I just returned from a whirlwind adventure in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I expected to have one day of wonder with the kids enjoying the incredible Niagara Falls and two days of pure tourist trap activity. What I did not account for was the astounding cross promotion marketing present everywhere I turned!

Upon check-in at the hotel, I received a stack of coupons, booklets, passes and flyers that surpassed anything I have ever received in my travels before. I am the person who is excited to go through the book in the room that details where the ice machine is located and all the hotel amentities. When I arrived at the Embassy Suites in Niagara Falls and got my “package” of activity options -I needed a drink.

Once I had a moment to digest the materials, I started to notice a pattern in the promotions. Relentless in coupons, most activities and attractions special offers were duplicated in numerous other publications and formats.
The kids and I picked our top three wish list of things to do, I gathered the corresponding promotion incentive material and we headed out to start the adventure.

On the back of every ticket, at every kiosk and ticket counter, there were more promotional materials, coupons, flyers and incentives to adventure to another attraction. It was a complicated matrix of cross promotion that was quite simply remarkable.

I would love the opportunity to track the activity that ensues from the cross pollenation of the marketing materials and enjoy the challenge of making one attraction’s BRAND CHATTER so powerful and unique, cross promotional activity would be secondary to the efforts we achieved. Ripley’s Believe it or Not “WaxZone” is on my Dream 50 list -there is a huge opportunity to enhance and better promote the unique experience and create compelling marketing messaging that would dwarf all other attraction options. Ah, to dream….