people live in half million dollar houses and drive Lexus SUVs. As they say on Seinfeld, not that there is anything wrong with that. However, the $43 admission seems to be a fortune to them. I tell them that decent tickets to an Indians game will cost almost as much and you only get 3 hours of entertainment. At CP you get 12 hours (most days). Cavs and Browns cost more than the Indians. Tickets to a concert cost even more. Food at any sporting event or concert cost about the same as CP.

CP needs point out the value of a full day of fun without saying "We are expensive, but at least we are open all day". I'll leave that to the marketing people to figure out how to say it.

It wouldn't hurt to lower the food prices in the park and promote that.
*** Edited 12/11/2007 2:24:44 PM UTC by Clevelandkid***

All this sounds like is you want the park to make some cool commercial that has some dancing guy in it or uses a lot of fairy dust to emphasise dreams. You can go to any state and ask 10 people if they know what Cedar Point is, and a majority will say they do. Just because they don't have flashy ads, and slogans you don't understand, doesn't mean they need to change they're marketing campaign. I'm a marketing major and one of the main points is don't try to fix it if it isn't broke....the main thing you need to look at is, how man consecutive years has Cedar Point gotten the Golden Ticket for Park of the year over all these other parks that have flashier marketing ads. In the off season I work for a major clothing retail where we do absolutely no advertisement at all, our ads are the people who buy the clothes and wear them and yet we bring in way more money then the other competetors, and I'm pretty sure a majority of you have heard of them...Abercrombie & Fitch. So before better ads are made that make you say that was cool, or think the dance was funny.....let's see a park do better then them and knock them off the number 1 spot, because until then, they're doing everything right.

I have a small point to make. . .

Most of us here probably own some sort of Cedar Point "Advertising" Shirt. . .

I wear my Cedar Point Shirts almost every day..

When my family went to Kings Island, and Carowinds, for the first time ever in my life this year, I wore my Cedar Point Shirts.

Almost everyone I talked too has heard of Cedar Point, or asked me about the new "Maverick" ride there.

So the advertising must be out there...

CP4eva'04 said:
Cedar Point should be up there with those parks and to a certain extent they are, but it seems like they don't realize how unique and amazing of a place they have. It's about time they start showing it.

That's not the point of advertising. "We're swell" is not a value proposition.

Clevelandkid said:
One thing CP needs to do is to change the perception that the admission price is too expensive.

I'll take you one step further and say that they need to sell the value proposition overall, and to some degree that has to come in the way that they tweak pricing beyond the gate. (Cue broken record...)

I have no problem that they can expect and want to take a certain number of dollars from every person who comes through the gate, but the reality is that people will react differently depending on how you do that. A "not cheap" admission followed up with crappy and over-priced food is not going to communicate a very strong value proposition. Add three bucks to the admission price, give away soda, watch the per cap go up and save money on humans serving soda. There's this park in Indiana who seems to have proven that works.

Zeek said,

You can go to any state and ask 10 people if they know what Cedar Point is, and a majority will say they do.

I would be willing to attempt to disprove that theory. There are plenty of people in Tennessee who don't know what Cedar Point is. I've actually had someone ask me if it was a national park. I haven't seen any internet advertising and definitely haven't seen any television advertising in the Nashville area.

I didn't say you did, I said that doing so does not demonstrate a value proposition.

^^^What's soda? If I was CP, I'd give away pop. ;)
*** Edited 12/11/2007 8:22:50 PM UTC by TerraCoaster***

I think Cp should have their own TV channel, Own radio stations, and stupid Musical Movies. Oh wait Disney does that.

What Im trying to say is CP is not Disney and wont ever be Disney (thank God).

I have friends from Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Dakota, California, and sothern states and none of them have heard of Cedar Point, at least not until I told them about it.