Standing in line at Comic-Con.
Standing in line at Comic-Con
I love the people in line behind me. It is the people in front of me that I hate.
If you know me, you know I hate no one. AND in fact I LOVE my line of work in experiential marketing and events. One of THE top places to see epic experiential work like buzz-worthy stunts and unique marketing promotions (especially when it comes to entertainment brands), is at Comic-Con.
While out in San Diego executing our own vehicle activation for Adult Swim. I was able to TRY and check out what the world of event marketing had to offer.
There were a big 5 activations that were buzzed about before the event: Hulu’s Animayhem, Adult Swim’s Festival, FX’s footprint, Immortal Universe, and Paramount’s Lodge.
I saw….ONE of these and then, I gave up. Because, of long a$$ lines. Like REALLLLL long. That is the gosh darn truth.
Example A: I popped in line for FX’s footprint on Thursday morning and was able to get in within 30 minutes. Sweet! Their footprint was comprised of smaller mini-activations for 4 different properties: Shogun, American Horror Story, What We Do in the Shadows and Murder at the End of the World.
I must say, the entire set design was gorgeous and immersive. And being a fan of anything spooky, I loved “What We Do in the Shadows’” set up.
After a 20 minute wait I won a beach ball from spinning a wheel and got a cute pic. Groundbreaking? Not really.
And THAT is the only set up at FX I experienced, because after waiting ANOTHER 45 minutes and only making it halfway through line number 2 at AHS, I left.
The rumor was. . . it wasn’t worth the sunburn.
That was my FX experience. A big time waste and bummer despite the eye candy.
Which brings me to these godforsaken lines!!!
Yes! The Comic-Con uber-fans are usually willing to wait the long haul, but can’t we DO better for our best and biggest consumers?
The meat of the experience is beyond the line, but impressions are made upon your first touchpoint with a consumer. And I think their experience matters. And for me, that is being respectful enough of their time to help them with the long waits!
Here are 4 thoughts on ways it can be improved.
1. COMMUNICATION
The cornerstone to any good relationship! Keep people informed and let them know what they are getting in to!
How long is the line? Can you do a mobile check in with text updates? We are in 2023, let’s use technology!
2. TIMED ENTRY -TIME SLOTS
Fans reserve their time in line. They can receive a card or a bounce-back reservation to show up at say, 2pm, 3pm or 4pm thus shortening their time in line. The brand is still going to reach the same number of people, but perhaps have some happier customers. Customers love when you are organized!
3. LINE-ERTAINMENT:
I passed an “Only Murders In the Building” activation set back on a footprint that was hardly visible to passersby. I asked and apparently the 2-hour line ended with being given a few clues, solving a puzzle and then getting swag out of a vending machine. Bummed I couldn’t check it out.
But it made me think, could Hulu have allowed the line-waiting time to be murder solving time? Make the wait part of the experience. Hand out clues out along the way to mull over as you round each stanchion using video, phones or old fashioned paper!
Other thoughts on how to make line time, entertainment time…
Photo props in line for guests to snap pictures. Think about how to utilize the space you are in! Can winding through line be winding through some beautiful set décor or learning more about the show through video.
Add an emcee to entertain the crowd with impromptu dance parties and trivia.
Surprise your consumer with visits from show characters.
And finally don’t skimp on staff your staff! Rotate them around smiling to show those in line you care.
4. VISIBILITY:
One thing I liked about Adult Swim’s Festival (and NO we didn’t execute this one, so props to GDX Studios) is that you could see what was going on at their party from just walking by. No big hidden walls! If you didn’t have time to attend or wait, you could still get a good laugh at that guy holding on for dear life at the hot dog “bull riding” experience. Hilarious! Proof below.
Or you could listen to some of the music from their big visible stage. (A note FX could take, their Shogun performance stage was not visible from any of their lines OR from the nearby sidewalks.)
Make sure your activation is inclusive and watchable. This increases your impressions and allows others to feel a part of an experience that they might not otherwise be able to engage with.
Example: Disney’s Haunted Mansion Ghost pedicabs. Nope didn’t get to ride these, but I saw them darting around Gaslamp all weekend. And I was fan girling REAL hard over them. It is totally fun to watch others enjoy!
To wrap it up:
Comic-Con is ALWAYS inspiring. Not to be a hater, I promise! But, it does make me think about being in the shoes of an attendee and consumer. And there is ALWAYS something to learn.
So the question is do we line or do we not line at Comic-Con?
Well, the real question is…is it even worth the wait? Incorporating some of these above tips can help your consumer make that decision. And still love your brand even if they choose NO LINE!
And as always if you are considering going to a major event or need your activation to be the talk of the show with no line complaints, talk to us at Hitch Experiential, We love the challenge.
And next article up / to prove I am not just hatin’. . . the activations I DID see that I loved. Stay tuned.