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Fairs & Expos Magazine |
A Breath of Fresh Air: Breathing New Life Into Your Fair Through a Branding OverhaulBy: Amanda Eden State fairs have long conjured up images of John Deere tractors, pigs of all shapes and sizes, and blue-ribbon-worthy squash. Spinning and hurtling midway rides that make you revisit the variety of fried foods you ate that day. Jellies made of vegetables you wouldn’t eat fresh. Fierce quilting competition that rivals the most brutal NFL linebacker clashes. And animals — and manure — galore. While these are indeed the icons that make the fair “the fair,” they can also lend themselves to a stagnate image — a deterrent to drawing in newcomers. But used in a new way, they can be the building blocks for a new brand and the future of your fair. The Kansas State Fair was in need of a new image. It had made some tremendous improvements to the grounds in the past couple years, but outwardly it was the same old fair. The staff identified the need for new life in its brand and hired Wichita, Kansas-based Greteman Group for the job. Initial analysis showed that while the fair has a core audience in traditional fairgoers (the 55-plus crowd), teens, young adults (18-24), and adults/families (25-54) create a unique and profitable opportunity for the fair’s future. “During our development process, we recognized the fair is a rite of passage for many Americans,” said Sonia Greteman, Greteman Group president and creative director. “Most people had state fair experiences when they were growing up — something they want for their kids as well.” If you hook them when they’re young, they’ll continue to come back as young adults, then as parents with the next generations of fairgoers in tow. Upon accepting the behemoth task of re-branding the fair, we knew there were a couple of large obstacles to overcome: • How do you re-brand an event to draw in new people yet not alienate the traditional fairgoer? • How do you make the fair — an event with agrarian roots and typically geared towards an agriculture-based community — attractive and sexy to people in their 20s and 30s?
• Teens 12-17 — The fair is a total blast. It’s very cool. It’s a hip place to hang out with friends. • Young Adults 18-24 — The fair is fun, cool, and retro — pure Americana. You’ll see things you can’t see anywhere else, from the weird to the wonderful. • Adults 25-54 (includes families) — Going to the state fair is part of growing up. A rite of passage. No child should miss it. You will feel good about giving this experience to your child — and you’ll have fun too.
The result: “It’s a wild ride, baby.” The new brand’s urban, retro edge plays on the nostalgia of the event but also its overall zaniness. It combines quirky headlines and a crazy tagline to appeal to a wide range of audiences. It strategically says, “The state fair is so square, it’s hip.” “The creative is right on target for where we plan to go with the fair,” said Denny Stoecklein, general manager. “It captures the Americana essence we all know and love while appealing to diverse younger audiences with its retro feel.” Outrageous headlines used in the campaign remind people of the variety of things to see and do at the fair — “Cowboys, Cotton Candy and Tough Chicks,” while others emphasize the oddities — “Wild. Weird. Wonderful.” and “It’ll Mess With Your Head.” Bold, colorful illustrations show barnyard animals interacting with rides, tying the brand to the fair’s roots in agriculture and fun. To combat our challenge of reaching a younger audience, we got to know our mark. Young urban dwellers, as a demographic, have adapted to a busy media environment by tuning out the marketing messages they see and hear. Guerilla marketing uses means other than traditional media to communicate a message. More and more, advertisers are embracing guerilla marketing tactics as a low-cost, high-impact way to connect with younger audiences. To increase anticipation for the fair, especially among the 12- to 24-year-old age group, we enlisted members of that very audience. A group of ten Wichita State University communications students formed the Moo Crew. With our collaboration, they helped turn traditional marketing on its ear to make sure everyone knew what a wild ride this year’s fair would be. “These young people put their classroom knowledge to work by using creative strategies to draw attention to the fair and drive traffic to our website,” said Stoecklein. Over the months preceding the fair, the Moo Crew hopped on the cyber highway and used e-mail, chat rooms, message boards, and instant messaging to increase registration for the fair’s first on-line contest. They used a variety of activities to reinforce the fair’s revamped brand, including celebrity cow-patty tosses, corn-dog-eating contests, and talking about the fair at parties and nightclubs. They recorded information about the fair on cell phone voicemails, chalked sidewalks, put rack cards in university orientation bags and dorm rooms, and hung posters in typical young people haunts such as bars and coffee houses. The fair enjoyed many successes — 337,000 people turned out for the event. Television coverage reached 93% of the state, and newspaper coverage 86% of Kansas counties. Man-on-the-street interviews conducted during the fair showed that for 10% of the survey respondents, this was their first time at the fair. And most rewarding of all — IAFE honored the state fair with the prestigious “Best of Show” award at the annual communication awards in December. Re-branding your fair is not an easy task. But the rewards promise to be great. There’s no need to pretend to be something you’re not. Putting your strengths first — your quirks, your rarities — help set you apart from the rest. And ensure that your fair will continue to delight the people of your state or region — generation after generation. Amanda Eden is account executive/public relations with Greteman Group, Wichita, Kans.
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