Flevy Management Insights Case Study
Customer Experience Strategy for Amusement Park in Asia-Pacific
     David Tang    |    Customer Journey Mapping


Fortune 500 companies typically bring on global consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and Accenture, or boutique consulting firms specializing in Customer Journey Mapping to thoroughly analyze their unique business challenges and competitive situations. These firms provide strategic recommendations based on consulting frameworks, subject matter expertise, benchmark data, KPIs, best practices, and other tools developed from past client work. We followed this management consulting approach for this case study.

TLDR The amusement park faced declining repeat visits and guest satisfaction due to outdated attractions and service issues, compounded by increased competition and changing consumer preferences. By enhancing the customer journey with digital and immersive experiences, the park improved guest satisfaction by 30% and repeat visits by 25%, highlighting the importance of adapting to consumer demands and leveraging tech for engagement.

Reading time: 10 minutes

Consider this scenario: An amusement park located in the Asia-Pacific region is facing challenges in enhancing the customer journey mapping process.

The park has witnessed a 20% decrease in repeat visitors and a dip in overall guest satisfaction scores, attributed to outdated attractions and inefficient service delivery. External factors such as increasing competition from newly established theme parks and changing consumer preferences towards digital engagement have further compounded the park's challenges. The primary strategic objective of the organization is to redefine the customer experience, leveraging technology to create personalized and memorable visits, thereby increasing visitor numbers and overall satisfaction.



The amusement park industry in the Asia-Pacific region is at a critical juncture, experiencing both rapid growth and evolving guest expectations. Technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors are reshaping the landscape, making it imperative for operators to innovate continuously to remain competitive.

Strategic Planning

  • Internal Rivalry: Competition among amusement parks is intensifying, with operators continuously upgrading attractions and leveraging digital technologies to enhance guest experiences.
  • Supplier Power: Limited by the specialized nature of amusement park equipment and technology, supplier power is moderately high, influencing operational costs.
  • Buyer Power: With an abundance of entertainment options, buyer power is high, compelling parks to offer unique and personalized experiences to attract and retain visitors.
  • Threat of New Entrants: High capital requirements and regulatory barriers limit the threat of new entrants, though emerging digital entertainment forms pose indirect competition.
  • Threat of Substitutes: The growing digital entertainment sector, including virtual reality experiences, represents a significant substitute threat, offering alternatives to traditional amusement park visits.

Emerging trends in the amusement park industry include the integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive attractions, the use of big data to personalize guest experiences, and a shift towards sustainability in park operations. These trends present both opportunities and risks, necessitating strategic adjustments.

  • Adoption of AR and VR technologies: This offers the opportunity to create unparalleled immersive experiences but requires substantial investment in technology and content development.
  • Personalization through big data: Leveraging guest data can significantly enhance the visitor experience, but raises concerns about privacy and data security.
  • Sustainability initiatives: Emphasizing eco-friendly practices can bolster brand image and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, though it may increase operational costs.

A STEER analysis highlights the importance of Socio-cultural trends towards health and safety, Technological advancements in entertainment and operational efficiency, Economic factors including disposable income levels and tourism trends, Environmental concerns driving sustainability practices, and Regulatory requirements affecting park operations and expansion plans.

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Internal Assessment

The organization possesses a strong brand and a legacy of providing memorable experiences but struggles with adopting new technologies and updating attractions to meet modern expectations.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths include a well-established brand and prime location. Opportunities lie in leveraging new technologies to revamp the guest experience and expanding the park's digital presence. Weaknesses are observed in operational inefficiencies and slow adoption of digital technologies. Threats encompass increasing competition and changing consumer preferences towards digital and immersive entertainment options.

4 Actions Framework Analysis

By applying the framework, it's evident the park needs to eliminate outdated attractions, reduce reliance on traditional advertising, raise digital engagement, and create unique tech-driven experiences to differentiate itself.

Digital Transformation Analysis

There is a pressing need for digital transformation to integrate advanced technologies like AR/VR, mobile apps for personalized experiences, and data analytics for operational efficiency and targeted marketing.

Strategic Initiatives

  • Revamp the Customer Journey: Redesign the customer journey mapping process to include digital touchpoints, leveraging AR and VR for personalized storytelling and attractions. The goal is to increase guest satisfaction and repeat visits by offering unique and immersive experiences. This initiative requires investment in digital technologies and content creation.
  • Enhance Digital Engagement: Develop a mobile app that offers personalized itineraries, wait times, and location-based services. This aims to improve visitor convenience and engagement, driving increased spending and satisfaction. Required resources include software development and data analytics capabilities.
  • Sustainable Innovation: Implement sustainable practices in park operations and attractions, aiming to reduce environmental impact and appeal to eco-conscious visitors. This involves investments in green technologies and marketing efforts to communicate the park's commitment to sustainability.

Customer Journey Mapping Implementation KPIs

KPIS are crucial throughout the implementation process. They provide quantifiable checkpoints to validate the alignment of operational activities with our strategic goals, ensuring that execution is not just activity-driven, but results-oriented. Further, these KPIs act as early indicators of progress or deviation, enabling agile decision-making and course correction if needed.


You can't control what you can't measure.
     – Tom DeMarco

  • Guest Satisfaction Score: Measures the impact of new digital and immersive experiences on overall visitor satisfaction.
  • Repeat Visitor Rate: Tracks changes in repeat visits, indicating the success of personalized engagement strategies.
  • App Engagement Metrics: Monitors the usage and engagement rates of the mobile app, reflecting its effectiveness in enhancing the visitor experience.

These KPIs offer insights into the effectiveness of the strategic initiatives, highlighting areas of success and opportunities for further improvement. Analyzing these metrics will inform ongoing adjustments to the strategy, ensuring the park remains competitive and continues to delight visitors.

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Stakeholder Management

Successful implementation of strategic initiatives requires the collaboration and support of key stakeholders, including park employees, technology partners, and the marketing team.

  • Employees: Essential for delivering the enhanced digital experiences and sustainable practices.
  • Technology Partners: Provide the necessary AR/VR and app development expertise.
  • Marketing Team: Drives the promotion of new attractions and the mobile app to potential visitors.
  • Visitors: Their feedback on new experiences is crucial for continuous improvement.
  • Environmental Organizations: Collaborate on sustainability initiatives and validate the park's eco-friendly efforts.

Stakeholder GroupsRACI
Employees
Technology Partners
Marketing Team
Visitors
Environmental Organizations

We've only identified the primary stakeholder groups above. There are also participants and groups involved for various activities in each of the strategic initiatives.

Learn more about Stakeholder Management Change Management Focus Interviewing Workshops Supplier Management

Customer Journey Mapping Best Practices

To improve the effectiveness of implementation, we can leverage best practice documents in Customer Journey Mapping. These resources below were developed by management consulting firms and Customer Journey Mapping subject matter experts.

Customer Journey Mapping Deliverables

These are a selection of deliverables across all the strategic initiatives.

  • Customer Journey Mapping Plan (PPT)
  • Mobile App Development Roadmap (PPT)
  • Sustainability Initiatives Framework (PPT)
  • Digital Engagement Performance Report (Excel)
  • Visitor Satisfaction Analysis Template (Excel)

Explore more Customer Journey Mapping deliverables

Revamp the Customer Journey

The implementation team utilized the Customer Experience Journey Mapping (CEJM) and the Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) to enhance the strategic initiative of revamping the customer journey. CEJM was pivotal in visualizing the end-to-end experience of visitors, identifying touchpoints that were underperforming or causing friction. This framework was instrumental because it allowed the team to empathize with visitors, seeing the park from their perspective. The team executed the following steps:

  • Conducted comprehensive research to map out the current customer journey, identifying all physical and digital touchpoints.
  • Analyzed feedback and data from each touchpoint to highlight areas of friction and opportunities for enhancement.

The Value Proposition Canvas was then deployed to align the park's offerings more closely with visitor expectations. This framework helped in understanding what visitors truly value and how the park's attractions and services could meet these needs more effectively. The implementation involved:

  • Segmenting visitors into distinct personas based on their preferences and behaviors.
  • For each persona, identifying the jobs they're trying to get done, their pains, and what gains they seek from their park visit.
  • Adjusting attractions, services, and digital touchpoints to better align with the identified visitor personas' needs and expectations.

The combined application of CEJM and VPC frameworks led to a significant enhancement in the visitor experience. The park witnessed an increase in guest satisfaction scores by 30% and a 25% rise in repeat visits. These results underscored the effectiveness of deeply understanding visitor experiences and expectations in revamping the customer journey.

Enhance Digital Engagement

For the strategic initiative to enhance digital engagement, the implementation team employed the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) Theory and the Kano Model. JTBD was crucial for understanding the underlying reasons visitors engage with digital platforms and what they aim to achieve through these interactions. This insight was valuable as it shifted the focus from the technology itself to the visitor needs it fulfills. Following this framework, the team:

  • Interviewed visitors to uncover the 'jobs' they hired the amusement park's digital platforms to do, such as planning visits or purchasing tickets.
  • Identified gaps in the current digital offerings where visitor needs were not being adequately met.

The Kano Model complemented JTBD by helping categorize digital features into must-haves, performance attributes, and delighters. This prioritization ensured that resources were allocated efficiently to develop features that would have the maximum impact on visitor satisfaction. Implementation steps included:

  • Evaluating existing digital features against the Kano categories through visitor surveys and usage data analysis.
  • Focusing development efforts on introducing 'delighter' features while ensuring 'must-haves' were fully optimized.

The strategic focus on enhancing digital engagement through JTBD and the Kano Model resulted in a 40% increase in mobile app downloads and a 50% improvement in online engagement metrics. These achievements highlighted the importance of aligning digital offerings with visitor needs and desires to enhance overall engagement.

Sustainable Innovation

To drive the strategic initiative of sustainable innovation, the team applied the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework and the Eco-innovation Model. The TBL framework was selected for its comprehensive approach to evaluating performance not just in financial terms, but also in social and environmental impact. This broader perspective was crucial for embedding sustainability into the park's operations and offerings. The team undertook the following actions:

  • Assessed current operations, attractions, and services against the three pillars of TBL—economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
  • Identified key areas for improvement and developed strategies to address them, such as reducing waste and energy consumption.

The Eco-innovation Model was then used to identify and implement innovative solutions that could reduce the park's environmental footprint while also delivering economic and social benefits. This involved:

  • Exploring cutting-edge sustainable technologies and practices that could be applied in the amusement park context.
  • Implementing pilot projects for promising eco-innovations and measuring their impact.

The adoption of the TBL framework and Eco-innovation Model led to a 20% reduction in the park's energy consumption and a 15% decrease in waste generation within the first year. Moreover, these initiatives enhanced the park's reputation, attracting a 10% increase in visitors interested in sustainable tourism. These results demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating sustainability into core operations and the potential for eco-innovation to drive both environmental and business outcomes.

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Key Findings and Results

Here is a summary of the key results of this case study:

  • Increased guest satisfaction scores by 30% through the revamp of the customer journey, incorporating digital and immersive experiences.
  • Achieved a 25% rise in repeat visits, indicating the success of personalized engagement strategies.
  • Mobile app downloads increased by 40%, reflecting enhanced digital engagement.
  • Online engagement metrics improved by 50%, demonstrating the effectiveness of focusing on 'delighter' features.
  • Energy consumption reduced by 20% as a result of sustainable innovation initiatives.
  • Waste generation decreased by 15%, underscoring the park's commitment to environmental sustainability.
  • Attracted a 10% increase in visitors interested in sustainable tourism, boosting the park's reputation.

The strategic initiatives implemented by the amusement park have yielded significant positive outcomes, notably in guest satisfaction, repeat visits, digital engagement, and sustainability metrics. The 30% increase in guest satisfaction and 25% rise in repeat visits are particularly commendable, directly addressing the park's initial challenges of declining visitor numbers and satisfaction. The substantial growth in mobile app downloads and online engagement underscores the effectiveness of the digital transformation strategy. Furthermore, the achievements in sustainability—reducing energy consumption and waste—demonstrate a successful integration of environmental considerations into operational practices, aligning with global trends towards eco-conscious consumerism.

However, while these results are impressive, there remains room for improvement and further innovation. The reliance on digital technologies, while beneficial, may have overlooked segments of the park's demographic less inclined towards digital engagement. Additionally, the focus on sustainability, though successful, could be expanded to include more innovative eco-friendly attractions that directly involve visitors, enhancing both engagement and environmental awareness.

For next steps, it is recommended to explore opportunities for creating more inclusive experiences that cater to all visitor demographics, potentially through non-digital, interactive attractions. Expanding the scope of sustainability initiatives to include visitor-participative eco-friendly attractions could further differentiate the park in a competitive market. Continuously monitoring and adapting to emerging trends in technology and consumer preferences will be crucial for sustaining success and ensuring the park remains a preferred destination for diverse audiences.


 
David Tang, New York

Strategy & Operations, Digital Transformation, Management Consulting

The development of this case study was overseen by David Tang. David is the CEO and Founder of Flevy. Prior to Flevy, David worked as a management consultant for 8 years, where he served clients in North America, EMEA, and APAC. He graduated from Cornell with a BS in Electrical Engineering and MEng in Management.

To cite this article, please use:

Source: Customer Journey Optimization for a Growing B2B Tech Firm, Flevy Management Insights, David Tang, 2024


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