OVERVIEW:
Recognized as one of the world’s leading seaside amusement parks, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, CA, is all about family fun. The longtime Effectv advertiser once again set out to increase overall attendance – which in turn would drive additional revenue for parking and concessions – with an emphasis on special summer events like free concerts and movie nights. The park’s primary benchmark for success is maintaining 4-5% annual attendance growth.
STRATEGY:
It’s no surprise that the primary audience for a family-friendly amusement park is families with young children (generally aged 6-12). For special events, that audience changed to adults 25-54, more likely to attend a classic movie or concert performance.
As an entertainment destination for the entire Bay Area, the park generally advertised across the San Francisco market, taking advantage of Effectv’s interconnect capability to reach customers of DIRECTV and DISH in the summer months. For the primary “family” audience, television advertising on networks like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon reached potential park-goers, while networks like Comedy Central, Discovery, and TBS came into play for special events. TV campaigns promoted special ticket offers, season pass specials and special events, and highlighted the park’s free admission and days of operation.
SUCCESS:
Continuing a longstanding streak of year-to-year growth, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk saw park attendance grow 6%, while summertime special events – a primary focus of the park’s digital advertising – increased by 7.5% for its concert series and 8% for movie nights.