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Fireworks 2014

TheMan said:
LOGIC: Budget goes here: Creative development team uses said budget. Engineers etc involved to help spec out said attraction. Finance involved etc to negotiate prices - at the end of all that, they give said product to marketing who MARKET IT.
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This is what I was getting at. Most people have a fundamental misunderstanding of what marketing actually is. All of the departments you listed act as part of the marketing process. Things like the price point, the quality of the product and the way the user experience is delivered are all marketing considerations. It's a holistic process and promotion (which most people think of as marketing) is only a small part of it.
 
In an organisation I was recently working with, as Public Relations/Marketing manager I had exactly those kinds of conversations, but it was decided about how best to push forward the message and the goals of the organisation, they themselves didn't understand what a wide reaching brief and spread the role had... but that didn't mean I RAN the organisation.
 
What I'm trying to get at is that many people seem to be questioning why the marketing department would be given so much influence. If taken by its strict, most idealistic definition, it actually makes a lot of sense for the marketing department to run a service-based organisation like Alton. Whether they are doing a decent job of it or not is perhaps more debatable.

I think it's important to dispel the idea that marketing is synonymous with advertising. Unfortunately, it sounds to me like many in your organisation couldn't see past this either.
 
CGM said:
I think it's important to dispel the idea that marketing is synonymous with advertising. Unfortunately, it sounds to me like many in your organisation couldn't see past this either.
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No it's true, there was no concept of the wider role. "It seems like PR/Marketing covers an awful lot" said in a very condescending tone, a very polite "no s*** Sherlock" was not well received :D

I do maintain though the role was there to support the goals of the organisation, and that must have a central core value/individual that drives it. I don't think this comes from a marketing director alone.

Anyway, for me, marketing having ultimate control is like a finance department having ultimate control - we either get "ultimate" rollercoasters or ultimate budget cuts.
 
Rob said:
We all wanted her out? I'm not so sure about that, I certainly didn't. I was very sad when she left, she did a brilliant job overall.
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James said:
I didn't want her out either.
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I agree, many didn't want her out - including me.

She did the resort a lot of good, brought back it's uniqueness and it's identity that was lost between 2004-2007 and just "got" the different departments and their requirements/expertise and left them to deal with it.

Marketing of course must have an influence within every department in order for the brand to succeed. However, at Alton Towers, it is no longer a department that brings everything together and makes the different aspects coherent, it's a department which exercise their "authority" over every single aspect.

I.E. They didn't like some elements of the original "The Wonders Of Sir Algenon's Attic" set; Jack the Knife from Carnival - they were funny about names suggested for him; "Mass Marmilisation/Smiler Themed show" for 2013 fireworks they didn't like; neither did they like the second idea of rides battling each other...

It's things like this which people are getting at in this discussion. We're not up in arms and saying that marketing are too controlling over "the brand" but are concerned and up in arms about the fact that they control far too much for the resort to progress healthily and the departments to work to the best of their abilities.

Thorpe Park and Chessington are not so heavily "policed" by marketing like Alton Towers seem to be, of course they have strict brand rules but entertainments etc are allowed more freedom...and they're within the same company!

Take a rather well known safari and adventure park - I was shocked last year when I joined at how little marketing controlled it and my god did they need to control the brand further, helping push old management last year to create a tag-line and become "adventurous" through their image, presentation and language.

This year, they've suddenly lost identity and it is all very mish mash with so many different directions and images seen of one brand...if the new god-awful management change and a shake up various departments happens, then perhaps slowly it may be able to be saved.

However, during their branding and shake up of direction in 2013/early 2014 did they ever stop me producing the scripting/audio/material for various events and rides because they didn't like the script or the names or the characters or the storyline? No, the old management realised entertainments needed to work creatively with the brand and as long as I was hitting certain points and applying certain "phrases", I was pretty much left to my own devices.

Marketing should indeed ensure the brand is always coherent and reflected throughout the product but they should not be sacrificing creativity/ideas just for the sake of it and because they feel they have the final say.
 
Yes, Morwenna leaving was disappointing. I've always thought that apart from this year, (when all aspects have been improving) that 2010 was the peak of Merlin. They had been successfully improving all the parks since 2007, weather it be in events, atmosphere, brand or general quality, things were on the up.

Attendance had been increasing, poor areas became beautiful (i.e Mutiny Bay), and rides were being treated as experiences rather than just crowd pullers. 2010 rolled around and all the parks were complete with solid brands, solid new attractions (Thirteen, Wild Asia and Saw) and things were looking up. Then as soon as Morwenna left, the quality massively declined.

The park map became an awful mess, Scarefest began its rapid spiral of decline, new ideas were rushed in and massively flawed (Sub-Terra, The Smiler). It was a huge shame. The Smiler being a vastly superior ride to Thirteen, should have been a amazing attraction, but unfortunately it lacks reliability, throughput, and overall thought. Had they had more of a budget and better planning, the ride could have had a nice deep backstory to entertain guests in the lengthy queues, indoor effects could have been better. Build quality certainly would have been far superior, so would have been the quality of station theming etc.

It was all pretty poor from then until now. I'm not to clear on as to what changed. Maybe after what must have been a pretty poor year for bad press, (Smiler, Rammy, HB Leisure), they decided to take a little more care? After three years of crappiness, we finally have well thought through additions (CBeebies), general fix ups (queue time boards) and the map has been sorted. Hopefully the next few years are just as good!
 
Such as shame the Smiler never got what it deserved. No the hardware isn't perfect, but lately it's been decent enough, it wont age well though. I'd bet the beast across park has the potential to be smoother and more reliable long after The Smiler is decommissioned lol.

It still seems to be like someone last minute threw a ball of wool at Gerst and however it landed said "QUICK BUILD THAT!"
 
We're kind of wandering off into general marketing discussion here. Just a reminder this is the fireworks topic :)
 
Noticed Alton are doing their VIP viewing area again this year...... Ever so slight increase in price this year... £99 per adult!

The offerings are better.... But it's still extremely expensive for an half hour firework display.....
 
And what exactly do you get for £99? Does that include park tickets?
 
It says:

Be our VIP for the day! Experience The Ultimate Fireworks Spectacular at Alton Towers Resort in style by booking the Ultimate VIP Experience, with a VIP view of the show this is the perfect way to celebrate the end of the 2014 theme park season.

Your VIP experience includes:-

  • VIP View of the Spectacular Show – exclusive seating area on the front lawns on a VIP viewing platform to give a fantastic view of the show in the heart of all the action and atmosphere
  • Glass of champagne on arrival
  • Unlimited Food & Soft Drinks – enjoy a delicious Hog Roast before the show between 5.30pm – 6.45pm with hot and soft drinks
  • Theme Park Entry – entry to the Theme Park from 10am – 9pm, including selected rides open in the dark!
  • Designated Parking – for speedy entry to the Resort you can park close to the Theme Park entrance / exit, exclusively as part of this package (Express Parking is not available to other guests during Fireworks).
  • Fastrack Tickets – Ride the rides quicker with a Fastrack ticket for Nemesis, Th13teen & Runaway Mine Train!


The VIP area also has access to a payable bottle bar and toilets only available for our VIP guests.

There is limited availability for this viewing area and tickets are available to be pre-booked




Tickets & Prices

  • Adults £99
  • Children £79
Annual Pass Holders 10% discount

VIP Merlin Annual Pass Holders 20% discount

Annual Pass holders can call on 0871 222 9938 to book discount tickets.

* Food is available from a hog roast unit located next to the seating area. Bottled alcohol available at an extra cost from a bottle bar.
 
No amount of VIP would beat the frankly amazing atmosphere created when this brilliant bunch of people get together.

Though I might give you all up for a hog roast and a seat :D
 
I'm surprised that VIP Merlin Annual Pass holders only get 20% off. Given that they advertise those passes as all access and no restrictions I'd have expected them to get in with the pass alone. At most with a minor booking fee.

On the other hand anyone willing to pay £500 for an Annual Pass would probably fork out another £80 without even thinking about it.
 
The water screen was testing for a while this evening. Must've been going on for over an hour. I took a picture of it with a generic test screen on. :)

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Not as high or wide as I thought it would be. I've also noticed that the area where the fireworks are launched from has been completely barrier'd off now, presumably for the weekend. :)
 
They're usually around 25m high, about 60m wide. That is indeed quite a small looking waterscreen. Maybe they haven't got all the pumps running yet.
 
There was a really nice 3D effect with what looked like a Space Invaders boss moving forwards and backwards with pincers moving. Looked really effective! Although the patterns they were testing looked like generic moving screensavers.
 
Some photos from this years preparations taken yesterday.
No towers this year.
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but we do have one of these in the lake.
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It is not called a water screen! It is called a 'Woosher'. Look, See it woosh. (Woosher ©2014 Stretchy)
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See it Woosh from a distance (roughly the distance from my pint of beer)
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See it woosh at night!
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Something to tempt you more into coming. Look how pretty Blivvy is at sunset!
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stretchy said:
Something to tempt you more into coming. Look how pretty Blivvy is at sunset!
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We were riding Oblivion at last years last Fireworks and just as we paused before dropping we looked over to the left and there was mist over the woods and the most amazing sunset. If only they left the car there long enough for me to get a camera out!
 
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