Volume 1, No. 22. November 30, 2001
Eric’s Turn
Moved to
write
Many of my journalism colleagues would say we are in the wrong to mention advertising
in our editorial columns. However, we've accomplished a first in this issue
of THE LOOP via one of our advertisers, and most of you understand and appreciate
that as we navigate unchartered waters with THE LOOP we share our adventures.
In this our first year we have attempted many firsts: first regularly scheduled
on-line amusement trade newsletter, first industry trade publication to incorporate
sound in a story (May 4,
2001), which was also the first issue to continuously update itself
with a developing news story; first LOOP to be totally produced and posted from
the road (June 29, 2001);
and first LOOP to be produced at a trade show (November
16, 2001).
This week's LOOP boasts being the first amusement trade publication to incorporate
moving pictures in an advertisement. Out of fairness to all our sponsors, we
won't mention the advertiser by name, but when you look at the advertising buttons
on this page you'll see which one clicks through to a digital video of their
product's impact. Special thanks to Jerry Black of Gotcha! Digital Imagery for
his help in pushing THE LOOP into, what for us, is another technological frontier.
At the IAAPA Trade Show a few readers told me, unprompted, that they would pay
a subscription to continue receiving THE LOOP, but we are still dedicated, at
this time, to providing this newsletter at no charge to the amusement and attractions
industry. It is a key part of our mission to keep all of you connected with
each other. So, we continue to rely on advertising to finance this endeavor.
We've also discovered through the course of our first year how dynamic web advertising
can be. Many of you no doubt have heard the horror tales about dot-com advertising,
but those failures came about because the advertisers (and their web hosts)
failed to appreciate how many dimensions web advertising takes. Look at any
one of our ads. They are, first and foremost, billboards for our sponsors. Then,
when you click your cursor on them they take you to either a web site, a news
announcement, or more involved advertising, including, with this issue, video
images. How odd that while the internet is considered by many pundits as the
worst medium for advertising, it is considered by just as many—and often
the same pundits—as a company's most cost-effective marketing tool. Advertising
and marketing are not necessarily the same thing, but we are noticeably bridging
the gap that does exist between the two on the Web.
To that end we are embarking on yet another dimension with the "Enhanced New
Arrivals" package we introduced at IAAPA. For the first time, not only will
we provide an advertising link to companies involved in new installations, we
will become an extension of those companies' own web sites. The program also
is designed to generate the most valuable marketing tool in this industry: buzz
for a new product. For details on the program, which kicks off in January, click
here. To check out
other advertising opportunities in THE LOOP, click here.
Given the subject matter of this "Turn," I would like to take this opportunity
to thank all of the advertisers who purchased ads in THE LOOP in its inaugural
year, allowing us to continue on for year two: Active Info Systems, Sally Corporation,
SCS Interactive, Setpoint, Innovative Scenery & Design, The Sudden Impact! Entertainment
Company, Severn-Lamb USA, NaturEffects, Fowlkes Norman and Associates, Fair
Play, Komatsu Architecture, Scenery West, Unlimited Snow, Casio, Try-It, Flying
Colours, AIC, Syntegra and Pageantry World. You can get descriptions and links
for our primary advertisers on our Connections
page.
To contact us here at THE LOOP, you can email me, eric@gettheloop.com, or call,
toll free 888-902-LOOP in North America, or 1-937-296-9796 elsewhere in the
world, or facsimile, 1-937-296-9790.