photo credit: PolyesterPolaroid
In case you missed my blog post about my love for Harry Potter last October, the basic gist of the entry was that I am a HUGE fan of the adventure-seeking wizard and his enchanted peers. So when I heard about the forthcoming opening of Universal Orlando’s “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” attraction, I could hardly contain my excitement.
For more about magical promotional toys and the grand opening of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,”
An episode of Celebrity Apprentice several months ago required contestants to create an interactive display and presentation geared toward children to generate buzz for the revolutionary new theme park. Armed with plenty of promotional paraphernalia to enhance their presentations, the teams approached their assignment with a marketing mindset, discussing their target audience and ways to gain buy-in. One team built a replica of the wand shop frequented by Harry and his classmates, while the other team organized for audience members to be “sorted” into a class by putting on a “Sorting Hat,” as featured in Harry Potter novels and films. Both teams incorporated some aspect of experiential marketing into their pitches, thereby appealing to their youth judges by making them feel like part of the characters’ magical world.
While Celebrity Apprentice contestants did a great job promoting the theme park, their ideas only grazed the surface of the actual attraction’s magnificence. The park’s official website outlines the array of rides and stores covering the vast grounds, including but not limited to, “Ollivander’s”, the wand shop where wands choose their owners rather than the other way around, and the “Owl Post” post office, a fully-operational post office and store featuring a plethora of Harry Potter stationary, stamps, and more. One thing is for sure: shopping at this theme park will be like nothing children, and even most adults, have ever experienced before. The park opens to the general public tomorrow, June 18th.
The objective of any theme park is to allow visitors to enjoy memorable experiences with their loved ones, and souvenirs enable guests to purchase and take home a piece of the enchantment as a lasting reminder of their trip. Whether you are hosting a gala or an executive meeting, distributing imprinted items to attendees ensures that they walk away with a tangible memento of the event, keeping your brand and services at the top of their minds for years to come.