Visitor Attractions: The importance of fine tuning your marketing and communications during lockdown

Current climate

One thing you’re all acutely aware of is how crowded a sector visitor attractions is. Fighting for space in the minds of your potential consumers is always tough, but doing so when they can’t consume, impossible right?!

Or is it? Look around, are your competitors staying in touch with their loyal visitors? Are they sending them emails or actively tweeting as usual? If they’re not, then this might inadvertently be the perfect time to fight for that space...

For the purpose of this blog, we’re using two examples, one being your communications to families and the other being your communications to couples, friends and solo visitors during lockdown. 

Marketing and Communications to families

It might sound strange trying to promote your attraction to potential consumers when they can’t visit, but think of it this way, the vast majority of visitor attractions are visited by families, to fill time on a summer (or rainy!) day. What’s one thing families are desperately trying to do currently? Fill time.

Visitor attractions offer a variety of things, an escape from reality, a trip down memory lane, a chance to get out of your comfort zone or bond with another species. Combine those things and you have a vast amount of learning and creative resources.

Think of your lockdown communications as reverse pester power (you know the theory of children nagging parents to buy things in the supermarket because of its bright enticing packaging). You want parents to look at you as a resource for ways they can keep their children occupied, you want parents to pester their children into consuming your content! A real table being turned moment.

So, think about what you could offer up, and spread that message, it could result in some unlikely brand loyalty post lockdown. 

Examples to spark your creativity

• Theme parks: Why not invite children of all ages to help design or name a new ride the theme park will aim to launch post lockdown. A great way to get people engaged and wanting them to visit the ride when they can!
  
  
• Zoos: Why not follow the lead of Access Gamma client Chester Zoo, they’ve streamed “virtual” days at the zoo on their social media and YouTube channels.
  
  
• Museums: Why not try a horrible history style webcast, or story telling sessions read by your curators. Webcasts like these can help families with home schooling by providing learning opportunities for children.

Marketing and Communications to couples, friends and solo visitors

Whilst the approach to your marketing comms needs to be different for couples, friends and solo visitors, the principles are very much the same. You must grab their attention now in anticipation for your reopening in the future.

It might just be us, but every second conversation with friends or loved ones currently is about ‘where we will go when this is all over’, and the list is growing and growing! The fact is all we can do currently is dream of our first post lockdown adventure, and visitor attractions are the top of a lot of peoples lists! So again, even though people can’t experience your attraction currently, it doesn’t mean they’re not thinking about it and planning their next visit as soon as they can.

With that in mind, visitor attractions need to think creatively about how they can win that space in peoples post lockdown plans. With many people not commuting to work, or spending money on leisure activities, now might be a good time to get people committing to memberships or buying gift vouchers for future visits. Similarly, the current situation has brought out our philanthropic side, offering the option to ‘pay forward’ a visit could be well received and show your visitor attractions commitment to providing experiences to those who’ve helped on the frontline during the coronavirus fight.

Examples to spark creativity for this demographic

 

• Membership extensions: Why not ask people to pay for a year’s membership now but create an offering whereby the membership doesn’t start until your attraction reopens and will be valid for an extra month or two when it starts.
  
  
• Gift Vouchers: Give that cash flow a boost! Offer your gift vouchers for future visits on multiple platforms. Social Media tool GiftUp allows you to sell gift vouchers directly from Instagram or Facebook, allowing you to grab people’s attention for quick impulse purchases.

• Pay it forward: You could approach this in several ways. One example could be to offer with every gift voucher or membership purchased, you’ll donate two tickets to a frontline worker charity. Another example could be to put the philanthropy in the buyer’s hands, suggesting they add a ‘pay it forward ticket to their purchase, that you will then pass on to a frontline worker who visits and shows a valid ID. This type of donation has been popular with coffee shops and the homeless community for many years.

Wrap Up

Getting the tone right now and creating an element of brand loyalty whilst your attraction is closed, will only help in the long run when it comes to being able to re-open. Simply switching off your communications channels and hoping people will still be there to listen when you return is not an option.

Find out more about the steps you should be following during lockdown and as you plan to re-open, download our guide to welcoming your visitors after lockdown.