Market Analysis?

[JamBam]

market

We are in a town of 17,000 with 35,000 in county near a bigger city (Ft Wayne) of 200,000 with 600,000 in metro area of which we are considered a part of.

Our customers are asked for their hometown at the door and a tally sheet is kept. We have done this the past ten years. Most recent years, 35 percent was from our town area and 65 % from out of town (at least 20 mile away). This past year, the in town numbers were 16.71 % because we feel we had more out of town guests and out in town numers were identical three of the last four years.

We had many from out of our marketing area that found us online and traveled to us, sometimes from personal referrals about our event. The internet is definately our friend.

We are in the 1% catch rate of our market probably.

[Boni]

Do you have a method to recommend for how to gather and break down the numbers? Did you poll your patrons or have different tickets for different places where they were sold?

At Dr. Buzzsaw's Haunted Hospital, patients, after purchasing a ticket, are seated in a waiting room and our creepy nurse hands them a clip board "Before the Doctor can see you we need you to answer a few questions"

The survey was all about how they heard about the haunt, where they were from, can we contact them via e-mail next year, etc.

it worked great.

[Haunting Copy]

Another question

Haunt is located in a town of 20,000

County has about 75,000

4 other rural towns within half an hour

2 cities of 150,000 plus within an hour.

Year one, 500 people, but all out advertising was local and so were our guests.

Year two, 3000 people. Feature articles in both major cities newspapers and our town's paper, billboards on major highway, radio ads, fliers in the schools.

40% of our guests were from our town
30% of our guests were from the county but not our town
15% of our guests were from the other rural towns
15% of our guests were from the big cities.

So doing the percentages

6% of our town attended
3% of our county atteneded (this includes our town)
less than half a percent from neighboring counties
around a 10th of a percent of the two major cities.

Do you have a method to recommend for how to gather and break down the numbers? Did you poll your patrons or have different tickets for different places where they were sold?

[Haunting Copy]

Boni

Haunt is located in a town of 20,000

County has about 75,000

4 other rural towns within half an hour

2 cities of 150,000 plus within an hour.

Year one, 500 people, but all out advertising was local and so were our guests.

Year two, 3000 people. Feature articles in both major cities newspapers and our town's paper, billboards on major highway, radio ads, fliers in the schools.

40% of our guests were from our town
30% of our guests were from the county but not our town
15% of our guests were from the other rural towns
15% of our guests were from the big cities.

So doing the percentages

6% of our town attended
3% of our county atteneded (this includes our town)
less than half a percent from neighboring counties
around a 10th of a percent of the two major cities.

How did you get the schools to allow you to flier them?

[Boni]

Haunt is located in a town of 20,000

County has about 75,000

4 other rural towns within half an hour

2 cities of 150,000 plus within an hour.

Year one, 500 people, but all out advertising was local and so were our guests.

Year two, 3000 people. Feature articles in both major cities newspapers and our town's paper, billboards on major highway, radio ads, fliers in the schools.

40% of our guests were from our town
30% of our guests were from the county but not our town
15% of our guests were from the other rural towns
15% of our guests were from the big cities.

So doing the percentages

6% of our town attended
3% of our county atteneded (this includes our town)
less than half a percent from neighboring counties
around a 10th of a percent of the two major cities.

[Haunting Copy]

I feel I might be in a Better location as I have 3 Major metropolitan areas around me within say a hour drive.

Michael, if you are roughly in the center of three major areas, but are yourself rural or "country," I'd be very careful before deciding to open a haunt.

As one successful haunt owner told me once: "You can get people to the city, but you can't get them out of it."

[Haunting Copy]

I strongly recommend this organization: http://www.score.org/index.html

When you go to the site, there is a search box where you can input your zip code, and then you will be given a list of offices that are near you.

They also do consulting by e-mail, I believe.

[Haunting Copy]

Asanve, another thing you can try is asking your local chamber of commerce. In a small area such as yours, they will often know of previous charity haunts. Then, if there were such haunts, you could go to them and ask what kind of attendance they experienced.

If they ask why you want to know, be honest. (You know how small towns are; you don't want a bad reputation.) It might worry them that their haunt may suffer if you open one up, so you might want to think through what you will say in that case.

You might also consider using a MySpace page to reach your target market and ask them questions.

[Haunting Copy]

From what I understand, businesses in general, not just haunts, feel very lucky to get 3% of their target market in any campaign.

If they hit 5%, someone is getting a big, fat raise.

[Patti Ludwinski]

I think that if a haunt is getting 2% of their population, then they're doing a real good job. We have 2 haunts in their 15th year of fear, and combined attendance divided by our population equals 4% or higher. (However, we do get a lot of attendance from out of town/out of state, and I don't know what the divide is. Let's assume 3.8% is local and .2% is out of town.) I would absolutely encourage advertising to your surrounding areas IF the price is right. People will travel for a good haunt but don't spend too much money doing it.

---Patti

[rwrussom]

And then many with multi year experience, that know the intimate numbers on many multi year haunts can go completely silent too if you don't know who they are or respect what they have accomplished or experienced. Or better yet know who they have helped and that's why they know. Do you deserve to know? Have you helped anyone lately?

Greg,

The point was that there are a lot of people here throwing out advise without having the background to give it. Most of the experienced are tight lipped on some subjects. Many times for good reason. I am thankful to to those that offer up from their experience. For my part, this is not an area I can be helpful in. I have and do offer what I have freely, both on the boards and PMs were appropriate.

[Greg Chrise]

Hopefully someone with real multiyear experience can chime in. I know there are a couple who are out there.

And then many with multi year experience, that know the intimate numbers on many multi year haunts can go completely silent too if you don't know who they are or respect what they have accomplished or experienced. Or better yet know who they have helped and that's why they know. Do you deserve to know? Have you helped anyone lately?

[rwrussom]

This question is asked over and over, by myself included. It is rarely answered clearly by those who really have the experience to give these type of answers.

The 10% of your service area population seems to come up over and over although I dont know what the basis is. It seems this is a ultimate target for market penetration, not a starting number no matter how good you market.

Hopefully someone with real multiyear experience can chime in. I know there are a couple who are out there.

[michilson]

Numbers?

Well I’m not too worried about what they are making now that’s not what I have to worry about as they are a established haunt with 2 - 3 different themed areas. It would not even make scene to try to use their numbers now to judge how my first year haunt will do.

But I am asking if they would share what kind of attendance they had when they were in my shoes starting out when no one knew their name and it was all learn as you go and try to improve.

I know for some that was a long time ago but please share if you can! I also realize that not all will fit my situation but giving me a rough number even if it’s a avg. from say 10 different haunts around the country will give me a starting point to try to judge my potential growth.

Thanks guys for helping out please don’t give me anything that would give away your current numbers as it will do no good for us new guys!

[MMManiac]

Good luck getting attendence #'s from haunts. As helpful as we all are we still keep some secrets or if they do give up numbers they are inflated. Before you even consider to enter the "pro haunt" secure a location. You will find out real fast that as soon as you mention "haunted house" lots of doors will be shut. Its just the nature of the business... Best of luck to everyone though who is trying to open a pro haunt. Your best bet is to start small... Unless you can write a killer business plan dont waste your time. Your better off going to small local business to secure small donations. Be creative and build youe own props, costumes, ect... as you get more funds each year grow bigger... Don't try to be the darkness year one. Wont happen. Even Larry put in his years on the bottom to get where he is now. My haunt 8 years ago was... amature by the very least.... We took in $3,000 which to was was amazing. It just continued to grow to get where we are now. Your biggest thing is to MARKET. Get the word out.

Hope that helps and doesnt discourage anyone from going pro... Just A LOT of hard work