Merlin's New Midway Marketing Director

[Jonathan]

Taken from UK Park News

Merlin Entertainments, one of the world’s leading visitor attractions management companies today announced that Nicky Marsh is to be appointed as Midway Marketing Director from November 1st 2012. The role has been created newly for the group and Nicky will be responsible for brand positioning and global marketing for Merlin’s primary midway brands including:

Sea Life – the world’s number one aquarium brand consisting of more than 40 sites across the globe
Madame Tussauds – an international favourite with 13 sites worldwide.
The Dungeons (7 sites)
Legoland Discovery Centres (8 sites)

Reporting to the Merlin Midway Managing Director Glenn Earlam, Nicky will have the existing global marketing teams for these brands now reporting directly to her.

So, what do we all think about this? Personally, I think it's quite an interesting move, and Ms Marsh certainly has quite a job on her hands. Let's hope that she does a good job with what she's been given.

 

[Sam]

They're realising how much less of a pain in the arse running midway attractions is compared to theme parks.

Charging anywhere from 50% to 70% of the theme party entry price, but the land they take up is about a hundred times smaller. And they probably only need about 5% of the staff of a full-size theme park.

SEA-LIFE is a license to print money.

 

[Dave]

They have always known the Midways are a more profitable business hence why they keep expanding midways but don't keep buying up theme parks. They keep the Parks they have because they do provide a good loss-leader for their hotel sector and they are scared that someone else may make a bigger success of them if they are sold.

Sounds sensible to coordinate the midway marketing, one good Sealife TV advert for example sells 15 sites across the country.