Creating a Gateway for Your
Cemetary
Cool Logo Theory
Haunting Voice Mail: Creating Your Own Haunting Hotline
Choosing a “Killer” Name for Your Event: Branding for Success
By Ryan E. Pluta
You have just completed the process of developing a business plan for a new Haunted Attraction in your area, and now you are ready to make the long-awaited introduction to the press and potential customers. You are confident, not only in the success of the opening year, but also for the attraction’s long term prospects. One of the first things a potential customer will find out about your business is the name of the event. This name, along with the storyline and logo of your event is known as “Branding” and provides customers a hint of the quality, originality and creativity of your production. Often overlooked, branding is one of the most important elements for the success of any business, and even more so, the Haunted Attraction! Before you open the doors to the public, taking the steps necessary to creatively brand your event will help to insure the long-term success of your Haunted event.
Generally people think of a brand as a name such as Coca-Cola, General Mills, Budweiser, and countless others, but a brand is more than just a name or product line. A brand is the public’s perception and overall image of a company. When you consider the successful Haunted Attractions in the country, what is it that makes them successful? What public image do they portray, and what easily recognizable name do they have? Most Haunters are highly experienced in the creation and implementation of the attraction itself, but too often leave the marketing and promotion of the event to an “If I get to it’” status.
The marketing of your event is at least as important as the attractions themselves, and great branding makes marketing easier. When considering the name of your event, one important step is to conduct research within your market and potential customers to see what strikes a cord with your base. Remember however, that when choosing the name for your attraction, that the name must not only fit today’s society or be “what’s hot now,” but must also be appropriate for the future.
When faced with the task of creating a successful brand for your Haunted event, there are many aspects to consider, and several pitfalls that you must avoid. In many ways, people relate to brands in the same way they relate to people. Building a positive brand for your event is similar to building a positive image for yourself. People project a certain style or image and so do branded products. Each has unique personalities and physical characteristics that distinguish them from the others. Our perception of a person is determined by our experiences with them. The perception of a brand is also shaped by our experiences with the company or products. A person’s signature is their promise to honor an agreement; a brand logo represents this same promise.
This is only a partial list of correlations between people and brands, and understanding these similarities is essential to building your Haunted Event’s overall image. Look at your strategy by saying “a brand is a person” just as surely as “a person is a brand,” and you are heading in the right direction. Keeping this analogy in mind will put you on the correct path for developing a “killer brand” for your event.
A brand not only represents the functional components of a business; it includes the emotional aspects as well. It is the positive relationship between the attraction and the patron that correlates into future brand success by securing and building preference and loyalty. Creating an image that portrays superiority and experience that the customer identifies with in a positive way is critical in developing a brand that demands loyalty both in the present and in the future. Preparation and an ability to see that the customer’s opinion of the attraction’s image will ultimately determine your success.
Branding decisions and product naming should not be based on purely internal perspectives. Many people feel that they are inherently the experts of their attraction and marketplace. While in some cases this is true, they are not normally the “end-user” of their own product. A Haunted Attraction owner must not rely only on his or her internal assumptions, but also on the perspectives of their counterparts and customers. In many cases the owner’s internal perspective differs completely from that of the customer.
Naming an attraction can be very subjective. Think about choosing a name for your pet. Have you ever turned down a perfectly good name because it reminded you of someone you disliked, an ex-boy/girlfriend or rival schoolmate? Getting impartial feedback from potential customers is essential to determining the success of the event. Naming your Haunted Attraction is more than just about creativity; it is also about strategy. All Haunted Attractions want a name that stands out, whether or not the name’s relevance to the attraction is actually on target. When choosing a name, ask yourself: Does the name achieve the objective of the new attraction? Does it achieve the desired image you wish to convey? Does it communicate easily to the customer that it is a Haunted Attraction? Is it unique or memorable? Is it relevant to the customer? Does it have any negative connotations or potential offensive meanings? Does it present any spelling challenges or can it easily be mispronounced?
Ultimately, the most important thing to remember when branding your Haunted Attraction is to listen to those who will be attending the event; your customer. Their impartial input is what will drive the success of your attraction, and future success requires the brand to be flexible enough to survive the changing marketplace. “A brand is like a person” just as surely as “a person is like a brand.” Both have a style and image to uphold. Your Haunted Attraction’s name, logo, public perception and overall image all join together to create a brand for your event. Do not get caught up in internal expertise and assumptions for your event, consider all aspects and possibilities. Do the research. Analyze the results and stay on target.
Ryan Pluta is owner of The Carnival of Horrors, a multi-element event in Cleveland, OH, now in its 5th season. His company Haunted Crypt Productions has been producing Haunted Attractions in Northeast Ohio for the past 13 years. He can be reached at hauntedcryptproductions@yahoo.com
Cool Logo Theory
By Steve Walker
Today, class, we are going to talk about creating a logo for your haunt. Let's face it; the first thing people are going to see will be your logo. "But Steve, I don't know how to draw!" You won't have to. (Much.)
Before we get into the how-tos of logo creation, let's go over some of the whys. Your logo will be the first thing people see - in ads, T-shirts, on stickers, flyers, maybe even your personal car. This is where you make first contact with potential customers. Using simple lettering for a logo, could easily cause the logo to be overlooked; or in the worst scenario someone could think it's a cheese ball place and not worth their time or money. However, if your logo reaches out and grabs the viewer; that alone could be enough to convince them to visit your event. Why is that, you ask? It's a little thing called “professionalism.”
Your logo helps with your overall image. The stronger the overall image, the more professional you look. You don't have to run huge numbers of people through your doors or have a huge budget to look professional. At the same time, a professional image could also give those involved with the show a great amount of pride and satisfaction, which in turn helps create a loyal staff. It's one thing to stand back and say, "We had a pretty good turn out this year," but it's another to say, "We Rock!"
Another reason for using a logo that grabs attention is the “recognition factor.” Your logo should immediately give the viewer an idea what and who it's for. Today, we live in an icon-based society. When we see the golden arches - we eat; when we see a big lit-up shell - we fuel up. Your logo should say, "I want to go there and get scared."
Then there's the marketing aspect of the logo. If your haunt has a creative image and the show to back it up, your logo can drastically increase attendance to your event. It goes back to professionalism. People are more apt to buy from the pro than they will from a "wanna-be." Whether you’re looking for sponsors or selling tickets, the professional approach is more successful.
Are we all on the same page here? Good! Now let’s get on with the fun part of actually creating a logo.
Creating a logo can get frustrating. The decisions that are made should not be taken lightly. First thing you need to do is come up with a name for the event. It's harder to do than most people think, and there just happens to be an article in this issue on “Branding,” to help you chose a name. Your event name should try and fit what you do. Grab a thesaurus and start comparing words. Get input from others. Don’t be afraid to be creative - a name that might sound a little lame could still inspire a cool logo.
For sake of example, let's use something that you'd think couldn't possibly have a cool logo. How about Joe Bob's Outhouse of Terror? (Anyone that's traveled I95 will be able to relate!) Think it can't be done? Let's find out!
Now that you have a name, sit down and think about what you want the logo to say about the event. Should it be over the top? Would people find it offensive? Would it look cool enough on a T-shirt to make people want to wear it? Will it shrink down and reproduce well? Could you see yourself using it permanently? Think of every usage aspect of your logo and who is going to see it. Your success could depend on your thoroughness. In some ways, choosing a logo is like getting a tattoo. You want to get something cool, but at the same time you have to be able to live with it forever. “Why forever?” Recognition factor! Once you have established a following for your event, changing the logo is like starting over fronm scratch.
Once you have a good idea of what you want, it's time to get started with the image. The first step is to work on the rough draft of the lettering. Your lettering style or font will always be the base for a successful logo. Look through different fonts and pick those that might work for the theme of the event. Be careful; if you use too different many types of fonts, it will look cluttered and unorganized. An unorganized logo looks unprofessional. If your name is long, (such as in our example), you can probably get away with three different fonts. Names with less wording may look better with only one or two fonts. You can get fonts from a variety of sources. There are a ton of online places to get them, and many are considered freeware. Font disks can also be a good resource. Don't see the perfect one? No problem. Use the one you like the best and tweak it to what you need.
A good way to tweak lettering is to print out your idea using the fonts you have chosen in the size that you wish to use them. Take a sheet of tracing paper and trace the letters, making any changes as you go. It doesn't have to be perfect. You may want your lettering to look like other things - bones, wood, stone, or body parts are some creepy options. Now that we have our lettering (Example 1), we can move on. For some of you, just having the lettering will be enough. If you’re happy with what you have, great! That's the important thing. Others may want a little more and to add some imagery.
If you add imagery, be sure not to over do it. Too much artwork can be a distraction. If you have a specific character your haunt is based on, you may want to place he or she in the logo. If you run a hayride, you might think about using jack-o-lanterns with cornstalks at the ends of the haunt name. If you run a horror circus theme, add some evil clowns. The possibilities are endless, but keep with the theme of your event. It doesn't matter if you can draw or not. You just need to be able to relay your idea and get it down on paper. At this stage, stick people, lines and circles can get the point across. This is still just a draft. If you can't draw and you see something cool that you might want to use, get some pictures of it for later reference, but don't go for an exact copy. After all, someone else took the time and effort to create that one of a kind logo for themselves. Take the time and have something original created for you. (Most of you know how it feels to have your ideas ripped off; think how that guy is going to feel if he finds out.)
The next thing to consider at this stage of logo design is whether to use black and white, full color, or both. Your budget and your personal tastes will determine this. Black and white can be just as effective as color if done properly, but if you don't think you have the extra budget to run full color ads and print full color T-shirts, that money could be better spent elsewhere on your show. This to goes back to professionalism. If your logo looks like a million bucks so should your show!
Once you get the draft up to speed (Example 2) and you or your organization thinks it's awesome it's time for the final draft. For those that can work in 2D, this won’t be a problem. Some of you won’t be able to do this part and that's ok - you don't have to. You've already laid down the groundwork for the logo and you should be proud of yourself for doing that much. If you can't draw, you'll have to find someone to take care of this for you. If you have a kid in high school, they may know some budding artist that might be willing to do the work for free just for the exposure. There could be an artist in your crew that will finalize the logo to support the show, or you can also choose to hire a professional artist.
No matter whom you take your logo ideas to, make sure you see some of the artist’s previous work before you enter into a contract with him. I can't stress this point enough. If you don't like what they do or feel uneasy about using someone, then don't use them - even if it's free artwork. It's not worth it in the long run. Another thing to remember is no matter where you take it to have the final draft created, be sure that person doesn’t pressure you into changing your mind. Suggestions may be made to make it better. Listen to the artist’s suggestions and think about what’s said. If the artist has experience, he has knowledge you don't, and can be a valuable tool to you. He may not want to take anything out, preferring instead to move things around and change some of the design’s emphasis. Have the artist do a final rough to show what the design is going to look like before the final design is started. If there are any problems, now is the time to discuss and fix them. Once everything is finalized and the artwork is complete, you have a new logo. (Example 3)
As you can see, we've taken our off the wall idea and made it stand out. If you saw this on a shirt, you'd be curious as to what it is. You may even have to check it out because it's so completely different.
This is just a base for you to expand on. The same principles can be applied to create a logo for anything. If you get frustrated during the process, remember you can always put it down and come back to it later. Just make sure you come back to it.
Remember, your logo will be the first thing people see, and needs to leave a lasting and positive impression. It needs to reach out and grabs the viewer, enticing them to visit your event. The logo must present a strong, professional and creative image, while not blowing the budget.
A professional logo will help create a loyal staff full of pride and satisfaction. Don’t settle for having a “pretty good turn out this year," put these methods to work and let you event Rock in 2003!
Steve Walker is a Logo artist for Necropolisin Indianapolis, Indiana and can be contacted at necropolis_haunt@yahoo.com.
Haunting Voice Mail: Creating Your Own Haunting Hotline
By Sandy Kimball
Dates are set, advertising is in place, plans have been approved, and permits are in hand. Everything is on track for your event to be open on time to huge crowds. Soon the phone will start ringing off the wall with potential customers wanting to know when, where and how much, but who is going to provide daily answers to the same questions? Employing a fulltime staff person to answer the phone all day and night would eat into profits. There must be a better way. The answer is voice mail. A voice mail system on your attraction’s main phone line is a cost effective way to answer all of the questions about your event without breaking the budget.
Most major “Bell” phone companies have in-house voice mail systems that can be activated on your phone number quickly and at a reasonable cost. The system will have multiple “boxes” with set recording times. Take note of the length of record time for each box, and be sure to keep a list of the phone company’s contact name and number so that when problems arise they can be addressed quickly. Set your passwords and keep a record of them in a secure place. Share this information only with those of your crew that really need it. Different boxes will have different passwords to access the messages.
Before recording your message, write down a “script” with the basic info for the event. The welcome message should include the event’s name, dates of operation, times, location with address, discount and ticket prices, and web site address. Design your message around the theme of your event and include parts of the storyline to give callers a feel for your attraction right from the start. Sketch a flow chart and plan the departments that will require dedicated message boxes. Be sure to create a separate box for each “main” person in charge of your event, one for general staff, and one for applicants/volunteers interested in working the event.
The themed haunting experience starts as soon as someone calls your event on the phone. Choose some music to play in the background of your recording; something spooky or frightening (and professional), which will get them excited about coming before they arrive. Incorporate your event’s story line throughout the recording to create excitement about your event.
Pick a calm, quite time and place to make your recording. You are not going to get it perfect on the first try, so take your time and enjoy. Do a few practice runs, timing the messages to make sure they will fit within the time allowed in your boxes. Do not rush through your messages. Speak clearly and at a comfortable pace, and use inflection in your voice to make the information interesting. Place a CD or cassette tape player with on/off and volume control near the phone; you may want to have someone else operate the soundtrack to let you concentrate on the messages. Start the recording with louder music and then fade the soundtrack down as you start reading the information so they can understand you completely. Fade the music back up at the end of the information until the end of the allotted time.
For your Main message, use the following as a guideline: “Greetings, and thank you for calling (event’s name), located at (street address). If you would like to leave a message for one of our crew, please push (box number you assigned). If you would like information on (event’s name) please push (box number). Interested in working with us? Push (box number) and leave your contact information. If you would like to leave a message for our Event Coordinator, start your message after the tone.” Remember to refer them to the event’s web site for additional information.
The Event box message should include all the information that the public will need to get to your event, e.g. “(Event’s name) is located at (address) in (city). We will be here to scare you starting (dates) from (times). Event prices are (prices) and discounts are available (dates or locations of coupons). To get here take (general driving directions).” Be sure to announce any special event nights or celebrity appearances.
The Volunteer or Applicants box message should have information about auditions, open positions and any age requirements. Ask them to leave their name, area code and phone number so you can call them back, and remind them to speak slowly! Many people speak clearly until they get to the phone number, then race through making it difficult to take down. Keep a list or database of all the applicants and keep track of who has been called back, the status of their application, and level or department of interest.
The Crew box message should offer the following information: “Thank you for contacting the (event’s name) staff line. Messages left here will be checked (daily, hourly, whatever your decide, but be sure to do it) and be passed on to the person at the end of their shift.” Note: This line could also be where your staff leaves messages about being late or unable to come in.
Once you set up the recordings for each box, make sure to have someone check and empty each box daily. The boxes will fill up quickly during the season, mostly with crank calls, but some will be serious business opportunities and should be returned promptly. Check the staff messages starting at least 1 hour before the house opens to keep track of staff who are not coming in. This gives you time call in replacements.
Once the voice mail system is in place, it is easy to change the recordings to fit pre-season/post-season dates and times, and to keep callers informed as to what is currently going on with your Haunt.
A professional, well-thought-out voice mail system is a great, cost effective way to convey information to and from your staff and patrons. It keeps overhead low by relieving an employee from answering the same question 1,000 times, and gets messages to the right people quickly and efficiently.
Sandy Kimball has been a Haunter since 1991, and joined Gyro’s World of Terror in ‘94. She covers a variety of jobs such as FX make up, volunteer support and onsite office manager. Recently Sandy has opened “Illusion Wear Capes,” an online retail site for capes and custom costumes. Take a look at http://kimballsm.home.att.net
|
