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65% of respondents to the Brand & IP Attractions Industry Survey have highlighted that brand guardianship is the biggest challenge for both existing and prospective visitor attractions looking to invest in an IP.
The survey, which obtained the opinions of visitor attraction operators, IP owners, franchise companies and industry suppliers around the world, was conducted by international themed attraction design company Katapult.
Respondents pointed towards three key reasons why brand guardianship was the single biggest issue for IP themed attractions:
Attractions with existing IP experiences, need to do more to maintain quality
A constant flow of new digital content ages themed attractions quickly
Too many project stakeholders with differing opinions, impact new IP attractions
Speaking on the results of the survey, Katapult’s Insights Lead Robbie Jones, said: “Make no mistake, IPs are having and will continue to have a fundamentally positive impact on the industry. But respondents were keen to highlight the need for better brand control.”
“IP owners want to see quality maintained in themed attractions they license to, while operators want more access to new content to keep their experience refreshed and aligned. Guests can see through poor or aging IP experiences, and with the cost of living increasing demand for more value from visitor attractions, now is the time for the industry to react.”
The survey also found that 50% of respondents believe IP terms are commercially unavailable for attractions, and that over a third of IP companies have found it a challenge to find the right location for their brands.
Katapult’s Creative Director, Andy Sinclair-Harris, commented: “We are currently living through an unprecedented time of content creation and distribution. After two years of restrictions, audiences are hungrier than ever to further explore the worlds they experience across a multitude of platforms.”
“Those stories and characters are the new currency of themed entertainment. We have most certainly reached a crossroads of high demand from experienced operators, who value relevancy and at the same time, content creators wanting to protect and best showcase their assets. The industry is going to have to creatively respond to these two forces.”
