by Amanda Blackman, AKA
In recent weeks, I’ve had conversations with four major US attractions, each facing a troubling trend: alarmingly declining attendance and reduced ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) year over year. Digging deeper, I found a common thread. Each of these attractions had pivoted their advertising efforts to rely exclusively on digital media (primarily search and social channels).
One marketing director shared why their CEO had championed this shift. “We ran some awareness media a few years ago, so everyone should be aware of us now,” they reportedly said. “We’ve moved on to conversion.”
This mindset, unfortunately, has led them to their current situation.
The importance of awareness media
Awareness media plays a crucial role in the marketing funnel, particularly for attractions and entertainment experiences. Here’s why:
- Broadening your audience base: Awareness campaigns, such as out-of-home (OOH) advertising, TV/CTV, audio, and digital takeovers, are designed to reach a broad audience. This creates foundational awareness that supercharges all future marketing efforts.
- Fueling top-of-funnel engagement: You can’t fill a funnel from the bottom. Effective campaigns rely on a steady flow of new prospects at the top. A 2019 study by the Advertising Research Foundation found that brands investing in a balanced media mix, including awareness campaigns, saw 24% higher sales from their media spend compared to those focusing on performance marketing channels alone.
- Enhancing long-term brand recall: Continuous exposure through awareness media builds brand recognition and recall. This is particularly vital for attractions that need to stay top-of-mind amidst a sea of entertainment options. According to various studies, between 50 – 70% of consumers who saw a high-impact OOH ad could recall the specific messaging days later, a retention rate far surpassing that of digital ads.
- Combating digital saturation: Consumers are bombarded with digital ads these days, and standing out requires more than just targeted social or search campaigns. Awareness media can cut through this noise by presenting your experience in high-impact, memorable formats. Impressions don’t matter if nobody is impressed.
To be clear, digital media is a critical piece of the marketing engine. It offers unparalleled targeting and measurable performance but should not exist in isolation.
For attractions and entertainment venues, the case is clear: reliance on digital channels alone may work in the short term but does not fuel long-term growth. Ongoing investment in awareness media is crucial to keep your attraction visible, memorable, and at the top of potential visitors’ minds.
