Q2 2019
THE
INSIDE TRACK
Top trends and insights from the family days out sector
Why you shoul d be usi ng usergener at ed cont ent
Inflatable Parks Jump Ahead
Get set for a summer full of c h a ra c t e r
Outdoor c i n e m a s ta k e th e l i m e l i g h t
Fu l l st e a m ahead for membership
How Families Plan for the Summer Holidays
CONTENTS 3 FOREWORD
Introduction from our MD, Simon Applebaum
4 TREND WATCH
The latest trends making their mark on the industry -
Trampoline and inflatable parks jump ahead Get set for a summer full of character Outdoor cinemas take the limelight
12 HOW TO GET HEARD Practical tips for marketing to today’s families ahead of the summer holidays - How do families prepare and plan for the summer? - More mentions & killer content with user-generated content - How to attract families whatever the weather
18 TOP OF THE CLASS
The top attractions and content from last summer
21 COMMUNITY UPDATES The latest news from our community -
Our community news Full steam ahead for membership Get Summer Sorted When Thomas takes over – real results
28 WATCH LIST A closer look at some of 2019’s new openings
EDITOR Jamie Starr BRAND LEAD Lisa O’Keeffe
COPYWRITER Dela Gonon
© 2019 Day Out Wi th The Ki ds Ltd.
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WELCOME Welcome back and thank you for all the lovely feedback on our first issue. We’re back with even more insights and advice to share with you ahe ad of the summer holidays. It won’t be long before the the school year ends, kickstarting a crucial period for the UK’s attractions industry. With competition fierce and the unknown weather forecast holding us to ransom, the need to be reactive, agile and creative is bigger than ever - and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve seen some incredible new content and innovations brought to market already in 2019, from both the biggest chains and smaller independents, but with over six months still left for the year, we know there’s still plenty more to come. The focus and aim is on improving visitor experience, and with expectations higher than ever, the better the experience the more likely you are to be rewarded with loyalty and repeat visits. We’re lucky enough to have an overarching view of the entire industry and a team that can spot emerging trends, turning data from our 17 million annual unique website users into meaningful insights. We’re in the unique position of knowing what matters to both families and attraction owners and we can join the dots between the two; taking the guesswork out of your marketing campaigns. This issue has the answer to how families prepare and plan for the summer holidays, but my question is how do you? I hope this issue is useful in helping you to get your plans in place for the summer holidays and don’t forget, we’re always on hand to help not only reach your audience, but to engage them too.
Simon Applebaum Managi ng Di rector at Day Out Wi th The Ki ds simon@dayoutwiththekids.co.uk
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JAMIE STARR
TREND WATCH
Fr o m th e ra p id r ise o f in fla ta b le s, to tr ie d a n d te ste d w a y s to e n h a n c e th e visito r exp e r ie n c e , w e ta k e a lo o k a t th e b ig g e st tr e n d s in th e se c to r r ig ht n o w a n d h ea r fr o m th e o p era to rs p u t tin g it in to p ra c tic e‌
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TRAMPOLINE & INFLATABLE PARKS
JUMP AHEAD The past few years saw trampoline parks experience a meteoric rise in popularity among families, leading to venues springing up at an extremely fast pace.
And it’s not just the indoor parks that are having all the fun; outdoor venues with large pools or lakes are getting in on the act by adding huge floating courses, with last year’s heatwave driving high visitor numbers to both fixed and touring inflatable water parks. With the likes of Thorpe Park adding their “brilliantly bonkers” BounceZilla course, Adventure Dock Co. bringing their floating course back to Liverpool’s Albert Docks, and chain operator Inflata Nation opening their sixth site in Newcastle, we expect inflatables to be our fastest-growing category in 2019.
We list ~150 trampoline & inflatable parks – more than ice skating & horse riding combined!
Google searches for i n f l a ta b l e parks j u m p e d 85 % in summer 2018, vs year before
TOP 10 INFLATABLE PARKS 1.
Inflata Nation
6. Play 2Day
Multiple locations, indoor
2. New Forest Water Park
Ipswich, indoor
7.
Jump INCflated South Yorkshire, indoor
Hampshire, outdoor
3. Aqua Park Group Multiple Locations, outdoor
4. Sheffield Cable Waterski
8. Velocity Inflatable Park Cheshire, indoor
9. Bounce Play Centre Lancashire, indoor
South Yorkshire, outdoor
5. We Are Vertigo County Antrim, indoor
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Image: Inflata Nation
age of the inflatable park - huge arenas with bouncy assault courses proving extremely popular with Last summer alone saw Google for ‘inflatable parks’ jump by a 85%.
10. Adventure Dock Co. Merseyside, outdoor
I n f l a ta b l e water parks have 4x as many Google searches than indoor i n f l a ta b l e p a r k s
Image: Aqua Parks Group
Enter the inflatable that are families. searches whopping
Image: Aqua Parks Group
However, the explosion in new openings has led to over-saturation and fierce competition. As the category approaches maturity, the savviest owners are diversifying, to help differentiate themselves from the crowd.
Image: Aqua Parks Group
Simon James Managing Director Aqua Parks Group Aqua Parks runs three inflatable water parks in the UK, obstacles include The Beast – the UK’s tallest inflatable climbing wall!
“When I first saw the aquapark concept in late 2015, I knew it had potential. We’ve been jumping, diving and having fun in water since we learnt to swim, so I couldn’t say no to developing it professionally. We’re now proud to be the largest operator with sites in Rutland, Cardiff and Ipswich, plus more planned for 2020! We’re also industry leaders working with the Royal Life Saving Society, chairing the Association of Aqua Parks in the UK, and we’re constantly looking to provide the safest and most fun day out with the kids.”
Matthew & Michelle Ball Managing Directors, Inflata Nation Inflata Nation was born from Jump Nation Trampoline Parks, with its directors noticing a gap in the market and chance to diversify. Now, they’ve got six inflatable theme parks, and more to come!
“Following the success of our Jump Nation trampoline parks, we wanted to shake up the leisure market and bring the next generation of activities to the UK – creating the UK’s first inflatable theme parks. We created Inflata Nation Inflatable Theme Parks in 2017, with our first site opening at our former Jump Nation trampoline park in Manchester. 2018 was a momentous year for us, which saw us open arenas in Cheshire, Birmingham, Beverley and Glasgow. We work with the market leading inflatables manufacturer to offer the safest, highest quality product possible, and by designing all of our own arenas, we can inject something special and unique into each one. The ethos of the Nation brand is still very much at the forefront of what we strive to achieve. We also have a popular franchise scheme, allowing us to share our industry experience with leisure entrepreneurs looking to run their own inflatable theme park across the UK and Europe. Our latest arena will be opening in Newcastle this spring and we have big plans to grow our network of inflatable theme parks, making them even bigger and better in 2019 and beyond!”
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GET SET FOR A SUMMER FULL OF
CHARACTER
Image: Rainbow Productions
600k parents reached in just 48hrs with our Day Out With Thomas social ta k e o v e r
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75 % o f parents said a themed event would make them more likely to book
Image: Mattel / Day Out With Thomas
Image: Rainbow Productions /Marsh Farm
Image: Rainbow Productions/Eden Project 2016
As today’s millennial parents seek ever-more memorable experiences that look good on social media, their perception of value has shifted. They’ll happily pay more, or travel further, for something that gives them a story to tell or that killer photo. With attractions battling to stand out from the crowd this summer, we’re seeing an increase in venues running themed events and characterled campaigns in order to drive online buzz and ultimately, footfall. We see huge spikes in online engagement whenever a popular kids’ character is featured in a venue’s marketing. Mentions of Peppa Pig drive up to 300% more clicks for Paulton’s Park on our site; plus a recent social media takeover featuring Thomas The Tank Engine days out drove a total reach of 600k in 48 hours. But it’s not just famous names that capture families’ imaginations. Smaller operators are getting creative with campaigns around kids’ themes, with unicorns, dinosaurs, fairies, knights & princesses being perennially popular. Character weekends and themed events are a sure fire way to create a buzz this summer, and with a little imagination, don’t have to cost the earth. Even better - running a variety can keep families coming back over and over again, driving loyalty and repeat visitation.
2019 CHARACTER CAMPAIGNS
Searching for “unicorn weekend” on google.co.uk g e n e ra t e s 62 m r e s u l t s
1.
Day Out With Thomas at railways across the UK
2.
Forestry Commission launches new Zog Activity Trails
6.
Gruffalo’s 20th Birthday at Chessington World of Adventures
7.
Brickosaurs at Marwell Zoo
3.
Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N in London
8.
Captain Marvel arrives at Madame Tussauds Blackpool
4.
Room on the Broom A Magical Journey opens at Chessington World of Adventures
9.
How To Train Your Dragon at Shrek’s Adventure
5.
New Teletubbies Live Show launches at Alton Towers Resort
10. Princess Parties at Partyman World venues across the UK
Image: Rainbow Productions
Simon Foulkes Sales & Marketing Director Rainbow Productions
Rainbow Productions is the UK’s official supplier of over 100 licensed children’s characters available to book for personal appearances.
“The popularity of licensed character visits continues to rise, as a growing number of visitor attractions across the UK invite children’s favourites to be part of their 2019 events line-up. Meet and greet appearances are a great way of adding value to and enhancing the visitor experience, especially for younger guests. For a child to meet a cartoon celebrity in the flesh (or fur!) is a unique, engaging and memorable experience and rewards the parents with their own mantel-piece souvenir. Adding a famous character to events programmes also helps drive extra footfall at key times of year such as Easter, summer holidays, Halloween and Christmas. Rainbow Productions is the UK’s official supplier of over 100 licensed children’s characters available to book for personal appearances, as well as narrations, trail activities, workshops and mini shows. A number of characters are celebrating anniversaries this year including The Gruffalo who is turning 20, and Peppa Pig is celebrating 15 Years of Muddy Puddles, plus recent movie successes have boosted popularity of classic favourites Paddington™ and Peter Rabbit™.”
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OUTDOOR CINEMAS TAKE THE
LIMELIGHT
As the summer approaches, the days get longer, the evenings get warmer, and attractions all over the country are looking for ways to get more people through the doors. From extending opening hours, to hosting evening open-air events, there’s one form of late night outdoor entertainment which Brits seem to love - outdoor cinemas.
Image: Luna Cinemas
Outdoor cinemas have seen a massive growth in popularity over the last 5 years, with searches for “outdoor cinemas” up 69% in the summer of 2018 vs the same period in 2017. There’s also been a rise in operators screening family events, tapping into a growing demand from the family market. The reason behind this developing trend is that families across the UK want to make the most of the good weather in an experiential way the movie itself is almost secondary.
Searches for ‘outdoor cinemas’ in peak summer r o s e b y 69 % in 2018 vs 2017
2019 SCREENING LOCATIONS 1.
Thorpe Park Surrey
6. Knebworth House Gardens & Park Hertfordshire
2. Warwick Castle Warwickshire
7.
Hampton Court Palace Greater London
3. Chatsworth House & Gardens
8. Kensington Palace Greater London
Derbyshire
4. Tatton Park Cheshire
9. Chiswick House Gardens Greater London
5. Leeds Castle Kent
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10. York Minster North Yorkshire
July is the most popular month for outdoor cinemas
Interest in “outdoor cinemas near me” has risen b y 70 0 % a c r o s s the UK since 2014
Image: Luna Cinemas
Mobile cinema hire ranges from £800 - £1800, but there are also open-air cinema events producers who can manage everything from licensing and catering, to online ticketing.
Image: Luna Cinemas
With the UK set to experience even more hotter and drier summers in the future, spells of good weather allow for continuous growth of the outdoor cinema industry.
IN THE KNOW… George Wood Luna Cinema is the country’s leading producer of openair cinema events – a classic film on a big screen at a beautiful or prestigious setting. Luna Kids launched in 2018, offering family-friendly screenings across the UK.
“We’ve noticed a huge demand for family-friendly screenings and that’s partly why we launched Luna Kids Cinema last year, because so many people were requesting these kinds of experiences. Familyfriendly cinema has got better and better in terms of the standard of films on offer, and it’s become such an important event that it was inevitable open-air cinema would grow up and there would be a demand for kids version of it. Venues have always loved The Luna Cinema experiences as they are low impact, with installation only taking a few hours. We appeal to a very mass, mainstream audience and film is so inclusive, so it’s an easier way of attracting a new visitor. Whereas theatre and art events tend to be slightly more niche with audiences, cinema seems to be the easiest cultural touch point for the vast majority of people and an easy way to get people to visit. Plus, watching a film outdoors is also something that’s still a little bit different. When sitting down with venues, I always ask what they would like next and they always say more family-friendly content as they know parents are desperate for things to do with children in the school holidays – so Luna Kids now works in the day for families and The Luna Cinema works well for evening experiences. In looking for a venue the key points are having a good location where people can access it easily, a spectacular backdrop that’s unique and exciting, such as Hampton Court Palace, where the atmosphere and experience is worth the ticket price alone. It simply elevates the experience from what you get in a normal park. I always reference Cardiff Castle as being the perfect venue because it’s huge and accommodates 3000 people, it has a spectacular medieval backdrop, it’s relatively flat which is useful and it’s right in the middle of a major city where most people can walk!”
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Image: Luna Cinama
Founder, Luna Cinema
HOW TO GET HEARD
R e a c h m o r e fa m ilie s w h e n it m a t te rs m o st, w ith p ra c tic a l tip s fo r m a r k etin g to th e n ex t g en era tio n o f fa m ilie s a h ea d o f th e su m m er h o lid a y s
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HOW DO FAMILIES PREPARE AND PLAN FOR THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS? Parents are under ever-growing pressure to make the school holidays count. From competing with other parents at the school gates to keeping up with online influencers, there’s not only the feeling of needing to do more, but to document it too. With so much choice at their fingertips, family attitudes to planning have shifted considerably in recent years. Gone are the rigid itineraries and booking each day out months in advance, swapped in favour of spontaneity and the ability to change plans as they go.
“Family attitudes to planning have shifted considerably in recent years”
Parents spend their evenings passively browsing and gathering ideas, and their mornings making that final decision as they walk out of the door - something we see on our site each time the schools break up. And it’s not just for families looking for days out close to home; the summer holidays are prime staycation season, driving increases in pageviews for coastal locations by as much as 268%. The further families travel, the bigger the lead time in researching, planning and booking their days out - and the more they rely on discovery sites and Google searches over peer recommendations and word of mouth.
THE SUMMER HOLIDAY TIMELINE JULY 15TH Anticipation for the summer holidays – research phase begins, but low commitment and ticket sales
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AUG 10TH The lull – families begin suffering from fatigue and take a breather. Money is tighter, and running out of ideas
JULY 25TH The schools break up and parents commit to firm plans, booking online and arriving at their holiday destinations AUG 25TH The bank holiday rise, then the end of summer cliff – one last hurrah before back to school
5 TIPS FOR MAXIMISING YOUR MARKETING IN THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS
Early bird offers, limited availability events and flexible ticket options all help to secure an early booking, where parents feel they’ve got either great value or a win-win result. Flexible tickets and weather guarantees give parents the confidence to book, knowing they’re less at the mercy of the unexpected as we know, family life is not always predictable!
BE REACTIVE
REPEAT VISITS
Things can change quickly, so being able to react and regroup is one of the biggest strengths you can have this summer. Learning to expect the unexpected and having a ‘Plan B’ ready to roll out in an instant will ensure you’re ready for anything. The beauty of digital is that you can overhaul your marketing mid-campaign if you need to.
You may think acquiring new visitors is your biggest goal this summer, but it’s repeat visitors that can help to make or break your season. Free return visits or added value incentives gives a greater sense of value for money. With family leisure spend increasingly stretched, especially towards the end of the holidays, you can ensure you stay front of mind.
MARKET TO THE UNDECIDED
KEEP IT FRESH
The first place most parents look for days out is search engines, so ensuring a strong presence on discovery sites, like ours, is crucial for reaching new audiences. Families visiting unfamiliar areas will rely on search results more heavily than those who can get trusted local recommendations, but with competition fiercer than ever, you’ll need to stand out.
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GET COMMITMENT
As holiday boredom begins to set in, changing your offer to include something new and exciting is key. Special events, pop-ups or character appearances can all help to freshen up your activities, and with new content and messaging to support, you’ll avoid your marketing becoming stale.
Get more mentions and killer content this summer
USING UGC
National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham / Merlin Entertainments
A picture speaks a thousand words, and that certainly seems to be the case for Instagram. With more parents using the platform for inspiration and discovery, there’s one type of content packing the biggest marketing punch; user-generated content (UGC). UGC is simply content created and shared by fans, without being paid. It keeps customers at the heart of the conversation and drives a more personal connection, especially with a family audience. They’re increasingly immune to glossy marketing shots, and crave content that is more relatable to them. With an increase in the number of people actively seeking out locations to get a photo just ‘for the gram’, utilising UGC as part of your content strategy helps to showcase different highlights from your attraction. Understanding the parts that parents most want to share on social media allows you to harness their power, turning a handful of check-ins into a must-see for new visitors. As summer approaches and visitor numbers peak, longer and brighter days make it prime time to utilise outdoor space - with gardens in full bloom, a packed events calendar and blue skies as a backdrop, encouraging visitors to share their experiences helps to sell the day out to others. It’s the power of word of mouth, in a digital guise. UGC is something we’ve implemented into our strategy in the last few months, with the majority of our Instagram attraction content now using real photos from real family experiences - resulting in a 189% increase in our post likes since the shift!
Hogwarts Express at WB Studio Tour London / Kerry O’Hanlon
Cut outs photo props at Pirates Quest / @craftsonsea
Thomas Land at Drayton Manor
Confetti Fields in Worcestershire
/ Heena Nurmuhammed
/ Caroline Magovern
Dippy on Tour in Dorset
Hello Kitty bench at Drusillas Park
/ Elaine Betteridge
/ @kiddosadventures_
Gruffalo statue at Chessington World of Adventures /@slapsnapuk
Biodomes at The Eden Project / @craftsonsea
By Lisa O’Keeffe
86%
Of millennials say that UGC is a good indicator of the quality of a brand /Bazaar Voice
Zog Activity Trails / Forestry Commission
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5 TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR ATTRACTION MORE INSTAGRAMWORTHY
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RUN A COMPETITION Just launched Instagram or want to boost your followers? Incentivise your audience to share photos with your brand and hashtags by adding a competition element from family tickets or merchandise to something bigger like an annual pass, you’ll be amazed at what buy in you’ll get when there’s a prize. Top tip? Follow your brand and relevant hashtags to see the best posts in your feed.
CUT-OUTS
COLOUR
Whilst cardboard cut-outs might seem dated, there’s something we can’t resist about getting involved. The benefit of cut-outs is that they can be branded for maximum exposure, and can serve as a reminder of how and what to share later. Be creative with your design and watch the photos roll in!
Natural light helps make photos look brighter and deeper all on its own, but that shouldn’t stop you from considering creating something colourful to really draw the eye. There’s a reason why flowers are one of the most photographed things…
CREATE AN EXPERIENCE
RESHARE
People share experiences more than things, so rather than just creating a photo space to use, think about how families can engage and interact. The key is making the experience match your brand so it doesn’t become an empty interaction things like interactive props and character meet and greets can be a good place to start.
Utilising user-generated content is not only great for your content marketing strategy, but it also serves as an incentive. Families love the chance to see their photos shared by official accounts, and it can make them more likely to check in or use a relevant hashtag if this increases their chances. It also helps to keep your feed fresh and ‘real’.
How to at tract customers whatever the
WEATHER
Summer of 2017 in the UK was the coldest in 35 years, while summer of 2018 was the joint hottest on record telling us something we all already know weather can be unpredictable. During the 2018 heatwave (June - September), Day Out With The Kids saw 4 million more visitors search for days out, compared to the same period in 2017. The common denominator between 65% of the most popular attractions in summer 2018 was the presence of water features, ranging from a splash zone to a full outdoor water park.
Indoor attractions were booming in summer 2017, with museums attracting 11% more visitors than in 2018. However, in summer 2018, indoor and soft play centres, despite seeing a 13% decrease in popularity, were the 3rd most searched category on the site. It just goes to show that even during a heatwave, indoor play and other indoor attractions are still in demand as a way to escape the heat. It’s important that whatever your strongest features are, you should always make sure your potential customers know about them. After all, what are great features for, if no one knows they exist? Regular updates on social media, your website and your Day Out With The Kids listing will help you spread the word to a wider audience and attract more visitors, come rain or shine. And with odds-on at 1-2 for 2019 to be the hot t e st y e ar on re cord1, i t ’ s t i m e t o st art planning your marketing to match.
Indoor & soft play centres w e r e 3 rd m o s t searched category despite the 2018 heatwave
Odds-on at 1-2 for 2019 to be the hottest year on record ( S o u r c e : C o r a l B e t t i n g 1)
65%
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of the most popular attractions on the Day Out With The Kids site from June – September 2018 had water play features
By Dela Gonon
TOP OF THE CLASS
T h e to p d a y s o u t fr o m la st su m m e r , a s se a r c h e d fo r b y 17m fa m ilies o n w w w .d a y o u tw ithth ek id s.c o .u k
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Summer 2018 was all about the heatwave; the soaring temperatures saw families flock to outdoor attractions, whilst indoor attractions struggled to compete. Looking for places to cool off, water attractions were a constant hit with families – but what will summer have in store for us this year?
SUMMER 2018: CATEGORY WINNERS… The good weather last summer saw some categories boom compared to the previous year, with outdoor attractions amongst the biggest growth
Lidos
River Cruises
Water Parks
Beaches
Safari Parks
+394%
+149%
+128%
+95%
+50%
…AND THE LOSERS But it wasn’t all good news; these categories saw some of the biggest declines vs. summer 2017, despite still being amongst our popular searches.
Ice Skating
Indoor Soft Play Centres
Museums & Ar t Galleries
Laser Tag
Ten Pin Bowling
-20%
-13%
-1 1%
-5%
-4%
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TOP VIEWED ATTRACTIONS OF SUMMER 2018 The attractions that parents viewed the most from July – August 2018.
1. Coral Reef Waterworld Berkshire
2. The Milky Way Adventure Park
6. The Hop Farm Family Park Kent
7. Danson Splash Park Greater London
3. ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure
8. Wimbledon Sprinkler Park
4. Cassiobury Park
9. Leyton Leisure Lagoon
5. LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
10. Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park
Norfolk
Hertfordshire
Berkshire
Image: Coral Reef Waterworld
Devon
Greater London Greater London
Essex
TOP 10 BLOG ARTICLES FROM SUMMER 2018 Our blog is home to the best seasonal content, helping to give families even more ideas & inspiration. Here are the top posts from last summer
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1. Best Indoor Water Parks in the UK
6. Best Outdoor Swimming Pools
2. Best Splash Pads and Splash Parks in the UK
7. Family Friendly Festivals for your Diary
3. Go Wild UK Safari Parks Guide
8. Pick Your Own Fruit This Summer
4. 10 Best Theme Parks in the UK
9. Top 10 Steam Train Rides & Railways in the UK
5. Things to do on Bank Holiday Monday
10. Free Family Days Out That Don’t Cost a Thing
COMMUNITY UPDATES
F ea tu r in g th e la test m em b ersh ip u p d a te a n d r ea l r esu lt s fr o m a r ec en t c lien t c a m p a ig n , h ea r th e la test n ew s fr o m th e D a y O u t W ith T h e K id s w o r ld a n d o u r g r o w in g c o m m u n ity o f fa m ilies
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OUR COMMUNITY NEW S… 2019 has already proved to be an exciting year for Day Out With The Kids, with loads more to come! Our membership rollout continues to go from strength to strength, with national rollout expected by the summer holidays, allowing families all across the UK the chance to do more for less. We’ll soon be announcing the most family-friendly seaside resorts in the UK as part of our exciting summer activity, and later this year we’ll be calling on our community of parents to crown the best family attractions in the return of our Family Favourites Awards. With nominations opening in June, we’re excited to discover the attractions going the extra mile for family visitors this year. Plus, we take a look at how we worked with Mattel, the brand behind the Day Out With Thomas events, to create a social media takeover to launch their 2019 season in style.
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Want to feature in the next issue of The Inside Track? Get in touch now: press@dayoutwiththekids.co.uk
FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR
MEMBERSHIP
Our membership scheme aimed at helping families do even more of the things they love continues to go from strength to strength: • Rollout into the South East & London is now complete • We’ve added theatre, holidays and short breaks as categories • Our first national flagship family dining partnership with Sizzling Pubs has gone live • Rollout into the South West of England has commenced We’ve now sent over 50,000 visitors through the doors of participating partners, with attractions, cinemas and restaurants creating amazing child-friendly benefits for our audience, which we promote via email and a special members-only area of the website. We’ve been blown away at the reaction and have big plans for 2019 and beyond – including rollout into Scotland and Wales this summer.
A BIG THANKS TO PARTNERS WHO JOINED THE FUN IN Q1 2019:
JOIN NOW! TOP CLAIMED MEMBER OFFERS IN 2019 TO DATE 1 . Dr ay ton Manor Theme Par k 2. Al ton Tower s Resor t 3. Chessington World of Adventures
★ New! ★
4. Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Want to be part of our membershi p scheme adventure? We can of f er f antasti c marketi ng opportuni ti es i n return f or a f ami l yf ri endly i ncenti ve to pass onto our members.
5. Flamingo Land Theme Park & Zoo 6. LEGOLAND® Di scover y Centr e Bi r mi ngham 7. LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
★ New! ★
partnerships@dayoutwiththekids.co.uk
8. National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham 9. Battersea Park Children’s Zoo 10. Diggerland Yorkshire 23
★ New! ★
★ New! ★
* Minimum requirements apply
Image: WaterWorld Stoke
IN THE KNOW… Kelly Mountford Sales & Marketing Manager Waterworld Stoke
Waterworld Stoke was one of the first attractions to join our membership scheme, welcoming a large number of Day Out With The Kids members through its doors since launch.
“Our Day Out Wi th The Ki ds of f er has our hi ghest redempti on rate amongst al l other current of f ers wi th 80% of these customers tel l i ng us that they di dn’ t even know Waterworl d exi sted unti l DOWTK had recommended us to them. Thi s f i ts i n perf ectl y wi th our marketi ng obj ecti ve of generati ng new customers and i ncreasi ng f ootf all . Havi ng worked i n partnershi p wi th si mi l ar membershi p schemes i n the past, I can conf i dentl y say that DOWTK have been by f ar the most successf ul f or us and they have del i vered on exactl y what was promi sed.”
OUR MEMBERSHIP IN NUMBERS …
120,000
2,500
30
50,000
Parents on the sign up list
Partner venues being promoted
Counties where scheme is live (lots more to go!)
Visits to attractions using our membership – and counting!
GET INVOLVED!
PARTNERSHIPS@DAYOUTWITHTHEKIDS.CO.UK 24
WHEN THOMAS TAKES OVER After strong results in 2018, we’re excited to be working with Mattel again this year to promote its Day Out With Thomas events.
Image: Mattel / Day Out With Thomas
Making tracks to several railway sites across the UK, our campaign helps to drive more families to visit the famous blue engine on one of his many station stops this year. Kickstarting this year’s campaign was a 24 hour takeover of our social media channels, with all content focused on and around the Thomas brand. Alongside event information, a competition and exclusive video content produced by our team, we also got our creative heads together to tap into what it really means to be a #ThomasParent, using clever meme content to bring the entire concept to life.
BOOK A TAKEOVER Looki ng f or a hi gh i mpact soci al campai gn? Our 24-hour takeovers hel p to ampl i f y your message to our hi ghl y engaged audi ence of parents. Get i n touch now to f i nd out more!
partnerships@dayoutwiththekids.co.uk
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Shares
TESTIMONIAL Alaina Wong Live Events & Attractions Marketing Manager at Mattel “We’re very pleased to have expanded our partnership with Day Out With The Kids. Promoting our events and attractions across their digital and social platforms has delivered strong results, and working with them is extremely turn-key. I appreciate that they take the time to get to know your brand as well, and are great partners when it comes to content development and marketing strategy.”
IN JUST 24 HOURS, WE ACHIEVED:
607,615
T otal s oc ial re ac h
Organic
Paid
12,233 Reactions
T otal en gagem en t s Comments
Shares
10,023
392%
Day Out With Thomas page views on our site
Increase in page views during takeover Images © Mattel / Day Out With Thomas
5,826 Total outbound clicks to book, a clickthrough rate of 58%
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GET SUMMER SORTED We know the school hol i days are al ways some of your busi est ti mes, but nothi ng qui te comes cl ose to the si x-week summer break. Wi th the end of term f ast approachi ng, we’ re hel pi ng to get summer sorted – f or both our f ami ly audi ence and our attracti on partners. Our exci ti ng new campai gn generates extra exposure when i t matter most, and f ollows on f rom the success of our spri ng acti vi ty gui de earl i er thi s year.
BOOK R NOW FOR SUMME
Combi ni ng the best bl og content, soci al medi a, seasonal acti vi ti es and our top pi cks f or the days out parents real l y shoul dn’ t mi ss thi s year, i t’ s a one-stop shop f or al l thi ngs summer. Interested i n f i ndi ng out more? Get i n touch wi th our partnershi ps team now!
WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE… BUT WHICH ONES? Ahead of the summer, we’ re crowni ng the best seasi de towns and resorts f or f ami l i es across the UK, based on the opi ni ons of our f ami l y audi ence and l oads of other f actors, i ncl udi ng days out, beaches, weather and, of course, f i sh & chi ps! Want the resul ts as soon as they’ re i n? Regi ster your i nterest to f i nd out i f your attracti on i s i n a top seasi de town – we have badges avai l abl e to proudl y di spl ay too!
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WATCH LIST
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THE ONES TO WATCH
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THE FALCONER’S QUEST AT WARWICK CASTLE Having soared into Warwick Castle in April, The Falconer’s Quest is the UK’s biggest birds of prey show, and already getting rave reviews. Starring up to 70 highflying birds, this show is as much about action and adventure as it is about the birds, resulting in a spectacular show that will have the whole family in awe. Whilst Warwick Castle is no stranger to birds of prey shows, it’s clear that The Falconer’s Quest is a big part of its 2019 activities. Included in general admission, and with shows twice daily until November, it joins a stellar line up of other experiential activities, building on the success of War of the Roses and Dragon Slayer last year.
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Kew
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NEW CHILDREN’S GARDEN AT KEW GARDENS Opening on 18th May, the new Children’s Garden at Kew Gardens is its most ambitious design project in recent years, and has been in progress for two years prior to opening! Designed around the themes of earth, air, sun and water, kids aged 2-12 will be able to explore nature in a whole new way, with features including an aerial walkway, giant sand pit, trampolines and water pumps. With sensory elements and with everything linking back to nature, it’s a place for imagination, discovery and fun for Kew’s younger visitors. The new space is roughly the size of 40 tennis courts and was mapped around the trees that already existed in the space something totally unique to London and a huge draw for parents in the area.
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SEALS IN THE CITY AT NATIONAL SEA LIFE CENTRE BIRMINGHAM Now open, the National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham has welcomed a pair of rescued seals as the first inhabitants of its new multi-million pound mammal rescue facility. Miley and Boo, who have relocated from other UK SEA LIFE Centres, both have medical conditions that prevent them from thriving in the wild. The new facility, which also boasts a specialist welfare team, has been specifically created to mimic natural habitats, with everything from atmospheric smells to correct temperatures. With multiple touch points for visitors, the centre has created a world-class rescue facility that can engage the public and educate on marine welfare.
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KNIGHTS STRONGHOLD AT LEEDS CASTLE It’s a big year for Leeds Castle as it celebrates its 900th anniversary – with a bumper year of special events to mark the occasion. There’s also one new addition we’re loving already; the brand new Knight’s Stronghold Playground, a play area modelled on the beautiful Leeds Castle itself. Spiralling slides, fireman’s poles, giant cargo nets and zip wires make this a haven for kids, and one we’re sure will be really popular!
GOT NEWS?
GRINGOTTS BANK OPENS AT WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON New zones and special events have been regular occurrences at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London since it opened in 2012, but the latest addition is its largest expansion to date. Back in April, it opened the iconic Gringotts bank, as well as the famed Lestrange vault, allowing visitors to step inside the locations that were home to some of the film’s most memorable moments for the first time. With a column-lined marble foyer, piles of wizarding currency and loads more props from the film, the new area also allows visitors to explore the concepts, costumes, prosthetics and more that helped bring the goblin-run spot to life.
Keep us in the loop by sending your latest news and releases to press@dayoutwiththekids.co.uk
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