Bob Rogers (source of image)
What is the magic behind creating truly memorable and delightful guest experiences at visitor attractions?
According to renowned experience designer Bob Rogers, the secret lies in finding the right story, shaping it for the right audience, and ensuring that it is an original tale.
On a recent study trip to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), I had the privilege of learning how the theme park – arguably the most popular in Southeast Asia – creates, develops and manages memorable and delightful guest encounters. While these strategies do not cover all aspects of a world class theme park’s operation, they do form an important component of their visitor experiences. These help to trigger positive word of mouth and generate repeat visits.
Extensive and Immersive Theming
My visit to the Coca-Cola Pavillion at the Shanghai World Expo was certainly one of the highlights of my trip. As a geek who firmly believes in the virtues of experiential marketing, branded entertainment and transmedia storytelling, I was almost brought to tears (fanboy style) by Coke’s immaculate attention to details here.
Every single consumer touchpoint in its pavillion, fashioned after its world-famous “Happiness Factory” transmedia campaign, was a 360 degree brand encounter. The entire holistic and immersive experience was orchestrated to stimulate the senses, from sight, sound, scent, taste to touch. For Coca-Cola fans, it was also highly emotional and community bonding.
Let me bring you through the journey.
Except that it was as noisy as a hawker centre (heck it is one!) and the only thing intellectual is the science that went into laksa gravy. Here are some photos of my culinary discovery in an experiential food court themed like a library.
This group of people doesn’t look like they are going to settle down with a quiet book in their hands. Notice the boxes of IT equipment being carried – newly gotten gains from the PC Show.
If you think country-themed loos are cool, wait till you check out the rest rooms at Labrador Park. They are not only aesthetically decorative but educational and insightful too! And the contents within the commodes are curated and contextually relevant to their location too. They are also sparkling clean which is unusual for outdoor-based toilets.
Now you can enrich and fill your mind while emptying err… something else…
Here’s the entrance to the men’s room, decorated with dragonflies and blades of grass.
Anybody who has visited Great World City at Kim Seng Road in Singapore would have noticed its toilets. Painted in resplendent colours and themed to various countries around the world, they provide a nice respite (in more ways than one) to the otherwise drab and uninspiring experience of easing oneself. Its bathrooms are decked in designs and patterns hailing from Japan, Holland, Africa, Thailand and other regions.
The exterior of this Spanish themed gentlemen’s room looked fairly nondescript save for the painted bulls by the side.
