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The Smiler: What does the future hold?

I have a very strong feeling the brand is dead. From a business perspective it makes total sense to be the minimum of action taken.
 
I beg to differ - I think this would devalue AT as a brand. Admitting defeat, covering up & willing guests to forget what happened - The GP are not as stupid as you think. This will blow over, regardless.
 
A re-brand will make little difference to public perception. It will always be seen as The Smiler, the one that crashed. Towers will never shake that off. Look at Oakwood, they re-named and re-branded (not that it had much of a brand before) Hydro to become Drenched. Yet whenever it is referred to in the media it is called Hydro.

Towers main concern will be some of the ride's tag-lines etc. They will have a weigh up the risks and potential for a PR disaster.

:)
 
I do not think removal is going to happen, but if i was having a strategy meeting at HQ i am telling you that they have at least considered relocation to another park outside of the uk as an option, i would consider that and i have a degree in business and business management.

I personally can't see this even being tabled due to the reason @Alastair said.

To be fair to @DiogoJ42 I have seen darker jokes and laughed. Remember guys, just because you're offended doesn't mean you're right. ;)
 
Will it get re branded? really? No.
If it is renamed, once opened the media will be reporting,

The "New Coaster Name" once known as The Smiler where tragedy occurred has now reopened. Alton Towers.. blah blah nonsense news article...

The new brand is now tarnished, then what, rebrand again and again
 
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Chances are it'll reopen still as the Smiler in 2016, although it likely won't have the popularity it once had due to the accident.
 
We're discussing the future of The Smiler here. If you want to debate about posting styles - take it to PM.

I've just had to delete a lot of off topic nonsense.
 
Anyway, I think it's likely they'll rebrand. Changing the name will just generate a host of new stories with the implication that they're attempting a cover-up. The Mindbender in Canada didn't re-brand.
 
Look, the only way they will stop the media response would be to permanently close the smiler. Even then you would get "the smiler... has closed" and "----- has opened on the site of the demolished smiler ride..."

They have no solution that won't result in media focus.
 
I don't think the name will change, the brand is too big and I'd hazard a guess that in recent years most merchandise purchase has been smiler based.

Just the parts which the media jumped on will be removed, ie. 'marmalise your body and mind'
 
Probably (what I'd do):
  • change the tag lines.
  • Play the music slightly quieter so it gets less attention
  • Make oblivion the main ride of the area
  • Tone down the smiler colours on maps/posters
  • Release plans for sw 8 earlier to draw attention away from smiler
  • Pay all compensation as fast as they can.
 
Will it get re branded? really? No.
If it is renamed, once opened the media will be reporting,

The "New Coaster Name" once known as The Smiler where tragedy occurred has now reopened. Alton Towers.. blah blah nonsense news article...

The new brand is now tarnished, then what, rebrand again and again

The media wouldn't even report it like that. They would just say the ride that crashed at Towers and ruined peoples lives is back open.

It's just like Hydro at Oakwood. Rebranding that didn't really do anything. People still know it as Hydro, the ride a girl died on. The same people will always know this as The Smiler, the ride that crashed. They could name and rebrand it in any way they like and the PR will stay the same.
 
I agree, they can't escape attention. It's the media. They will flog a dead horse as long as it keeps twitching.

Rebranding, although makes sense, seems futile. I guarantee that one of the big tabloids front page will be "Deathtrap reopens" when it does. I imagine they will soft Re-open it, as they won't want to garner too much attention. Besides people keep saying people wont forget it, the GP will; The media... Not so much.
 
I can promise you the headlines when it reopens will not be "deathtrap reopens", regardless of how trashy the coverage has been thus far.
 
If it was to reopen anytime soon then yes, the media would amp up the coverage. But providing it doesn't open until next season, the coverage will be relatively minor compared to people's current expectations.
 
Will it get re branded? really? No.
If it is renamed, once opened the media will be reporting,

The "New Coaster Name" once known as The Smiler where tragedy occurred has now reopened. Alton Towers.. blah blah nonsense news article...

The new brand is now tarnished, then what, rebrand again and again
The media wouldn't even report it like that. They would just say the ride that crashed at Towers and ruined peoples lives is back open.

It's just like Hydro at Oakwood. Rebranding that didn't really do anything. People still know it as Hydro, the ride a girl died on. The same people will always know this as The Smiler, the ride that crashed. They could name and rebrand it in any way they like and the PR will stay the same.
What is the difference between saying it's a tragedy or it ruined someone's life. Also, this isn't the same as hydro. No one died on the smiler. Also, hydro is a completely different ride altogether. No matter what happens to the ride (rename/Rebrand/destruction/nothing) media will have a story and it will make Alton towers/merlin/theme parks in general look bad.they want people to feel traumatised by the fact that we were on that ride or we went to that park or we have been to a theme park. It is pointless trying to deny that the media control what we think and if they want people to be scared of Alton towers, they will make people scared. It all means more interest and more views for them.

[Sorry, had a whole day of "that ride isn't safe. It should be shut down. Those peoples lives are ruined" so I have a reason for being angry after spending hours explaining safety features. Again sorry]
 
Yup, I've spent the last few days constantly repeating myself at work as well. Amazing how little technically minded people with a background in engineering know about how things work.
 
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