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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2023 Discussion

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Enter Valhalla said:
Exactly. And this is exactly why when people use the “BPB aren’t following the seaside parks business model”, I always feel that this is an unfair comparison.
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The size of the park, the number of attractions or the quality of those attractions is not important when deciding on a POP / PPR model, the parks location is !

And it is located in a place with more potential walk up trade than any other park in the uk.

I am not saying PPR will suddenly transform the parks fortunes, but they need to take advantage of their location by getting people into the park that haven't already pre-booked. Whether that's PPR, or a hybrid system, or a walk round pass, or better value gate prices, or reduced gate prices later in the day or something else, but there is no doubt they are missing out on trade because of their current system which is effectively a giant "KEEP OUT" sign to anyone that hasn't booked in advance.
 
Folks in the North West, What is the park's advertising like?
Round here it is impossible to escape adverts for Merlin on telly, on cereal boxes, in papers or online.
 
rob666 said:
Could have done it in Crevettes yesterday if we had known you were on the Beach mate.
Lots of discussion with my mates kids about thoosies yesterday, most amusing passing on the traits...
"They spreadsheet coasters, honestly???"
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Not just coasters - I do all ride creds 🤣

Even the Chinese Puzzle Maze is on here. Couldn't identify the manufacturer though...

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Alexsniff7 said:
merlin gets more advertising still in the NW
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Going to be slightly pedantic here. Merlin don't "get" advertising, they pay for it and they've got quite the budget to pay for it too.

Towers is relatively easier for people in the NW to get to and it's really advertised as not only the biggest park in the UK, but also the only big park outside of the M25 cluster. (I know it's not, but that's how it's marketed)

Merlin spends its advertising nationally for its big parks. It will then spend and target locally for its smaller attractions. The stuff they have up in Blackpool and the Legoland Discover Centre, various Sea Lifes, we don't hear about them down here. Much in the same way that in the North West, Cadbury World and the National Sea Life Centre aren't really targeted at you.

What's strange about Blackpool Pleasure Beach is that they have the same calibre of rides as any Merlin park in the UK, but they don't target their advertising nationally. There'll be a big push locally, and you're already exposed to Blackpool up there generally anyway, but they don't do anything to alter the perception of anyone south of Liverpool.

I used to find it bizarre, and argued a tonne with the Tussaud's and Merlin marketing teams when they didn't push Thorpe's proximity to London in any big way. Thorpe is roughly the same distance from London as Disneyland is from Paris. You think of Paris as a tourist and yes you think of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but you also think of Disneyland. As a very young Gosling I used to think that Disney were French, they drummed that much advertising down my throat.

Heck, even Warner Bros. get it with the Harry Potter Studio Tour. That's billed as being a London attraction, and it is within the M25, but it's in bloody Watford. If you want to get there on public transport you've got to take a 20 minute train from London Euston (they missed a trick there) and then a shuttle bus.

I find it bizarre that BPB doesn't have a similar marketing strategy. It's not that far from Manchester, so if you're visiting Manchester why not take a visit to the beach too? People in Manchester are aware of the proximity and the geography, but the rest of us in the country aren't. We perceive it as this niche, quaint little seaside attraction with a few fairground rides and the tallest coaster in the country (which we all still think is sponsored by Pepsi), when in reality it's a different beast at all.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
Folks in the North West, What is the park's advertising like?
Round here it is impossible to escape adverts for Merlin on telly, on cereal boxes, in papers or online.
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Their advertising is atrocious. In the summer there was the odd thing on TV, but the add just didn't really say anything. There are the odd Bus Shelter poster etc, but again they aren't targeted and really generic. The oddest things I've seen is the petrol station nozzle handles, so small you literally needed a magnifying glass to see what they were for.

Thing is, they get the marketing all wrong. It's all about FOMO - they need a good campaign (not expensive) that makes people fear they are missing out on something everyone else is doing. Towers do this well with Fireworks and Scarefest and it works. They also need to start couponing like Merlin do - £5 off a full price adult ticket - you don't lose money because nobody actually pays full price... but people like to think they are beating te system.

Again, I am ranting, but they don't even do the basics to promote the park.

Towers is relatively easier for people in the NW to get to
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It's not though. You might think it is, but it isn't. BPB is pretty much motorway all the way. It has it's own train station AND busses from BPL and Preston stop a short walk away. Again, why are BPB not conveying this as they should?
 
shakey said:
Had a few days off the forum so it's glad to see the old talking points back again.

I am not going to mention PPR/POP or who should run the park but a couple of things I picked up reading the last few pages of posts......

Food It's been mentioned a few times that food is better at pleasure beach. Have you been recently ? - It's crap. Really crap. Loki's chicken is about the only decent place to eat and they have inflated the prices in there by about 25% since the start of the season. Everywhere else ranges from poor to awful.

Everyone Paying £35+ No, not really. I am guessing that most off peak days the majority of punters will be season pass holders, and even on peak days there will be a fair percentage of season pass holders, and many of those won't spend a penny in the park.

I wish pleasure beach would just buy a tin of paint and draw some markings on the floor so we could all get excited :)
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I really disagree on the food. In relation to most other UK theme parks, the food at Pleasure Beach is good. I am of course talking generally, as some of the quick burger/hot dog stands are not great, but I guess about what you’d expect from theme park food.

It’s not just Lokis which is decent (although their chicken can sometimes be dry), but the food at Coasters has been consistently good every time we’ve been his season, the chicken at FY4 has also always been good, the Ice Arena is nothing spectacular but for its price is pretty good value, paninis at Ice Lounge are usually fresh and well priced and the cake is usually fresh and tasty. The only place I’d actively avoid is Big Pizza Kitchen as it’s overpriced for the quality of pizza, but then what pizza buffet isn’t.

Whilst the food isn’t going to win any awards, for a theme park I’d argue it’s pretty good, especially if you visit the right places. For clarity, when I talk about the food, I’m not necessarily talking about the service which can sometimes be poor, slow, or both.
 
ScottishChris said:
It's not though. You might think it is, but it isn't. BPB is pretty much motorway all the way. It has it's own train station AND busses from BPL and Preston stop a short walk away. Again, why are BPB not conveying this as they should?
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It's easier for people to get to Towers from the NW than it is from the SE, London, or SW, that was my point. I agree with you on BPB being silly for not pushing their own public transport links, however.
 
BPB have the north of England and Scotland catchment area for their marketing and this is where, I’d argue, that they should be promoting themselves. Anything south of Machester, I think they’re just competing with too much.

Alton Towers, like it or not, has a very good location to set itself up as the entire nation’s favourite theme park. BPB would be wasting their money promoting themselves in areas of the midlands and the south where it’s easier for people to get to Alton, Thorpe or Chessington. These would always seem like a better option to people in these areas, especially with all the snazzy two-for-one offers that catch people’s interest. BPB need to focus on areas where there’s less to compete with. People from Scotland seem to love it.
 
The problem with expensive marketing is a bit tricky in the north.
There are many millions in the north who would not go to Blackpool, ever, in any circumstances, let alone the Beach.
It is very much a working class resort, and has been since the sixties.
Many of my posh customers have never set foot in the town...St Annes and Cleveleys, yes...Blackpool never.
Class distinction is very clear, Alton is a middle class resort, Blackpool is for commoners.
The working classes are also very skint.
 
If you've driven down Blackpool front recently it's hard to ignore the boarded up/ empty hotels. The town is really struggling, investment is happening but it's a huge task regenerating a town the size of Blackpool with its social and economic problems. Pleasurebeech is not immune from the town's problems but it can also be part of the solution. Getting families back onto the park should be a priority so they need to be competitive with thier pricing. PB have nothing new to offer next year so it's a big challenge.
 
Relife said:
If you've driven down Blackpool front recently it's hard to ignore the boarded up/ empty hotels. The town is really struggling, investment is happening but it's a huge task regenerating a town the size of Blackpool with its social and economic problems. Pleasurebeech is not immune from the town's problems but it can also be part of the solution. Getting families back onto the park should be a priority so they need to be competitive with thier pricing. PB have nothing new to offer next year so it's a big challenge.
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The number of people who visited Blackpool Prom is actually up this year to 23.5m in 2023 from 21.8m in 2022. Town Centre visits are also up. Blackpool Tourism is struggling, but not in the areas you may think. The issue is accomodation - the traditional B&B's and guest houses no longer fit with what most people want - people are looking for 'know what you are getting' chain hotels and higher end accommodation. This is something that is being addressed with the Holiday Inns, Travelodges, EasyHotels etc. starting to pop-up in the centre of town. Even look at the extended Hampton by Hilton - which was regularly sold out in the summer.

People regularly talk about the pricing of the Pleasure Beach, but their pricing is more than competatic=ve and should not be an issue. For example:
- Blackpool Tower Eye (1-2 hour experience) £18.50
- The Tower Circus (1-2 hour experience) £21.50
- Sea Life Centre (1-2 hour experience) £22.50
- Madame Tussauds (2-3 hour experience) £21.50
- Gruffalo Clubhouse (1.5 hour experience) £12 (per child, Adult's £4)
- Peter Rabbit Explore and Play (1 hour experience) £9.50 per Child
- Sand Castle (up-to 3 hour session) £24 per person
* There are deals to mix and match tickets to receive discounts

All these attractions were sold out multiple times during the summer, With the Tower, Sea Life and Tussauds regularly being sold out. Some are sold out this week too!

If you compare these prices to BPB's top-price ticket of £39 for what should be a full day it should be seen to be substantially better value.

To suggest the 'cost-of-living' is impacting people is correct, however it is not deterring -people spending money. People are choosing premium hotels in blackpool (Boulevard, Big Blue, The Village, Cliffs, the Imperial - segularly near capacity). My favourite places to eat are also regularly fully booked . People are still willing to spend money.

I go back to it, the only difference is the Marketing. The Merlin midways seem to nail it time & time again. Heck, you go onto the Pleasure Beach website and it has this on the front page:

1698915109771.png

I know what the entry prices are. I know what they are trying to sell here... but I still start thinking that £50 is the entry cost!

The Dumb thing about the Big Blackpool Pleasure Beach Pass is that it is a great deal - but even the tag-line suggests it's just for park entry! PB's marketing really does drive me mad!
 
ScottishChris said:
Their advertising is atrocious. In the summer there was the odd thing on TV, but the add just didn't really say anything. There are the odd Bus Shelter poster etc, but again they aren't targeted and really generic. The oddest things I've seen is the petrol station nozzle handles, so small you literally needed a magnifying glass to see what they were for.

Thing is, they get the marketing all wrong. It's all about FOMO - they need a good campaign (not expensive) that makes people fear they are missing out on something everyone else is doing. Towers do this well with Fireworks and Scarefest and it works. They also need to start couponing like Merlin do - £5 off a full price adult ticket - you don't lose money because nobody actually pays full price... but people like to think they are beating te system.

Again, I am ranting, but they don't even do the basics to promote the park.


It's not though. You might think it is, but it isn't. BPB is pretty much motorway all the way. It has it's own train station AND busses from BPL and Preston stop a short walk away. Again, why are BPB not conveying this as they should?
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Yes it is. I live in Bolton and it takes me around a 90 min drive to get to Alton Towers.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is around a 50 min drive for me.
 
There was an advert for the park on tv about six months ago. It was around 20 seconds of park footage, ending with the tagline “we create the fun, you keep the memories”.

Not once did it say that it was for Blackpool Pleasure Beach. A truly catastrophic failure, the likes of which you might expect from watching The Apprentice. The marketing department, in my view, have been incompetent for several years.
 
venny said:
There was an advert for the park on tv about six months ago. It was around 20 seconds of park footage, ending with the tagline “we create the fun, you keep the memories”.

Not once did it say that it was for Blackpool Pleasure Beach. A truly catastrophic failure, the likes of which you might expect from watching The Apprentice. The marketing department, in my view, have been incompetent for several years.
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I raise you - this years TV advert.



The visuals are fine, but where is the branding? If you are half-paying attention - would you know what this is about? Where it is? or what it's for? Tiny 'Blackpool Pleasure Beach' at the end is ridiculous. It's all Marketing 101 and should be obvious.

If it were me, start with the PB exclamation mark at the start and the voice over "Blackpool Pleasure beach presents the world's greatest water ride"
End with "Valhalla... only at Blackpool Pleasure Beach"
 
Millions of people have ridden Valhalla over the past twenty years. Did most even know it had closed? If not, why are they advertising it now? Why are all the shots just from in the boat, rather than anything to give an idea that it's a thrilling, dynamic water ride?
 
ScottishChris said:
I raise you - this years TV advert.



The visuals are fine, but where is the branding? If you are half-paying attention - would you know what this is about? Where it is? or what it's for? Tiny 'Blackpool Pleasure Beach' at the end is ridiculous. It's all Marketing 101 and should be obvious.
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I felt a similar way re the Icon tv advert. There was no footage of the actual ride, random CGI slithering track, then at the end, it showed "ICON" with a picture of The Big One... soooo The Big One is BPB's icon? Errrr.

At the time when my partner saw it, she asked me what it was for.

iconbpb.png
 
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