Branded Attractions
parkworld-online.com
New lease of life
As they had already committed to replacing the adventure golf as part of the park’s strategic plan, “we would still have had those three rides if things had fallen through,” reveals Laurence. Once the Hello Kitty licence was secured, however, they began working with RMA, Meticulous, the ride manufacturers and other contractors to give the area a new lease of life in keeping with the brand.
Christine and Laurence Smith with Hello Kitty
had a safari train in the park and suggested we turned it into a Thomas attraction instead. It worked well, and we’ve enjoyed a good relationship ever since.” So weren’t he and Christine frustrated when Drayton Manor Theme Park, 187 miles (300km) north in Staffordshire, opened Thomas Land a year later, stealing the limelight and seeing its attendance soar to over one million? “We don’t really look at it that way. Drayton spent £5 million [$8.5/€6.3m] putting in Thomas Land. We’re far enough apart that I don’t think we really have much impact on one another, but I do know that there are diehard Thomas fans our there who choose to visit both parks, and that’s fine by us.” If Thomas appeals more to boys, then Hello Kitty’s bright pink and white world is surely the perfect counter balance for girls. “I don’t think Secret Garden is too pink,” laughs Christine. “The boys seem quite happy to enjoy the attractions, and on the tea cup ride we have got three blue cups featuring Dear Daniel, Kitty’s boyfriend. I think mums and dads worry more about the colours than the kids!”
Created in Japan in 1974 by the Chinese designer
Yuko Shimizu, Hello Kitty is a global phenomenon that was first introduced to the European market 25 years ago. Still wrinkle-free at 40, Drusillas’ owners were convinced of her brand’s durability. “From our office in the park, we can see everyone as they come and go through the gate, and we noticed a lot of kids were walking in with Hello Kitty backpacks,” explains Laurence. “One day we were at the Marks & Spencer store at Oxford Street in London, where the biggest brand in girls’ clothing – by far – was Hello Kitty. We thought who is this Hello Kitty? Then a flyer came through the post advertising a coin-operated Hello Kitty kiddie ride. So we bought it, it took money, and we thought ‘we’re onto something’.”
Although there are already Hello Kitty themed attractions in Japan and Malaysia, and soon a new theme park near Shanghai, Drusillas actually had to do the chasing this time when it came to approaching the licence holder, Saniro. After two years talking with the staff at the company’s European base in Italy, its German office and also its UK agent Fluid World in London, the Smiths finally signed a seven-year deal with Saniro’s Japanese headquarters last July.
JULY 2014 33
The easiest ride to theme was the tea cups, as Zamperla had already supplied a set for Hello Kitty Town in Johor, Malaysia. Meticulous added extra touches like the hedge-shaped tunnels on the car ride, while RMA fabricated various topiary models and fibreglass characters used for photo opportunities (the agreement with Saniro restricts Hello Kitty’s costume character appearances to 20 days per year). As with most IP owners, the company set down very strict terms, both commercially and in terms of how the finished attractions should look and feel. It even flew three staff over from Japan to train the park employees that would be wearing the Kitty costumes. “The general public probably thinks you just put the head on and become the character, but actually there is a lot more to it than that,” explains Laurence. “It was quite an eye opener, but it proved to us how much care Saniro takes with the brand. Thankfully with have always prided ourselves on attention to detail.” After a soft launch at the start of the month, Hello Kitty Secret Garden got its official opening on 18 May – and business has been good since. “We were up a fair bit even before it opened,” notes Christine, “but Hello Kitty has certainly helped secondary spend and we are selling a lot more merchandise now in the park.” For many guests, the animals will remain the key draw at Drusillas. It is first and foremost an animal park, but as its marketing material reminds us it is “no ordinary zoo.” As part of the strategic plan, a rainforest-themed carousel is planned in the next year or two along with various ongoing improvements to the existing facilities. In the meantime Laurence and Christine will keep watching guests’ backpacks for the next big IP.
drusillas.co.uk
Anyone for tea?
Drusillas Park was founded in 1925 by Captain Ann who bought a derelict farm and opened the cottage to sell tea to passing
motorists. He named the tea rooms after his first wife Drusilla, adding
animals and attractions to help boost trade.
The park remained in the
Ann family until 1997 when it was acquired by current owners Laurence and Christine Smith, who fancied a change of direction after selling a nationwide recruitment business. Joined today by daughters Cassandra and Caroline and son Oliver, the Smiths have invested heavily. Their efforts have won them several awards including Sussex Company of the Year 2009, a silver in the South East England Tourism Excellence Awards and a gold in the Tourism South East Awards. The size of the park means there is no room for any large wild animals or safari park style exhibits, but it does feature a fascinating collection of critters including penguins, otters, prairie dogs, fennec foxes, llamas, lemurs (pictured), marmosets, meerkats and more than 90 other species.
Pink IP meets blue IP: Thomas steams past Hello Kitty’s House
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