Marketers Market for Halloween

Yes, "holiday creep" has Halloween candy/costumes in stores even before back-to-school marketing begins. But marketing trends go well beyond these basics.

No matter what you're marketing, be aware that if you're using Halloween themes in email marketing, you may have fewer folks open your messages. Yet the conversion rate is solid, meaning those who open messages can be converted into buyers.

Some marketers prefer to intro or preview Halloween goods and services early, little by little, to build anticipation and awareness. This is certainly the case for theme parks and other service marketers that offer special Halloween experiences.

Seasonal products or campaigns related to Halloween need time to reach audiences and generate response. The soft-drink brand Fanta rolled out Halloween-themed Snap filters early to encourage usage and viral reaction.

Halloween and pumpkins are a traditional association. Pumpkin food products are selling well as the fall season gets into full swing before Halloween. As usual, marketers are pushing pumpkin spice everything. In fact, Starbucks and Dunkin' began marketing pumpkin flavors in August this year. But, despite rumors, there is NO Oscar Meyer pumpkin-flavor bologna.

Theme Parks Leverage Global Brand Franchises

https://www.usj.co.jp/e/attraction/

Harry Potter, as a brand franchise, is helping Universal Studios up its attendance in Florida and Japan (and it's doing quite well in Japan). Minions, as a brand franchise, is also giving Universal a unique draw in Japan. And guests are actually spending more per visit, even as Universal experiments with outdoor events during winter months.

Disney--traditionally the market leader--is expanding its brand franchises as competitive tools to keep attendance growing. Star Wars is a tried-and-true draw. Now Disney is also opening Avatar attractions. For an infographic illustrating the evolution of Disney's theme park/movie brand doings, see here. Interesting, Disney Tokyo is both popular and crowded, which is affecting foreign tourist attendance (not in a good way). For an unusual look at Disney and theme parks (namely, what didn't get built), see here.

More theme parks are opening year after year to satisfy international interest in exciting rides, water parks, and entertainment with branded elements. Warner Bros., for instance, is partnering to create a theme park in Abu Dhabi, featuring two brand franchises: Gotham City (Batman) and Metropolis (Superman).

In the high-stakes world of theme parks, where attractions run into the millions of dollars to design and develop, companies are competing with some of the most fascinating new rides ever. Brands are a key way to bring in fans who know and love the franchise...but the rides have to deliver if the parks are to enjoy all-important word of mouth.

Brands Ride Along with Disney's Theme Park Expansion Plans

Walt Disney has a new theme park, Shanghai Disneyland. PepsiCo was at the opening, with a limited-edition.

PepsiCo also partnered on a branded stage inside the Shanghai park. Four years ago, Pepsi opened a special R&D center to develop products that fit the taste buds of customers in China. Working with Disney furthers PepsiCo's expansion in China.

Starbucks is another brand that sees opportunity in working with Disney. In Shanghai at the Disney Resort, Starbucks just opened what will be its busiest coffee shop in the world, with 110 baristas to serve 25 million customers yearly. Starbucks already had a presence in each of the Disney parks in Orlando, and in Disneyland California.

These are only two of the global brands that are riding along with Disney's marketing magic in its global expansion. One more brand enjoying the ride is Hasbro, which won the lucrative doll license from Mattel and now produces princess dolls and other toys based on strong Disney brand franchises like Frozen.

Hello Kitty's $7 Billion Brand

Happy 40th birthday, Hello Kitty. The iconic Japanese character, owned by Sanrio, has been making fans smile since 1974. Sanrio created her after consumer surveys revealed the perennial popularity of cats and dogs (and bears). The company already had a bear character and was licensing Snoopy, so it developed Hello Kitty and a star was born.

Hello Kitty is licensed for a wide variety of products worldwide. She's also the feature attraction in a new Hello Kitty theme park, soon to open in Zhejiang province, China. Hello Kitty has other theme parks in other places (including in her home country of Japan and in Malaysia), to entertain fans of all ages.

By one estimate, the Hello Kitty brand is worth a staggering $7 billion. Her appeal is so broad that Japan now uses her as its ambassador of tourism to China and Hong Kong. Judging by her enduring appeal and profitability, Hello Kitty will be smiling on goods and services worldwide for another four decades--and possibly longer.

It's a Small World After All: Disney and Competition

Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the debut of the famous "Small World" theme song that features in Disney's Small World attractions all over the globe. It was first heard at the New York World's Fair in 1964, in a pavilion saluting UNICEF that was operated by Disney and sponsored by Pepsi. The song has been part of Disney theme parks ever since.

Despite the widespread brand awareness and decades of positive associations with the Disney name, competition remains an issue for the company's theme parks:

• Shanghai Disney is expected to open its gates in about 18 months, with marketing to draw millions of middle-income Chinese families year after year. A joint venture with a Chinese firm, Shanghai Disney will compete for share in what will be, by 2015, a $148 billion market for entertainment and media services. In addition to Hong Kong Disneyland, other theme park competitors include: Chimelong Happy World, Window to the World, and Beijing Happy Valley.
• Tokyo Disneyland, highly popular with Japanese families, is to undergo an update and expansion as the operator works to meet the needs of the aging population. Opened in 1983, attendance continues to increase, and nearby DisneySea is also feeling the halo effect of improved economic conditions. However, Japan is the birthplace of Hello Kitty, who has her own theme park; other theme park rivals include: Universal Studios, Kidzania, and Huis Ten Bosch.
• Disney World in Florida must contend with increased competitive pressure from rivals like Universal Studios, Legoland, and SeaWorld. Reportedly, Disney has lost market share in Florida since 2009, in part because of the popularity of Harry Potter attractions at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure.
• Disneyland Paris, drawing customers despite Europe's mixed economic climate, has high hopes for its upcoming Ratatouille ride. What draws customers? The COO of Euro Disney answers: "That curiosity that you had as a child you hope you never lose and that’s what drives people to theme parks." European competitors include Bagatelle Park and Parc Asterix, both in France.