ChuckPrice.org

As a marketer, I’m impressed when someone finds a way to extend the life of a seasonal business. Six Flags has done just that by introducing their fall “fright fest” to capitalize on the ever popular fascination with all things Halloween.  Seems like a good idea, right…

Well it works. My Wife & I took our 2 kids & 2 of their friends to Six Flags New England, yesterday. The weather was PERFECT and the place was packed. So whats the problem?

Unfortunately, their signature ride - “Superman” was closed for the season. Bummer. Next, they impose a policy of no re-entry after 4:00 PM. That means that all of the families that packed a cooler (which is banned from the park) and planned on a little picnic at the car had that idea dashed upon entry.

Well, now that the park has built in a crazy demand for dinner, surely they have taken measures to satisfy that demand, right? - WRONG! Every food vendor appeared to me to be understaffed & overwhelmed. At least the food staff didn’t appear to be overly concerned or overly stressed. They moved as if they didn’t have a care in the world and the lines which I counted to be anywhere from 34 - 62 deep didn’t phase them a bit - Bravo!

When I’m forced to pay $9 bucks for 4 chicken strips & fries and $3.50 for a diet coke can you at least get it to me in a REASONABLE period of time. When I have to pay $75.00 for what would amount to less than $20 bucks at McDonalds, can you at least staff the place appropriately. Is this asking too much?

The bottom line is this - when you come up with a great idea like fright fest, don’t treat it like bonus income or icing on the cake. Don’t try to squeeze every dime out of the customer. Don’t go light on the staffing.  Maybe even train the staff to give a crap about the consumer.

I won’t be heading back to fright fest or any other Six Flags property any time soon. Am I overreacting, or do I have a legitimate point here?

I’m a student of all things marketing. This blog is about all things marketing - except one - internet marketing. Not that I am a stranger to SEO / SEM. In fact, just the opposite.

Truth be told, I have sold my internet marketing soul to Jim Boykin, of WeBuildPages.com. As COO of WeBuildPages, Jim has exclusive rights to my SEO musings, which can occassionally be found on his blog, jimboykin.com.

Actually, marketing is marketing and what works offline can often be applied online. The trick is to figure out the twist to make it work.

As a small business owner, I have a special spot in my heart for other small business owners. I cringe whenever I ask for a good restaurant recommendation & get Applebees, Fridays or any other generic corporate food mill. I asked my Dad where my family could treat him to a special meal for his 70th Birthday. You guessed it - Cheesecake factory - aauugh!

Ma & Pa restaurants are very much like the “bob in the basement” webmaster. They are at a real disadvantage when it comes to competing with the corporate guys. One VERY successful marketing campaign is this one:

RESTAURANT WEEK RETURNS SEPTEMBER 24-29!
The Capital Region´s first and best Restaurant Week is back, September 24-29, 2007! Don´t miss your chance to experience multi-course meals at some of the region´s greatest dining establishments for only $16.09!

That’s right - a 3 course meal for just $16.09. Being the big spender that I am, I treated my wife to a great Italian meal at a restaurant that - not only had I never been to, but never even heard of.

This promotion put 2 new fannies in their seats and it was now up to them to earn a customer for life. I am happy to report that they succeeded.

This is a wonderful win-win proposition. I bet there’s an online twist that could work equally well if you just put your mind to it.