Family Entertainment Centers - IAAPA
Family Entertainment Centers - IAAPA
Family Entertainment Centers - IAAPA
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
FEC: MEDIA<br />
Becoming<br />
Media Savvy<br />
Effective press releases and events<br />
can drive FEC business<br />
by Mike Bederka<br />
ADS COST MONEY—SOMETIMES A LOT OF MONEY—<br />
so in a tight market, family entertainment centers hope to save<br />
a few bucks anywhere they can.<br />
A well-written press release or first-name familiarity with the<br />
media can do just that, all while driving sales and, perhaps, having<br />
more impact than traditional advertising techniques. While<br />
economical, this type of marketing to print, online, radio, and<br />
TV outlets can be tricky and requires a flare for creativity and an<br />
eye for news.<br />
What to Promote<br />
First off, think of the types of things you would like to promote<br />
to the media. A common mistake is sending releases on nonevents,<br />
says marketing expert Leigh Choate, who has consulted<br />
with Austin’s Park, Amazing Jake’s, Boomers, and Incredible<br />
Pizza Company. “Nobody cares that you changed your prices or<br />
got a new cheese supplier,” Choate says.<br />
Instead, focus on the most newsworthy, exciting aspects of<br />
your facility. Do you own a unique ride or attraction that no one<br />
else has in a 100-mile radius? Are you hosting a fund-raiser,<br />
where a percentage of the day’s sales go to an area charity? Is a<br />
staff member trying to break the world endurance record for<br />
“Dance Dance Revolution”? “They’re always looking for quirky<br />
and local,” says Karen Kraus, marketing director for Action City<br />
in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Prior to working here, she spent almost<br />
10 years as a reporter and anchor in TV and radio.<br />
It also helps to tailor your release to a particular area of the<br />
press. For example, a newspaper business reporter may be interested<br />
in your new manager or if you offer corporate team building<br />
or office parties. A features writer for a parenting magazine<br />
might want to know how families can spend the day together at<br />
your facility.<br />
To keep all your contacts straight, Choate says, make a comprehensive<br />
media list, including the name of appropriate editor<br />
and writer, snail mail and e-mail address, phone number, and<br />
web site.<br />
If you don’t know the best person, just call the outlet and ask.<br />
Releases sent to a general address or the wrong person may go<br />
straight to the trash heap. “We don’t want to waste their time for<br />
something that doesn’t pertain to them,” says Julie Dion, vice<br />
president of sales and marketing for Adventure Landing, which<br />
has nine locations across the United States. For more on this<br />
topic, read the handout from last year's Expo session on pressrelease<br />
writing. It is located at http://www.iaapaimis.org/<br />
intproject/HandOuts/iae2007/PressReleaseWriting.pdf.<br />
Adventure Landing donated the proceeds from its Frog Frolic<br />
to charity.<br />
10 F U NW O R L D C O L L E C T I O N S n F E C E d i t i o n