CASE STUDY: STANLEY POND ADVENTURE FARM in Astatula, FL
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Background:
Stanley Pond Adventure Farm is a beautiful, family-run farm located in Central Florida. It is run by Bob Denis and his daughter, Tricia Merrill. In 2012, Bob and Tricia were brainstorming new ideas for attracting visitors when they discovered Spookley the Square Pumpkin and signed up for the Spookley Farm Program. |
Bob Denis at Stanley Pond Adventure Farm
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How Bob and Tricia incorporated Spookley & his friends into their agritourism operations:
In preparation for fall, Tricia redesigned the farm’s website and Facebook pages to prominently feature Spookley and their “Squarey Field Trips.” They also partnered with Living Social to offer a Spookley package to attract new customers:
In preparation for fall, Tricia redesigned the farm’s website and Facebook pages to prominently feature Spookley and their “Squarey Field Trips.” They also partnered with Living Social to offer a Spookley package to attract new customers:
Website homepage featuring "Very Squarey Field Trips" during October
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Spookley was the hook for a Living Social package to attract new customers
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During the fall, Bob led all of their field trip groups on a tractor ride to the theater, where he told the kids about the importance of being kind to others – especially during National Bullying Prevention Month! – before showing them a video reading of The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin. They also created a photo opportunities throughout the farm and prominently displayed and sold Spookley merchandise.
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Video reading (6 min) of
The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin recorded by Bobby Pickett, writer and singer of the hit-song The Monster Mash. This video was shown to all field trip groups at Stanley Pond Adventure Farm and is available - digitally or via DVD - to all farms participating in the Spookley Farm Program |
Their experience with Spookley was so successful that Bob and Tricia immediately looked to replicate the experience of video readings + photo opps + themed merchandise during winter (with The Legend of Mistletoe and the Christmas Kittens) and spring (with The Legend of JellyBean and the Unbreakable Egg).
Welcome message on website and Facebook during winter
Photo uploaded to Facebook by a delighted customer
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Welcome message on website and Facebook during spring
Photo uploaded to Facebook by a delighted customer
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The Results:
Spookley, Mistletoe, and JellyBean have all found a long-term home at Stanley Pond Adventure Farm! Their stories, and their underlying character value messages, have provided Stanley Pond Adventure Farm with a marketing platform they can use to attract new visitors and create new events.
Bob and Tricia are already planning to offer annual passes focused around seasonal events with all of the characters from Holiday Hill Farm!
Spookley, Mistletoe, and JellyBean have all found a long-term home at Stanley Pond Adventure Farm! Their stories, and their underlying character value messages, have provided Stanley Pond Adventure Farm with a marketing platform they can use to attract new visitors and create new events.
Bob and Tricia are already planning to offer annual passes focused around seasonal events with all of the characters from Holiday Hill Farm!
Here are some direct quotes from Bob and Tricia:
Spookley is the best marketing tool I have seen in over 30 years! We explain to our visitors that Spookley is the Official Spokes Pumpkin for National Bullying Prevention month and then we show them the DVD of the storybook reading and it gets a standing ovation...I just had to call you to thank you and to make sure you know how special Spookley is! - Bob
For us, the Spookey Farm Program provided us with a marketing track to run on. We have a beautiful farm with old-fashioned fun and now, with Spookley, Mistletoe, and JellyBean, we feel like we have a way to get more people out to our farm. We couldn't be more thrilled about our partnership with you! - Tricia
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE SPOOKLEY FARM PROGRAM!
Spookley is the best marketing tool I have seen in over 30 years! We explain to our visitors that Spookley is the Official Spokes Pumpkin for National Bullying Prevention month and then we show them the DVD of the storybook reading and it gets a standing ovation...I just had to call you to thank you and to make sure you know how special Spookley is! - Bob
For us, the Spookey Farm Program provided us with a marketing track to run on. We have a beautiful farm with old-fashioned fun and now, with Spookley, Mistletoe, and JellyBean, we feel like we have a way to get more people out to our farm. We couldn't be more thrilled about our partnership with you! - Tricia
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE SPOOKLEY FARM PROGRAM!