Howl-O-Scream

[wombat96]

2011-Houses and Scarezones were revealed over the summer.
2012-2012 was a train wreck, I don't even remember the date.
2013-The site was updated August 15th.
2014-The site was updated August 13th
2015-???
While this is purely speculation based on the previous dates, I'm starting to believe that the entire line-up will be released within the week. Of course I could be way off since the park is doing this marketing campaign.
EDIT: The haunted house tab went down recently, you can still search up the returning houses in the search bar but usually that means that there messing around with the code, stay tuned...

 

[CastleOSullivan]

While we may not be able to see the video yet, we can see what it may look like. What do you think this is a picture of? I think it looks like part of a railing, maybe with somebody hiding in the corner. Could it possibly be Scarlett herself?

Edit: The park just removed the "New Houses" link from their official website.

 

[Applesauce]

It looks like part of a canopy bed.

They could be reusing the canopy bed from 13.

 

[Alf33]

Corn mazes are basically all the same anyways. "Something is the in the corn, and it wants to get you." What that something is is up to the person in charge of the haunt. But 9 times our of 10, it's corn people or scarecrows. Because that's what you find in corn fields/farms, corn and scarecrows.

I think it would be cool for them to have the scarecrow/creature/being from the Jeepers Creepers movies running around through the corn maze terrorizing people.

From the information that has come out about this years HOS I'm getting excited for it to get here. If it turns out to be as good as it seems like it will be I'm going to have to attend a few times this year.

 

[Mushroom]

After rereading the following post and considering opposing arguments, I have changed my viewpoint and the following no longer reflects my opinion.

I am nit the biggest fan of this teaser campaign. While it is clever and engaging for enthusiasts, it does not seem like a good or cost-effective use of money or resources.

Simply put, the park is expending large amounts of effort and money on a campaign that will be seen by far too people.

Is the whole Aura campaign creative? Yes. Is it a good way to excite enthusiasts? Yes. It is a really cool and interesting way to excite the park's die hard fans about the upcoming event.

Problem is, the park shouldn't be focusing their attention and money on exciting enthusiasts. By the nature of this marketing campaign, only those who care enough to check the Howl-O-Scream website regularly or follow the park on social media are going to see this campaign.

These people are already likely to visit Howl-O-Scream and will attend in the fall regardless of whether or not there is an elaborate marketing campaign.

The money and effort being put into the "Unearthed" campaign is better spent reaching out to people who are not already going to attend the event. These are people who are not going to think to follow a teaser on social media. These are the people that the park should be targeting.

tl;dr - The park should be spending money on bringing more people into the park, not on enthusiasts who will be there anyway. Targeting an audience that already attends your event will not increase your attendance. Targeting a new audience will.

 

[Applesauce]

.... Except this is being used by BGW, BGT, and SWSA. So it's not really the park's (As in BGWs) money.

BGT has had many a campaigns like this in the past. So it's nothing new for them. They have an enthusiast community, especially considering they're competing with HHN a couple hours down the road.

So it's hard to say that it is legitimately wasting money, when three parks are using the same theme, the same marketing, the same videos, everything that this Unearthed theme is bringing to the table.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

I guess the lack of complaining about the upcoming event in this thread needed to be filled in somehow....

 

[Luke]

I may not agree with what you say, I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

 

[Mushroom]

I guess the lack of complaining about the upcoming event in this thread needed to be filled in somehow....

I think you are confusing "complaining" with pointing out a legitimate issue. Special events such as Howl-O-Scream depend on proper marketing to be successful, and I think we all want it to be successful. I do. However, I think the current marketing approach is not what is needed to bring the event to its full potential, and this issue needs to be addressed.

Sorry if I am being too megative. I am not trying to complain. I am just concerned about this issue and it seems to be a good discussion topic.

 

[Luke]

*insert amusing/cute Pusheen gif here*

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

I think you are confusing "complaining" with pointing out a legitimate issue. Special events such as Howl-O-Scream depend on proper marketing to be successful, and I think we all want it to be successful. I do. However, I think the current marketing approach is not what is needed to bring the event to its full potential, and this issue needs to be addressed.

I don't think we've seen all the marketing strategies for the event at all yet. I mean it's August, this was just a thing payed corporately for three different parks, to get people, enthusiasts or not, excited about the event. And get people who may have probably lost some or even all interest in the event to gain some again. What's even the point of trying to do widespread marketing in the middle of the summer? Half the people are going to ignore it or complain it's being advertised too early. I can almost guarantee you that more widespread marketing efforts will become a thing closer to the event.

 

[Applesauce]

Joe, I don't know how you think this isn't being used effectively. They're creating content, and sharing it on social media. Granted FB is a dying breed at this point, but they are on other sites posting about it as well. Once Halloween season starts hitting, we'll start seeing billboards and some commercials on tv and some on the radio.

This is pretty much what we wanted for BGW. This is what the Cursed theme last year was sort of aiming at. This is what The Dark Side of the Gardens lacked. This is pre-shared themes, level of marketing for BGT. And it's happening for BGW (And SWSA)

Saying its a waste of money is rather ridiculous tbh. It's marketing. They've created a marketing plan and they are executing it. If people aren't being reached, it's probably because they don't want to be reached. (Or they suck at facebook and haven't turned on the posts for the parks.)

Honestly, I really don't care if those people are reached for this event, because this is a niche event. This is something that is not supposed to be for kids. So why would they market for families? It's not supposed to be for the older crowd, as in grandparents. So why would you market to older crowds? (Hey if Grandma wants to go through a house more power to her tbh. But, she's not the target audience.) HoS is an event for teens - adults. People who are most active on the internet. People who are more likely to enjoy the event.

People do know that HoS exists. If they go to like Wendy's or Papa Johns or something they can get a coupon for money off a single day ticket. It's advertised at the parks. It's on social media. It's long the drive to the park. It will more than likely be on the TV and radio.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

What's even the point of trying to do widespread marketing in the middle of the summer?

See, I could say the exact same thing about these teasers.

Actually, I explained why this was done. These teasers were probably more or less for the enthusiasts, yes. However, that doesn't mean that other people didn't hear about them too, or are not interested in them. But you have to ask yourself, how are you going to make interest in the enthusiast community without marketing programs like this? Surely any good theme park tries to please both ends of the spectrum and basically what you're saying here is that the park(s) should just ignore the enthusiasts and focus on the general public. Well, if you don't keep the enthusiasts interested, how are you going to keep getting them to go to your event/park? And honestly, as an enthusiast, BGW has been doing terrible at interesting me about park happenings the past couple years, and yes, I am slowly losing interest. However, things like this keep me interested and are what I want to see out of the park(s).

 

[Applesauce]

Okay redoing my post. Because I don't want to double post, and editing would take too long.

You can advertise too much, I can promise you that. If you are constantly shoving something into my face, it will make me want it less. Even if was something I previously wanted.

It's the "too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing."

And I'll just flat out say it. Party City hasn't put up their Halloween stuff yet. (And I would know, considering I'm in the middle of taking stuff down so we can set it up.) HoS doesn't need to push it to full throttle right now. Teasers are perfectly acceptable. They haven't listed the new houses on their site yet.

This being said, the only thing I said about enthusiasts is that BGT has to compete with that community because of HNN. I never said it anywhere else. But here's the thing, some people just don't want to see it. Honestly, if you go to the park site and click on upcoming events, right in the middle is HoS. if you click on it, it brings you to the HoS page. Where right in middle of the page, on a banner it tells you that there's something happening and to "Follow the story". Click on that, and it tells you what's going on.

I honestly don't know what to tell you. The park is marketing this right now. They are putting it out there. That is all they can honestly do. If the consumer doesn't see it right now, it's coming from a lack of not looking. (And coming from the stand point of retail. I can tell you many tales of customers coming and going "Where's your Holiday of the month section. But if they turned their heads 45 degrees to the fucking right, they'd literally see it in front of them.) You can't hand hold when it comes to this.

The parks have put it out there. Once Halloween season hits they'll more than likely up their advertising game. This is literally all they can do.

Now I am going to bed, because I have to work on moving more stuff out of the way to put up Halloween stuff.

 

[Mushroom]

Okay redoing my post. Because I don't want to double post, and editing would take too long.

You can advertise too much, I can promise you that. If you are constantly shoving something into my face, it will make me want it less. Even if was something I previously wanted.

It's the "too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing."

And I'll just flat out say it. Party City hasn't put up their Halloween stuff yet. (And I would know, considering I'm in the middle of taking stuff down so we can set it up.) HoS doesn't need to push it to full throttle right now. Teasers are perfectly acceptable. They haven't listed the new houses on their site yet.

You are misunderstanding.

I am not advocating increasing the amount of advertising towards one audience, or in one region. I am advocating expanding the advertising to untapped audiences or regions, which could be done with the money instead being used by the teasers (which, once again, do not reach any new audiences).

But here's the thing, some people just don't want to see it. Honestly, if you go to the park site and click on upcoming events, right in the middle is HoS. if you click on it, it brings you to the HoS page. Where right in middle of the page, on a banner it tells you that there's something happening and to "Follow the story". Click on that, and it tells you what's going on.

I honestly don't know what to tell you. The park is marketing this right now. They are putting it out there. That is all they can honestly do. If the consumer doesn't see it right now, it's coming from a lack of not looking. [....] You can't hand hold when it comes to this.

This is missing the point. The park needs to market to people who are not otherwise going to visit their website. It's not a matter of people not wanting to look. It's a matter of people not knowing where to look. Heck, it's a matter of people not even knowing what to look for. Somebody who is not familiar with Howl-O-Scream cannot be blamed for failing to locate teasers about it on social media.

Now I am going to bed, because I have to work on moving more stuff out of the way to put up Halloween stuff.

Me too. I didn't realize how late it is! Thank you for the substantive, informative, and respectful debate.

 

[Applesauce]

You are misunderstanding.

I am not advocating increasing the amount of advertising towards one audience, or in one region. I am advocating expanding the advertising to untapped audiences or regions, which could be done with the money instead being used by the teasers (which, once again, do not reach any new audiences).

This is missing the point. The park needs to market to people who are not otherwise going to visit their website. It's not a matter of people not wanting to look. It's a matter of people not knowing where to look. Heck, it's a matter of people not even knowing what to look for. Somebody who is not familiar with Howl-O-Scream cannot be blamed for failing to locate teasers about it on social media.

Jk I lied about going to bed because I have a bad habit of looking at my phone in bed.

Here's the thing Joe, expanding the audience needs to be relative to the current marketing strategy. If they're focusing on HoS, then a story will catch people's interests.

What you're asking for is heading towards the level of Disney and Universal. And that's just not a thing that can be done. Not reasonably anyways. Bgw is a regional theme park. People who come from out of state or more likely to be on vacation during the summer. Or are enthusiasts who either want the park/ride credits or just enjoy the park.

HoS happens after schools start. Of course traveling goes down during that time. But you know this already. Bgw is a locals park in the fall. Unless they were to gain huge IPs to draw in people, to give them a reason to go. Haunts are, as I said before, a niche. Very specific people go. And when you make your audience wider you have to advertise everything.

Which I believe is where the problems come in to play. We already have a hard enough time with people who bring their children and then complain, because their child was scared. Adding an addituonal audience becomes even more tedious. Marketing towards families puts us back at square one. Just now with more people on the sidewalks. Families with older kids and teens might do it, but then it comes in to the "well how far away is the park for it to be worth a weekend trip, so the kids don't miss school."

Couples without kids are more likely the target that you would have to aim for. And then comes into the whole thing of they have to be interested in the area, almost to begin with. Its after summer so the oceanfront is dead. So they'd have to be interested in history and the historical value of the area. (Or they want to go to a fairly dead beach in October.)

There's a lot that has to play in to spreading the word to areas that wouldn't normally be reached. This isn't Disney or universal. They are just trying to bring in as many locals to the park as possible, and I'm okay with that. (I can't speak for bgt and swas. And what audiences they're trying to reach. Other than bgt and the haunt community.)

 

[bgbackdoor]

you have to get everyone from west virginia to visit before trying to get everyone from egypt or russia to visit

 

[netdvn]

Its never too early to start teasing your biggest event of the year. Its pretty much gotten to the point where even without advertising the event the park would still sell out on Saturdays in fall.

The whole point of the AURA campaign is to generate hype and get people talking about HOS. Doesn't matter who it is.

 

[Username]

Joe, I think you are overestimating how much these videos and websites actually cost. Let me tell you, it is NOTHING compared to traditional mass marketing using billboards, radio spots etc.

Sure, all that other stuff is coming, but that will be paid for using the park's local marketing budget instead of the corporate one.

 

[wombat96]

The site has been updated!

UNEARTHED-SCARLETT'S REVENGE
Don’t miss the all-new house from the producer of The Blair Witch Project, Unearthed™- Scarlett’s Revenge. During maintenance at the park, an excavation crew uncovered a centuries-old house buried deep beneath the ground. Upon opening its door, a sinister force was unearthed—Scarlett—a furious demon who wields a deadly deck of magical cards she uses to summon her evil minions. Journey below to experience the splintered labyrinth of horrors and the revengeful wrath of this demon scorned.

Like The Blair Witch Project, Unearthed- Scarlett’s Revenge is rooted in dark magic, unexplained phenomena and a haunting, hair-raising story. “I jumped at the chance to work on this project,” said Robin Cowie, producer of The Blair Witch Project, who began talking with the parks last summer.  “As filmmakers, we rely on emotional and psychological elements to get audiences out of their seats. With Howl-O-Scream, we’re dealing with a crazy convergence of 360-degree storytelling, merging physical experiences and technologies to create a sort of hyper-virtual reality.  It’s live, immersive terror and it can take your breath away.”

CORNERED™ (NEW IN 2015)
It’s 1977 and a picturesque farming community is in an uproar over the ongoing disappearances of its residents. Each time someone goes missing, an intricate corn husk doll is left behind leading many to suspect local corn-farmer Jasper McCobb. The McCobb farm has fallen into disrepair since the death of Jasper’s mother. Could the missing townspeople be somewhere in the maze of maize? Join the search party and find out.

LUMBERHACK™ (NEW IN 2015)
Hikers beware: the woods hold a terrifying secret. More than 50 years ago a logging camp was abandoned after a horrific accident where saws ripped into human flesh instead of tree bark. Tragically, the loggers perished … only to inexplicably awaken from death sometime later filled with inhuman rage. The undead loggers rampaged until every living thing in the camp had felt the bite of their axes. Now the forgotten lumberjacks lie waiting for unsuspecting campers to stumble into their den of the damned.