KI Comms

[Orion-XL200]

22 minutes ago, cdubbs727 said:

I get it, but also...The Brady Bunch was 50 years ago. Kids who watched it live then are in their 60s or 70s...is that the target demo anymore? It made sense when the show was syndicated heavily and people were still watching it regularly. But in the age of streaming, is The Brady Bunch still in the cultural consciousness enough to move the needle? I know it's on Paramount+, but are people still watching it in the way they watch "newer" old shows like Friends or Seinfeld? 

Also, the dates that the show filmed at KI were Aug. 20-24, so it's conceivable they could still post something. But if not, I mean, it's not a huge thing. The park's only open on weekends, it's not going to bring a ton of people in. 

I get that there are probably areas where the current comms team could improve. But as someone who works in marketing and communications, I can also say it's easy to play Monday morning quarterback, and you also don't know how higher-ups have influenced what they communicate and how. 

 

It's definitely still relevant, I mean if it wasn't why would they include any reference or Barry Williams in the season last year? I'm in my mid 30s....have friends in their 40s and 50s who regularly watch The Brady Bunch on streaming and especially look for the Cincinnati Kids episode when it airs on MeTV and stations like that. The point of only being open weekends would apply to the idea you shared earlier of posting when it actually aired in November. 

Working in marketing and communications myself and knowing the former comms director/staff extremely well for years before I joined KIC, shows me how far comms has went from stellar to mediocre at best. 

Storytelling is one way to show an effective communicator/marketing professional (there are many other ways)....when your brand goes from storytelling to almost radio silence, the brands marketing/comms department is not effective. Does stock footage that includes other parks, an ad featuring a removed ride or a selfie drive attendance? The first two, maybe, but those will lead to disappointment for those who see a roller coaster that they want to ride is not at Kings Island or they go to ride Pipeline Paradise after Soak City Opens. 

Storytelling doesn't even have to be elaborate...share footage of The Racer on the show and then how it looks today with a message that conveys lasting thrills through the 70s to today which includes a "get your gold pass before prices go up!"

[jsus]

15 hours ago, Orion-XL200 said:

Wasn't the 50th anniversary of the Brady Bunch filming at the park within the past couple of days? Not a single word on social media, no press coverage?

With such a big history event in the park that shared our park with the nation, you'd think there'd be some kind of recognition of the milestone anniversary. 

Another failure of KI Comms and shows they don't actually know/care about the park.

Meanwhile, Don posted this:

https://www.facebook.com/don.Helbig/posts/pfbid026XdRpjxpxrBVUzJ37sKaGKYQgF4pwPqMMtzfL73GVsaRNzGiSHsVUCXvJHH1k2tNl

[Orion-XL200]

9 hours ago, jsus said:

Meanwhile, Don posted this:

https://www.facebook.com/don.Helbig/posts/pfbid026XdRpjxpxrBVUzJ37sKaGKYQgF4pwPqMMtzfL73GVsaRNzGiSHsVUCXvJHH1k2tNl

This is what passion for the park looks like, even a mild interest. 

[Tr0y]

Attendance is up and I’m sick of waiting in long lines. Let’s stop trying to make PR better by giving them any more ideas. 

[Orion-XL200]

Aww how nice. Looks like suggestions were used. 

[tuxedoman52]

https://jobs.cedarfair.com/search-jobs/public relations?orgIds=42509&kt=1

There's a couple marketing/media positions open within the chain for some of you PR "experts" on the forum! Your chance to show off your skills so maybe one day, with a little luck, you too can become Kings Island's PR Director! 

[BeeastFarmer]

Today's Friday fun fact was focused on the Brady Bunch!

[Orion-XL200]

Hard pass. Did my time at the park. 

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

I can only speak for myself, but I've seen enough Brady Bunch mentions by the park to last a lifetime.   In my opinion if they want to bring up nostalgic memories at this point, it's time to start focusing on the Paramount era.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

If they really want my interest when it comes to events/advertising...partner with ASA entertainment again and bring this event back to the park! Anyone remember this? Also was one of the few times outside of Spirit Song Cedar Fair used Timberwolf. 

 

[disco2000]

55 minutes ago, Pagoda Gift Shop said:

I can only speak for myself, but I've seen enough Brady Bunch mentions by the park to last a lifetime.   In my opinion if they want to bring up nostalgic memories at this point, it's time to start focusing on the Paramount era.

It's always Marcia, Marcia, Marcia 

 

 

[TombRaiderFTW]

13 hours ago, Pagoda Gift Shop said:

I can only speak for myself, but I've seen enough Brady Bunch mentions by the park to last a lifetime.   In my opinion if they want to bring up nostalgic memories at this point, it's time to start focusing on the Paramount era.

[enthusiast voice] But if they do that, they'll have to say nice things about the Paramount era! What's next, saying something nice about Six Flags?! [brain explodes]

[IBEW_Sparky]

17 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

If they really want my interest when it comes to events/advertising...partner with ASA entertainment again and bring this event back to the park! Anyone remember this? Also was one of the few times outside of Spirit Song Cedar Fair used Timberwolf. 

 

I would DEFINITELY be down with this!!  We already have the ramps and platforms, lets get something like this here!  No sing-a-long, no other "variety", just this!!

[Tr0y]

6 hours ago, TombRaiderFTW said:

[enthusiast voice] But if they do that, they'll have to say nice things about the Paramount era! What's next, saying something nice about Six Flags?! [brain explodes]

If I’m not mistaken the Brady Bunch franchise is owned by Paramount. 

[jsus]

45 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

If I’m not mistaken the Brady Bunch franchise is owned by Paramount. 

Produced by Paramount for ABC, though Paramount later joined CBS with the 2005 ViacomCBS merger that led to the divestiture of Paramount Parks to Cedar Fair in 2006.  Some if not all episodes are available to stream via Paramount+ (and elsewhere).

https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the_brady_bunch/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brady_Bunch

[disco2000]

On 8/9/2023 at 3:15 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

Lots. Obviously one spot on one show at one time doesn’t make a big difference, but general awareness through things like that are huge revenue and attendance drivers. This is the sort of thing the parks strive for, and is a major barometer of success. Announcing new capitol (or any PR stunt) and only getting Cincinnati, Dayton, etc is a layup story. Any first year intern can do that. Having meaningful coverage in Chicago, LA, Orlando, London, etc is reaching people that you wouldn’t normally reach and truly is where a PR expert shines.
 

Kings Island over the years has had PR experts who excelled at getting coverage outside the local market which helped increase attendance and revenue. Those years aren’t now. 

 

Not to go off-topic again and not to beat a dead horse LOL, but let's look at an event that happened this weekend that costs a lot more than getting "free" coverage of KI out in LA, Chicago, etc. to prove @BoddaH1994 point that getting coverage outside the local market is key.

So the NASCAR race was this past weekend in Daytona. 

The winner of the main cup race was primary sponsored by 5/3 Bank, a bank that only has branches in 11 states. 

The Ark Encounter in Kentucky, that sees from estimates 500,000 to less than 1 million guests per year (way less than KI), was the primary sponsor of the #45 car in the Xfinity series that came in 11th place.  They say a busy Saturday for them is 7,000 guests, which is a low attended day for Kings Island.

It isn't cheap to sponsor a NASCAR team, or even one car of one race.  Certainly orders of magnitude more than KI getting meaningful coverage in LA, Chicago, etc.

They keep that stuff confidential, but sometimes it comes out in court proceedings or other reasons.

Elk Grove Village is a suburb (population of 32,812) of Chicago and they were the primary sponsor of the No. 6 car during NASCAR’s Chicago Street race in earlier this year.  By comparison, the City of Mason where Kings Island is located has a higher population at around 35,000.

Being a government agency, almost everything is public record.  They spent $400,000 to be the primary sponsor of a car for ONE race.

So who knows how much private entities like 5/3 Bank and the Ark Encounter spent, but it is probably at least $400,000 each if not more.

NASCAR is broadcast in all 50 states and broadcasts in more than 29 languages across 195 countries around the world and little 5/3 Bank and Elk Grove Village and the Ark Encounter felt it was important enough to be a primary sponsor for one car of one race for the coverage and spent big bucks doing so.

I think most would agree Kings Island is a bigger draw than the Ark Encounter. 

Why would 5/3 Bank want to advertise to people in the 39 states or 194 countries that 5/3 Bank doesn't have a presence?

Why would a municipality smaller than the City of Mason spend that kind of cash?

Do you think any of these 3 entities are able to with 100% certainty show a ROI for that $400,000+ expenditure?

If companies are willing to spend this kind of cash for publicity in markets they are not in, why is it so hard to fathom that getting a KI PR person on an LA station is bad.  It costs almost nothing in comparison to get a Zoom or Skype or some other feed of a KI spokesperson on these outside markets to talk up the park.  Heck even flying them to LA is cheaper than throwing KI on the hood of NASCAR vehicle LOL.

If people are willing to spend big bucks for that coverage outside of their market, why is it wrong to try to get free coverage outside your local market?

[SonofBaconator]

Something Comm related…

What was everyone’s opinion on how “The Shed” was marketed during Mystic Timber’s construction? I certainly think the park achieved its goal of creating a buzz for the new attraction by utilizing the hashtag #whatsintheshed, however I feel like the ride itself wasn’t marketed enough. 

[Orion-XL200]

15 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Something Comm related…

What was everyone’s opinion on how “The Shed” was marketed during Mystic Timber’s construction? I certainly think the park achieved its goal of creating a buzz for the new attraction by utilizing the hashtag #whatsintheshed, however I feel like the ride itself wasn’t marketed enough. 

I think that the campaign did exactly what it was supposed to. "Watch for falling trees." "What's in the shed?" Both items led to mystery. When Mystic was announced, it did not necessarily go into the whole storyline. Doing such, left the "story driven attraction" to unfold on opening day. 
 

[jsus]

28 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Something Comm related…

What was everyone’s opinion on how “The Shed” was marketed during Mystic Timber’s construction? I certainly think the park achieved its goal of creating a buzz for the new attraction by utilizing the hashtag #whatsintheshed, however I feel like the ride itself wasn’t marketed enough. 

My thoughts?  It's a miss.  Hyping up The Shed like that makes as much sense as hyping up the restrooms at RHoFG (now Brewhouse) to entice diners to walk in those doors.  Makes no sense, does not tell you about the actual attraction, and makes it seem like the ride itself exists solely for the shed.  It detracted from the ride itself in a bad way.  When I rode it the first time, I quickly appreciated the ride on its own merits and thought The Shed distracted from that.

Instead of focusing on the ride experience, or the theme of the ride, they teased the waiting room at the end of the ride.  It's a neat little bit of theming but ultimately, it exists solely to keep you distracted because the ride stacks every time. 

I may be an outlier here, though...

[Orion-XL200]

47 minutes ago, jsus said:

My thoughts?  It's a miss.  Hyping up The Shed like that makes as much sense as hyping up the restrooms at RHoFG (now Brewhouse) to entice diners to walk in those doors.  Makes no sense, does not tell you about the actual attraction, and makes it seem like the ride itself exists solely for the shed.  It detracted from the ride itself in a bad way.  When I rode it the first time, I quickly appreciated the ride on its own merits and thought The Shed distracted from that.

Instead of focusing on the ride experience, or the theme of the ride, they teased the waiting room at the end of the ride.  It's a neat little bit of theming but ultimately, it exists solely to keep you distracted because the ride stacks every time. 

I may be an outlier here, though...

I will say, the shed is a deal breaker for me on riding....if it's a hot day or park is crowded, I won't ride. I feel too claustrophobic inside the shed ultimately due to the stacking. I agree with your point though. 

Still beats the Adventure Port announcement lol.

[jsus]

20 minutes ago, Orion-XL200 said:

I will say, the shed is a deal breaker for me on riding....if it's a hot day or park is crowded, I won't ride. I feel too claustrophobic inside the shed ultimately due to the stacking. I agree with your point though. 

Still beats the Adventure Port announcement lol.

On the bright side, as much of an oven as it can be, The Shed is a better place to be when the ride loses all power on a hot summer day, rather than the holding block immediately outside of The Shed.  From experience.  And worse, IIRC, our train in The Shed was manually evacuated before the train behind us.

On the bright side, that was the one time that The Shed was actually spooky to me. 

[Orion-XL200]

Didn't Mystic win best new ride in 2017? I think the campaign for the ride + the ride experience itself helped win the award. 

Orion could have won best new ride but the campaign aspect was not there from the current KI Comms....if it would have been, I'm sure it would have won best new ride. 

[jsus]

Hmm...

https://www.facebook.com/don.Helbig/posts/pfbid02jwXd7uBu8ucj2yECom4JVziePuHrYi7rCecdd4K9EFExzpWmVWtbLj1Kp3wrVnRel

[BoddaH1994]

29 minutes ago, jsus said:

Hmm...

https://www.facebook.com/don.Helbig/posts/pfbid02jwXd7uBu8ucj2yECom4JVziePuHrYi7rCecdd4K9EFExzpWmVWtbLj1Kp3wrVnRel

Why hmmm? 

[jsus]

4 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Why hmmm? 

Just interesting to see a PR person who is good at what he does and enjoys doing it.  Surely there's some connection to KI in there somewhere...   

[PKIDelirium]

On 8/26/2023 at 7:26 PM, jsus said:

Produced by Paramount for ABC, though Paramount later joined CBS with the 2005 ViacomCBS merger that led to the divestiture of Paramount Parks to Cedar Fair in 2006.  Some if not all episodes are available to stream via Paramount+ (and elsewhere).

https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the_brady_bunch/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brady_Bunch

Say what now? Paramount and CBS were both owned by Viacom until 2005, when they split the company so Viacom and CBS were their own entities. Paramount and the cable networks stayed with Viacom, while the Paramount Parks division was placed as part of CBS. CBS then sold Paramount Parks to Cedar Fair in 2006.

In 2019 CBS and Viacom merged back together as ViacomCBS, and is now known as Paramount Global. CBS All Access expanded and became Paramount+ after this happened.

[standbyme]

^ (Holds hand up to ask the teacher a question) “Will any of this be on the test tomorrow?” 

[BeeastFarmer]

I know I'm usually critical of current KI comms, but I do give due credit.

 

Fun Fact Friday is a great thing they are doing.  The music is catchy, the facts are interesting (in spite of some errors) and it's engaging.  I like that they end with something to the affect of " see you next week!" I do find that I look forward to seeing it. I hope they continue this and other campaigns like it.

[Orion-XL200]

Elizabeth does a good job with this! 

[cdubbs727]

On 8/29/2023 at 11:42 AM, SonofBaconator said:

Something Comm related…

What was everyone’s opinion on how “The Shed” was marketed during Mystic Timber’s construction? I certainly think the park achieved its goal of creating a buzz for the new attraction by utilizing the hashtag #whatsintheshed, however I feel like the ride itself wasn’t marketed enough. 

I think it was a miscalculation, and I think an over-correction. 

My Monday-morning quarterback theory is that they were afraid the stats on MT weren't impressive enough to get the enthusiasts excited (I remember an overall impression that some were disappointed the new ride was a family coaster), and so they tried to goose interest by hyping the shed. The problem? It got everyone thinking the shed was some sort of ride element, particularly as drop tracks were becoming more of a thing. When it was revealed to be just a fun little video to pass the time in the final block, people were let down. 

The thing is, even though MT doesn't have record-breaking stats, it's a fantastic ride. I know it's not as fast as The Beast or Diamondback, and yet the way it's designed, it feels more out of control and wild i places than those. It's a great ride, one of the park's best, IMO (and a night ride comes close to rivaling The Beast). The shed? It's just a fun little thing at the end -- it's better than waiting for the train to prove, and we've ridden it enough where now we like to count how many times we've gotten the tree/snake/etc. 

I think in time the ride's settled into its reputation -- people love it; the shed is cheesy fun. But the marketing was miscalculated. 

Personally, as much as I love the ride, I still wish they'd been able to go with the original theme of it being a derelict roller coaster, where you entered through its ruins.