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The Retrosquad: General Discussion

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JAperson said:
I think flat rides cam be marketable, look at submissions advert for a prime example, give it a theme, a name and some good branding at it works. The structure needs to be able to look somewhat impressive but for example all the retro-squad rides look somewhat impressive in marketing material so we know that they can do it.
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Like what JAperson said above, I completely agree. When The Retrosqad finally retire, I can see a Zamperla Hawk going in SpinJams location with a dark and depressing theme to it. I cant see how that can fail.
 
The thing is, yes flat rides don't have an easy tagline like a coaster but we know how good alton towers marketing team is, we've seen it with the retro-squad, as they've marketed what are essentially rides that come to your local town park and made them a retro team of traveling robots with personalities. It's a genius marketing strategy and they could employ similar tactics with a new permanent flat ride, they've done it before with submissions advert
courtesy of the TS YouTube channel.
 
Trooper Looper said:
Like what JAperson said above, I completely agree. When The Retrosqad finally retire, I can see a Zamperla Hawk going in SpinJams location with a dark and depressing theme to it. I cant see how that can fail.
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I could see a Zamperla Endeavour going in Enterprise's location if it's finally knackered.
 
JAperson said:
I think flat rides cam be marketable, look at submissions advert for a prime example, give it a theme, a name and some good branding at it works. The structure needs to be able to look somewhat impressive but for example all the retro-squad rides look somewhat impressive in marketing material so we know that they can do it.
Click to expand...

If you think back to how beloved rides like Ramases Revenge and The Slammer were then I think absolutely a good exciting flat ride be could be marketed as a major new attraction and pull in the punters. A well themed one, such as how is Talocan for example, could be extremely Instagrammable. X-Sector would be the perfect location for some fiendish looking ride and some interesting adverts.


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I'm sure if most of us were in charge of the purse strings, we'd be kicking something like SW9 far down the road to invest less overall on some well themed permanent flats instead and then marketing the hell out of them. It makes sense to guests. But what makes sense to guests is not necessarily what they will do as a business, a business we know less about the strategy of now they're no longer listed.

Operational expenditure has been eased somewhat since being taken private, but that is quite common for companies newly delisted as they no longer have to feed quarter by quarter expectations from shareholders for that number to always go down. But I would argue that in terms of long term capital investments, Merlin hasn't really changed. They're building the same gimmick/USP driven coasters that suffer the same issues as investments of the past, some removals are being replaced with cheaper attractions and a plethora of on site accommodation is still being built at their parks. That would suggest that a net gain of new permanent flats at Towers is an unlikely scenario.

One would hope that this is the follow through of projects where the wheels were already set in motion under PLC Merlin. Maybe over 2 years in is too early to tell. Prove me wrong Merlin, prove me wrong.
 
JAperson said:
The thing is, yes flat rides don't have an easy tagline like a coaster but we know how good alton towers marketing team is, we've seen it with the retro-squad, as they've marketed what are essentially rides that come to your local town park and made them a retro team of traveling robots with personalities. It's a genius marketing strategy and they could employ similar tactics with a new permanent flat ride, they've done it before with submissions advert
courtesy of the TS YouTube channel.
Click to expand...

Worth noting that the Submission advertising campaign was not completely successful - by the Summer the slots were being used for repeat runs of the Oblivion campaign. It's probably also not entirely coincidence that it was the last major flat investment.

That's not to say there's no merit in a campaign based around a new flat but all the evidence is that particular one failed.
 
WillPS said:
Worth noting that the Submission advertising campaign was not completely successful - by the Summer the slots were being used for repeat runs of the Oblivion campaign. It's probably also not entirely coincidence that it was the last major flat investment.

That's not to say there's no merit in a campaign based around a new flat but all the evidence is that particular one failed.
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I was using it more as an artistic vision example, marketing campaigns for flats can work, I was saying that I thought Alton Towers marketing team are good enough to be able to handle doing it.
 
Denominator???
That's a bit below the line mate...but nothing to get blown up over.
Edit...sorry D4n, passed comment before reading down, you beat me to it.
 
I actually think a retro themed area would be great for the park, and certainly
More fun and colourful than every area they have got now. Re theme the dark forest to it 😂 I wouldn’t change the rides though each year.

However I would rather have new perm flat rides. One in x sector and one in valley would do. Maybe dark forest or to replace enterprise. You could easily market you have 3 new rides, especially if they are UK first flat rides or more unique than just a waltzers 😛
 
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