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ing with it on a daily basis,” he explains. “Theopportunity came open, and I got it. I’ve beenhere for over four years. I’m very happy. In themeantime, they moved the corporate office toOrlando, so I would have been moving anyway.I’m glad I ended up here.”Dan had been to Williamsburgmany times before on business trips,and he’d brought his wife and childrenhere on vacation before he tookthe job. He and his wife had alwayslived in the St, Louis area, and whenthey thought about transferring somewhereelse, Williamsburg seemed tobe a place they felt they would fit in.“It’s a great place for a family andto raise our kids,” he says. “This parkhas always been known in the companyto be one of the more innovative ones,a real pioneer on a lot of projects. Professionally,I knew it was going to be a good team.Personally, it was going to be a great fit, whichis important when you’re moving two teenagegirls.”Marketing a business based in Williamsburg,big or small, has a dual consumer audience:locals and visitors. Appealing to both groupsisn’t easy. “It’s a struggle,” Dan admits. “Westruggle with it every year. Nobody has enoughresources, no matter how big you are. You haveto figure out what your priorities are and howto split the resources between them.”“In the simplest form,marketing is making sure whatyou have to sell is relevant tosomebody.”~ Dan DipiazzoBusch Gardens develops their marketingplans with those two tracks in mind. “We developa resident plan and we develop a touristplan,” Dan adds. “You really have to get yourframe of mind around that channel and notthink how to make a certain promotion workfor everybody. Think what will work for thesefolks and what will work for these others. Ifyou can figure out how they complement eachother or use a piece for both groups, that’s great,but you really have to go down each road.”He uses an example of a long holiday weekendlike Labor Day. “For residents, what doesthat mean? For a tourist who might be cominghere for three or four days, what doesthat mean?” He and his team discusswhat kind of ticket prices a park guestwould look for; how long would thatperson be in town; would they cometo the park multiple times? What if itrains? The resident could come back,but tourists may not. “You reallyhave to go through that whole process,”Dan says. “From there, it takeson extensions. Even on our website,we send people down different pathsbecause we know they are interestedin different admission products and deals.” Hestarts the marketing plans by getting into thatframe of mind and developing two parallelplans. “Easier said than done,” he admits.Dan explains that there are some thingsconstant across all audiences, like value. “Howyou define value may be different because forsomeone who lives here, the value is probablythat they can come multiple times throughoutThis Summer, Save Some Green –Insulate your homeand protect your walletSpray foam insulation pays for itself, whileincreasing the property value and comfortof your home. Prevents air leakage Decreases noise Resists insects and rodentsServing eastern and central Virginia. Call 757-566-4892or contact art@atlanticspray.com for a free estimate.Insulate Your Home NowATTIC UPGRADES | CONDITIONED CRAWL SPACES | EXISTING WALLS | WEATHERIZATIONNEXT DOOR NEIGHBORSAUGUST2011 31