Halloween Horror Nights 32 (UOR) - Speculation & Rumors

[IHateJumpScares]

I think what most people lament as a lack of marketing is really driven more by a “lack of superfan engagement prior to the event.” Special websites, little videos, the serial postcards from …. dead exposure was it?

I feel like the majority of people who love and miss that stuff were planning on coming since December. And the ones that don’t fall into that group would miss most of it anyway and will only see the IP announcements, if they see anything at all.

I suppose you could argue that more announcements increases the chance that someone sees the event and it attracts new customers, but as has been pointed out by many already- attendance doesn’t seem to be a problem.

 

[Jake S]

i think, and I could be completely wrong about this, it’s more about another opportunity to (and I’m sorry to use this jargon) take people further up the funnel. by promoting your original content more enthusiastically and taking it more seriously, you (theoretically) help create more diehard fans — the ones that come every year and evangelize the event to their friends and family.

I don’t know a single thing about universal’s marketing budget outlay, what their kpi’s are, etc. but I could understand an argument for more social media marketing of original houses — even if universal has considered that and decided it’s just not worth it.

 

[Tbad556]

i think, and I could be completely wrong about this, it’s more about another opportunity to (and I’m sorry to use this jargon) take people further up the funnel. by promoting your original content more enthusiastically and taking it more seriously, you (theoretically) help create more diehard fans — the ones that come every year and evangelize the event to their friends and family.

I don’t know a single thing about universal’s marketing budget outlay, what their kpi’s are, etc. but I could understand an argument for more social media marketing of original houses — even if universal has considered that and decided it’s just not worth it.

Before I start, just a reminder that just this week, I said the website no longer being interactive and the social media being painful was a gripe of mine.

However, I guess my question is, what makes everyone think they aren't successfully harboring a diehard fan base? There's plenty of examples of merch selling out quickly, we now get merch months in advance, more nights than ever sell out, FFP sells hotter than ever to the point that people question how sustainable it is, they keep adding more and more event nights, UTH tours book up rapidly, and hotels book up rapidly. We now get an HHN Tribute Store with unique content and the All Hallows Eve boutique. We have Lil Boo becoming a hot merch item because of their diehard base. HNNightmares has 23k twitter followers dying to see the next hot new spec map. Hell, there's a HHN Bear twitter account that has more followers than I could ever come close to touching. I mean... we're on a theme park forum thread about a Halloween event in May that already has nearly 200 pages. And this is in an era where Discord & social media dominates over forums. Yet, the HHN threads are more active than ever before.

We're in a different era of fandom than we were in, say, 2005 and as much as I miss that time, I don't think it makes sense to expect those same standards or use them as a way to gauge the events success.

 

[IHateJumpScares]

what makes everyone think they aren't successfully harboring a diehard fan base?

I don’t think anyone in the prior couple pages is suggested that there is not a dedicated group of locked in customers.

I think the die hard fan base is the main segment clamoring for more fanfare and theater around the build up, and the impact on new attendees or casual fans would be minimal since they aren’t watching every channel day after day. Since they already have the die hard fan base locked in 10 months prior to the event, and extra stuff is unlikely to really move the needle on new people, I assume they do the math and conclude, “what’s the point?”

 

[Brian G.]

While I think you wouldn’t find any die hard that would like a throwback to the website lore days, I’d argue the newer fans are clamoring more for it, while the older fans grumpily understand why.

 

[Casper Gutman]

It's really odd to hear folks arguing against elaborate social media campaigns targeting certain market segments - even niche ones. That's basically the core of the modern advertising industry.

And while the gp might not all engage with complex social media campaigns focused on the original houses (which, I'll note, are THEMSELVES IPs), some will, and its a useful way to create "superfans." Speaking of "superfans," they certainly can't be the events primary focus, but they also shouldn't be taken for granted - that's what WDW has been doing for years, and its a questionable tactic at best.

Legacy bought up the event merchandise that, in many cases, is aimed at the "superfans," the ones who know the lore and follow the announcements, and that merch brings up a key point - if there are enough "superfans" to warrant whole merch lines, there are enough to engage with in the run-up to the event.

 

[Tbad556]

It's really odd to hear folks arguing against elaborate social media campaigns targeting certain market segments - even niche ones. That's basically the core of the modern advertising industry.

And while the gp might not all engage with complex social media campaigns focused on the original houses (which, I'll note, are THEMSELVES IPs), some will, and its a useful way to create "superfans." Speaking of "superfans," they certainly can't be the events primary focus, but they also shouldn't be taken for granted - that's what WDW has been doing for years, and its a questionable tactic at best.

Legacy bought up the event merchandise that, in many cases, is aimed at the "superfans," the ones who know the lore and follow the announcements, and that merch brings up a key point - if there are enough "superfans" to warrant whole merch lines, there are enough to engage with in the run-up to the event.

It's less arguing against it and more pointing out that it doesn't really seem necessary and that they seem to be targeting the superfan demographic in different ways nowadays. I won a Lady Luck hand media gift back in the day from the HHN FB page. I adored the interactive sites. I loved the Legendary Truth content. I absolutely get missing all of it. I just don't think they're missing out on the superfan market in 2023.

Though, this year of all years seems like an odd one to bring this point up with the current social media posts seeming to be actual potential hints for once revolving around the originals to allow for fan engagement. We get Jack in the static. We get hints of The Legend. We get decrypted messages that spell out “Uncover the Truth”, “The Signs are Everywhere”, “Hiding in Plain Sight”, “Join the Quest for the Truth”, “If You Dare”, “See You in the Fog”, all of which may be pointing to hints in the park like the Oddfellow/Phantom of the Opera tickets & possibly the fortune teller (TBD if that's just fan over-analyzation).

 

[Midnight Detective]

It's moreso that a lot of the longing is for an internet which is, quite frankly, dead. The Wild West has been tamed. A large reason I like these forums so much is its the closest thing to that era that exists.

Like a lot of things on the internet before social media, the old HHN website with games was a passion project - a lot like clues dropped by insiders today.

I think a big misunderstanding was that there was never complex social media campaigns, because social media didn't exist, and it wasn't complex because it was one or two people doing it for fun. (Credit where its due- while I was lurking online during this era, this information is from people on this forum. This has been discussed every year for sometime now)

Not to be extremely cynical, but the type of person (people here) that would appreciate such a campaign is already priced in. If they sell merch to that demographic, it's win/win. Fans get what they want, merch is getting moved.

What's being done now IS superfan marketing. What's being missed is nostalgia for an internet that no longer exists.

 

[Wigglepebbles]

The dry season has turned this thread into Lord of the Flies…

 

[Ringwraith]

The dry season has turned this thread into Lord of the Flies…

 

[fatrobot]

Some of you need to look in the mirror and recognize that saying “I know stuff but won’t share it because universal monitors these forums” is just as bad as outright saying what you know.

Knowing a leak exists is enough to put your sources in danger. They don’t need to know what it is. Many of you are not hard to track down. The arrogance on display here is revolting.

If you actually believed in the principles that some of you chastise and berate others for, you would never post any of the snide, holier than though “I know something you don’t know” stuff that is so prevalent here

And frankly this forum just should not exist if this is what it’s going to be going forward. Y’all can have a circle jerk discord where you all try and decide who the best insider is that lords secrets over people that are lowlier than you.

I have gone to HHN for 17 straight years. This year I decided to actually try and connect with other people online about it and I cannot believe that some of the fandom is this gatekeeping and gross.

 

[ultimateforce]

I'm actually Mr. Universal but I've been keeping it a secret.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

I'm actually Mr. Universal but I've been keeping it a secret.

 

[ultimateforce]

I hope you've been enjoying my studios.

 

[Freak]

I hope you've been enjoying my studios.

Cool! Now bring back Jaws and Monsters Cafe. NOW.

 

[fatrobot]

I'm actually Mr. Universal but I've been keeping it a secret.

I’ll bet you’re really funny too, but that’s a secret that I guess you’re gonna still keep from us

 

[Tobias]

People remember Scarecrow from HHN27, not the bungled marketing through the spring and summer. As long as what's behind the gates is a good product then fans will remember it.

That's always been a key thing for me, ultimately what matters the most is what you experience when you go through the gates, and you're in a zone or house.

Would it be nice to have the unique websites back and the original houses having their own individual announcements? Of course! But do they factor into the quality of the house itself? Of course not! Look no further than 2018, hands down my personal favorite website in terms of presentation and building up the lore of Bloody Mary while also teasing all the houses. Yet for all the slick polish and hype, it doesn't change the fact that Reflections of Fear was hailed as one of the all-time worst houses in the event's history.

Conversely, Scarecrow got bupkis in terms of marketing and is hailed as one of the GOAT's.

Also, on the topic of catering to the superfans. I'm more content with them providing good merch, since last year was heads and tails above many others in that regard.

 

[Allison]

I’ll bet you’re really funny too, but that’s a secret that I guess you’re gonna still keep from us

So I guess your secret is that you seemingly joined just to stir the pot??

 

[fatrobot]

So I guess your secret is that you seemingly joined just to stir the pot??

No I just thought this would actually be about the fandom that I love instead of some power users that are trying to make up for not being the cool kids in high school by making their own toxic gatekeeping community

 

[Brian G.]

No I just thought this would actually be about the fandom that I love instead of some power users that are trying to make up for not being the cool kids in high school by making their own toxic gatekeeping community

I don’t think that’s the case either but let’s watch the tone here. No one is gatekeeping. If you could please point out examples instead of just throwing out the term. Cuz I agreed with your larger point but disagreed with a few of your bullet point ones.