State fairs encounter two major marketing challenges as they move into each new season: how to create something new and how to revive ongoing attractions. As the marketing partner for The Big E, the fifth largest fair in North America, the Mascola team gets the chance to develop fun, impactful creative campaigns year after year. Still, the challenge remains: how can we breathe new life into the old favorites?

The Mascola Group and The Big E marketing teams together accepting their two PRSA Silver Mercury Awards in Hartford, June 17th, 2015.

Each year, The Big E garners attention from local news networks, radio stations, and media outlets that promote the fair’s new attractions, foods, and performances. In 2014, Mascola saw an opportunity to bring these promotions to life, introducing a new character to celebrate one of the most beloved food at the fair: the Cream Puff. Rather than simply delivering boxes of the treats to media outlets across the region, Chaz the Cream Puff Delivery Man made on-screen and on-air appearances in the week leading up to The Big E.

Not only did the Cream Puff Delivery Man generate new interest for one of the fair’s most iconic foods (over 50,000 of which are sold each season), the character created a new canvas for PR and creative campaigns in the future. Here are 3 ways annual attractions can develop creative PR campaigns that can be brought to life year after year:

1. Understand your audience. Before developing a new PR campaign, it’s critical that you understand what drives new and returning visitors through your gates each year. Early on in our relationship with The Big E, a core user study revealed that visitors see the fair as a collection of “Little E’s” rather than one large attraction, with food being one of the top points of interest. With this knowledge, we formed a PR campaign around one of the most iconic attractions at The Big E.
2. Make it shareable. Social media is driving the future of PR. Today, it’s critical to create a campaign that is instantly shareable online, whether through photos, custom hashtags, or apps. High visibility on local television and digital media made the Cream Puff Delivery Man instantly recognizable, encouraging The Big E’s followers to track his media appearances as well as updates about the fair on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
3. Keep it fresh. Refreshing your attraction’s creative PR campaigns enables you to maintain recognition (not to mention established social media channels) while generating interest from new and returning audiences. Each new season gives us the opportunity to refresh the Cream Puff Delivery Man, updating the character with creative campaigns and seasonal promotions.

With a solid understanding of your attraction’s audience, shareable content, and a fresh perspective each season, creative PR campaigns can generate value year after year.

We are proud to announce that the Cream Puff Delivery Man PR campaign has earned Mascola Group and The Big E two Silver Mercury Awards from the PRSA. Read more about this in the press release below.

MAS- PRSA Award Win (6.18.15)