The Brand Roller Coaster...

There are three basic categories of brands with in any industry. There are the brands that are vying for the top position of the marketplace. There are the brands that offer the lowest prices and best deals. And, then there are the convenience brands that fill in the gaps and only exist because of smart marketing. I could have called this blog Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Twin Donuts, but it’s become a tired analogy and who doesn’t love amusement parks.
The difference comes down to consumer experience, location and price. Each of these brands of theme parks provides a similar product but have different greatly different models aims. Disney aims to be the best. Six Flags aims to be most accessible. Dutch Wonderland aims to stay in business. Hopefully each of these parks meet their consumer’s expectations get to continue creating experiences
I don’t mean to pick on Dutch Wonderland because there are probably a hundred parks just like it across the country. Everyone has his or her own Dutch Wonderland. It’s your typical small business brand that is location specific and part of a community. They operate on the lowest possible budget and are very cost efficient. They only promote themselves locally and depend on Quaker Pennsylvania tourism. It’s part of a cheap vacation that families take because they’ve got an opportunity to do something and this is a convenient option, and a pleasant experience for everyone in the family.
Regional and national brands like Six flags want to be the most accessible brand out there. They’ve teamed up with Warner Bros. and DC comics to create a similar experience to Disney so families would be able to drive a few hours to spend a day with their families. Six Flags is more the rides than any story. Every one that enters the gates expects to be locked into a coaster car that’s going to be launched by the same devices that launches jet fighters from an aircraft carrier. It’s an awesome experience, but that’s all it is.
In contrast Disney s the Mecca of all theme parks. Families will travel any distance to spend a week there so that their kids can have something to talk about for the rest of their lives. It is the ultimate experience, not just part of it. It’s a global brand that caters to everyone. They have the same caliber rides as Six Flags but their marketing and advertising department is a multi-trillion dollar cartoon and movie studio. They know the value of telling a story and giving people an opportunity to be part of and participate in their favorite stories growing up.
Charles Eames once said, “Beyond the age of information is the Age of choices.” What that means is that parity is all around us. Consumers are constantly becoming more informed their acumen is well aware of their choices. The type of brand you are is irrelevant as long as understand your brands importance and its place in a culture. If reality is far off perception then it’s time to rebrand and redefine your place among others in the consumer world. Also remember that cultures and subcultures overlap constantly and finding your niche could mean stopping and listening to the people who truly own your brand and accept is as part of their culture. Overhauling your brand can be a simple adjustment or a complete rebuild. Let consumers tell you who you should be, and figure out the how to do that.