This is kind of old news, but HFE has a new marketing and business relationship with Integrative Logic as of March 2008. Integrative Logic is a data-driven marketing group that helps drive new and repeat business by modifying customer behavior through multi channel marketing programs. Basically, they will help HFE by utilizing data from surveys and related things to help change customer behavior and increase brand loyalty. Here's a quote from Bryan Hardman, a HFE Manager: “Our goal at Herschend Family Entertainment is to create memories worth repeating. Our partnership with Integrative Logic will enable us to use the latest in technology to communicate individually with our guests resulting in long-term emotional connections.”
Basically Integrative Logic tracks people that visit HFE by first building a database, then collecting traditional info of guests like names and addresses. They also gather transactional data, such as purchases made at a theme park or how often someone visits a particular property. They then break people off into distinct behavior groups, like "soccer moms" or "empty nesters". Their goal is to move away from comment cards and actually look at how visitors behave and help HFE use that data effectively. HFE will then market their properties/brands to each distinct behavior group to foster lifelong brand loyalty.
This is the new marketing strategy. Rather than one large marketing campaign, companies and corporations are using data and then focusing and narrowing many different marketing strategies, specific to certain demographics. They highlight how certain aspects of their product or property appeal to each demographic. In order to do this they have to look at the specifics of their customers (like where they come from, their income, interests, purchases etc. Basically they analyze how people spend their time and money.) I find this interesting and think some of you might as well. HFE is the first really large client for Integrative Logic.
Here's a link to an article detailing more about the HFE/Integrative Logic partnership and Integrative Logic's approach:
http://www.wikigwinnett.com/content.cfm?Action=wiki&WikiID=6629&CFID=4538230&CFTOKEN=71540997