The Waiting Game by Jade Holmes

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HOW LONG WOULD Y O U WA I T ?

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WA I T I N G

07 09 10

INTRODUCTION WAITING HOW LONG LEFT?

11 M E , M E , M E 12 14

NEWISM THE IMPATIENT CONSUMER

15 O V E R S AT U R AT I O N 16 TOO MANY MARKETING MESSAGES 18 WHY CONNECT 19 WAYS TO CONNECT

20 W E AV E C R E AT E D 21 23

WELCOME TO WEAVE CREATED BRANDING

35 M E R L I N 36 38 44

THE THRILL SEEKERS CONSUMER SEGMENTATION THE ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR

45 T H E B I G I D E A 46 48

"WAITING TO BRAVE STEALTH AT @THORPEPARK #SCARED" THE BACKBONE

50 54

GAME ON THE FUN FACTOR

EXECUTIONS

GETTING IT OUT THERE

WHSMITH

67 68

UTILISING THE WAIT THE NEXT STATION IS...

THE BIG IDEA

70 72 74 76

SALES DECLINE CONSUMER SPOTTING CONVERSATION STARTER 24-7 WORLD

EXECUTIONS

79 98

THE IDEA CYCLE WHY? THE BENEFITS

100

102 T H E F U T U R E 103 T H E E X T R A’ S 104 109

REFERENCES & LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY

WHY ARE WE

STILL WA I T I N G ? Think back to the last time you had to wait for something. Perhaps you were in the queue for a theme park ride; maybe you were waiting to pay for your weekly food shop or sitting in the doctor’s surgery waiting for your appointment. People are frequently put in these situations where they must wait, sometimes only for a short amount of time and sometimes for longer periods. These waiting moments are where time slows to a crawl, where minutes seem like hours and boredom and frustration reach boiling point. Waiting was once described by a 1980s Federal Express advert as ‘frustrating, demoralising, agonising, aggravating and annoying’ (Federal Express, 1980) and from personal experience I have found waiting to be all of these things.

In their lifetime consumers spend “653 hours waiting for trains and 6 months queuing” (The Mirror, 2009).

However, although these negative emotions and connotations stem from waiting, there are some situations where waiting is acceptably unavoidable. Take theme parks for example. Summer season hits and we’re all racing down to the nearest theme park to enjoy the rides and have a fun day out. Queuing at theme parks is inevitable – we can’t all go on the same ride at the same time, so we wait. We wait and get annoyed. We get angry, frustrated and bored; not the emotions or associations that companies want customers to experience.

Figure 2.

WHY DON’T THESE ORGANISATIONS UTILISE WAITING TIMES TO CONNECT AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR CONSUMERS? WHY HAVEN’T BRANDS CAPITALISED ON THIS WAITING TIME TO DECREASE THE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS THAT WAITING PROVOKES AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE? SURELY THIS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AT A TIME WHEN CONSUMERS ARE BUSIER AND MORE IMPATIENT THAN EVER? The business potential for organisations is huge and this will be discussed in more depth throughout this report. We will explore the opportunities available for companies, Merlin Entertainment and WHSmith, to fully utilise waiting time and to discover which strategies will be most beneficial. In depth research into their consumers will be made to provide insight and understanding into what will be the most successful form of connecting with audiences during their waiting time. Waiting behaviours and attitudes will be analysed to propose suitable and service specific outcomes. The current market environment, social and cultural considerations will also be discussed in order to highlight the timeliness and criticality of companies to act immediately.

AITING .........................

As mentioned, waiting is something that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re faced with on a day-to-day basis which has become woven into the fabric of our society We noticed this waiting time and realised that there is potential for brands to take advantage of it, to productively and profitability fill the waiting time. The time where consumers wait is dead time; the consumer is inactive and less distracted with time to focus on and interact with a brand if desired. As Rubin states; â&#x20AC;&#x153;unoccupied time feels longer than occupied timeâ&#x20AC;? (2012), which is something we need to remember. We want to focus on enhancing the waiting time so it is perceived as being less and at the same time improves the service and experience that is being waited for. We want to do this through interaction and engagement so that consumers experience a five-minute wait that feels like no time at all.

.................. HOW LONG LEFT? Distracting ourselves whilst waiting is something that commonly occurs. We read newspapers, books and kindles, we check our mobile phones, play on iPads and make phone calls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you have something to distract yourself with, time passes more quicklyâ&#x20AC;? (Rubin, 2012). Primary research at train stations confirmed this as most waiting customers were observed checking and using their mobile phones or reading a book, newspaper or magazine. Out of the 10 people we interviewed 8 respondents felt that they had to take some form of entertainment with them (appendix F). Our idea stems from this and focuses on how Merlin and WHSmith can take advantage of this by providing the distraction. Waiting is boring. We know that and try to overcome the boredom through alternative distractions. This has been identified in the market place and many companies are responding by introducing a range of in-line engagement techniques to promote their brands. At the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Honda presented attendees with several plasma monitors throughout the queue, which displayed a brief history of the brand as well as their new TV commercials. This allowed Honda to drive home key brand messages as well as entertain their audience and improve the waiting experience. Similarly Nintendo positioned four plasma screens with a two-way interactive video in their queue to engage consumers whilst they waited. This concept of distracting the consumer has the potential to not only shorten the perceived queue time, but to also re-connect a brand with the customer. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this that we want to take forward and develop for our chosen brands.

NEWISM We’re currently in a consumer revolution where brands are operating in an expectation economy. “The world has become ‘it’s all about me’. A re-me world” (Lincoln and Thomassen, 2009, p 40). We have become an incredibly impatient society with consumers demanding more and more with the expectation that brands can respond accordingly. When Steve Jobs launched the first iPhone back in 2007, he stated that the iPhone was “literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone” (Jobs in Apple, 2007). However, within months of the release, Apple had already started to work on the iPhone 3G in response to the increasing demand for a newer, better version. If you fast-forward some years and three iPhone generations later, you can guarantee that Apple is well ahead on the next iPhone development. “Consumers have always wanted new products but in an increasingly open marketplace where the power has shifted towards the consumer, ‘new’ is now expected, demanded even” (Brad, 2013) and the iPhone highlights this perfectly. We want, demand and expect more.

Figure 3.

T H E I M PAT I E N T CONSUMER With the rise in newism a new type of consumer is emerging, identified as the ‘impatient consumer’ (Dietrich, 2011). These consumers own multiple gadgets, snack on media, have reduced attention spans and are the current leaders of the ‘me’ generation. They have grown up with technology where it has been a necessity rather than a luxury and consequently “this group expects instant gratification in the form of digital, on-the-spot access to any nugget of information that comes to mind- anywhere and anytime” (Bingham, 2013). This is the future consumer, the consumer that brands will be targeting and connecting with for the next 15 years; generation Z. They have the most potential to become influencers and opinion leaders “that will go on to make many future purchases and will only have increased spending power when the recession lifts” (Chahal, 2013). With consumers sharing the minutiae of their day-to-day lives with the rest of the world via social media and user-generated content sites, this isn’t a group you want to upset. With lifestyles becoming busier, tolerance for queuing has slowly started to decrease. These consumers don’t want to wait and they won’t for very long. It’s the rise in this consumer demand that has driven the need for brands to act now. After all “the power is with the consumer” (Lafley in Kimmel, 2010, p 5).

Figure 4.

O V E R S AT U R AT I O N “Today we have more of everything. More brands. More products. More choices. But it all just feels like more of the same. A great big blur of similarity. And most companies are stuck on a competitive treadmill, competing like crazy trying to keep up with each other. But this only makes them just like everyone else”. (Professor Youngme Moon – Different).

TOO MANY MARKETING MESSAGES The increase in brands, products, choices and therefore competition has resulted in a bombardment of marketing messages. As competition has risen in nearly all consumer goods and service segments, many competitors are inundating their already overwhelmed consumers with ever increasing communications. Various brands have started to raise the stakes with regards to marketing, trying to outshout their competitors in a bid to attract the most attention. However, instead of consumers hearing these messages, the opposite effect is being created with messages being lost in the continuous and competitive shouting of brands. We can no longer hear them and we can no longer distinguish which brand is telling us what. We have reached the point where consumers have just stopped listening and “because of the sheer volume of marketing, audiences would find it next to impossible to process everything, even if they so desired” (Kimmel, 2010, p 23). This view is reinforced by a study carried out by Leahy highlighting that the dominant attitude expressed by respondents was that they receive too many types of communications. With companies all vying in similar ways for our attention, it’s no wonder that advertising and promotions are “becoming vastly less effective” (Thompson, 2013).

O CONNECT

Name the last two advertisements you’ve seen, either on TV, on billboards, in magazines or online. Too hard? Can’t remember what they were or what they were advertising? With this over saturation of marketing messages and reluctance of consumers to pay attention to them, we have decided to use unoccupied waiting times to connect with the audience rather than to sell to them. “What we need to do is to rouse hearts, not heads. And inspire the part of us that seeks connection” (Van Praet, 2013). Tired of traditional methods, people are far more likely to get involved with something that they connect with, which is something that we have picked up on throughout our research. (Contagious in Hughes, 2011 and Kimmel, 2010). We don’t want to bombard customers with promotions and sales messages during waiting times as we know they just won’t listen and will find adverts annoying and intrusive (Thompson, 2013). We don’t want to intrude on consumers waiting time, we want to subtly reach out to them to connect and improve their experience. Our proposals stem on the basis of building this connection.

OO O HOW?

There are a number of ways in which brands connect with consumers, both offline and online. However, with the ongoing technology advancements the “internet and related technologies have dramatically changed the landscape of global branding” (Thomas and Veloutsou, 2013) and it has now become a necessity for brands to connect with their consumers online. Not only do brands need an online presence, but they need to exist on and interact with social media sites too. Social media provides brands with huge opportunities in nourishing the bond between the brand and its customers in a communitylike environment. “The evolution of the internet is driving this new age” (Tapscott and Williams, 2006, p 19) and social media is an element of this that companies cannot ignore. P&G’s Global Marketing Manager, Jim Stengel made this clear when he said brands “that are not exploring new technologies and connection points will loose touch” (Lincoln and Thomassen, 2009, p23). A great example of this is the Red Bull Stratos Space Jump.

The 23-mile jump, sponsored by Red Bull, became an international news event where more han 8 million people tuned in to watch on Youtube and initiated three trending hashtags on Twitter. With this increase in the Internet and social media, apps have made a breakthrough, with consumers spending 10% more time on their apps than on the Web (Nuance Communications, 2012). It can be seen that apps have taken a crucial role in our everyday lives whether it’s to keep up to date with the latest world news, to monitor our diet or even to play the latest game that everyone’s been talking about. The prospects for brands to develop appropriate apps for their customers is and will continue to be pivotal to their market positioning, with distributers such as Amazon and Apple leading the way with a reported 15 million visitors to their app sites in November 2012 alone. (Engine Creative, 2013).

Mobile is no longer a marketing channel but a way of life and the opportunities to unite on a global scale is huge.

WELCOME TO

As our primary research highlighted, people get frustrated waiting for a variety of things; from queuing in clothing shops and supermarkets, to waiting in traffic jams and at airports (see appendix B). From the wide range of answers we realised that there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a predominant waiting reason that consumers find the most annoying â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the waiting situations are wide and varied. It was impossible for us to tackle every particular waiting moment successfully and in depth, so we selected two specific examples that we could really hone in on.

OUR BRAND DNA

Figure 5.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

THE PACE OF CHANGE AND THE EVOLVING DEMANDS OF CONSUMERS ARE AT SUCH THAT FIRMS CAN NO LONGER DEPEND ONLY ON INTERNAL CAPABILITIES TO MEET EXTERNAL NEEDS Tapscott and Williams

By choosing to set up our own creative agency we had the scope to choose any waiting situation we wanted. We realised that there are a variety of ways to tackle the waiting time from educating and entertaining during the waiting time to actually utilising it. We therefore decided to focus our project on two waiting times that highlighted two different routes; entertaining and utilising. We will propose two ideas; one for Merlin Entertainment that suggests a way in which they can engage and entertain consumers whilst they wait, and one for WHSmith, which concentrates on utilising the waiting time.

BRANDING As our agency will be working with a variety of companies each with their own individual branding and identity, it was important that our overall branding and image was relatively neutral. We didn’t want to introduce any loud or shocking colours that might compete with client branding, so instead we opted for something more muted. The colour palette and simple logo are subtle and flexile, allowing us to collaborate and work with a range of different companies. “A lot of brands redesigned their logos this year to be extremely minimal… with more brands stripping back their logos because of the increased versatility it brings” (Crutchley in Carney, 2012). As the agency is newly started, we have included a lot of white space, which is easily adaptable and creates a sense of freshness. On our website, whitespace has been used regularly as a design tool to continue the modern design theme and encourage users to focus deeper on the main content. We were inspired throughout the branding process by the rendering reality trend, focusing particularly on the use of clean lines. It is from this that we see typography going back to its purest form and this “reinvents the importance of conveying information through brand logos and message statements” (WGSN, 2013). The overall branding of Weave Created is based around the main visual trends identified by Awwwards team; “simplicity, minimalism, clear layouts, flat colours and less decoration” (Awwward, 2013).

“

Figure 6.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we will see a simpler web emerging. More space, less clutter and decoration.â&#x20AC;? (Kus, M. 2013)

Figure 7.

COS MAGAZINE

KINFOLK MAGAZINE

CEREAL MAGAZINE

MINIMAL FILM POSTERS

GRAPHIC DESIGN

L AY O U T

WEBSITE MOCK UPS HOMEPAGE / ABOUT US / CONTACT / PEOPLE / OUR WORK

H O M E PA G E Figure 8.

ABOUT US Figure 9.

C O N TA C T Figure 10.

PEOPLE Figure 11.

OUR WORK Figure 12.

P R O M O T I N G W E AV E BUSINESS CARD

Uncoated

Weave text debossed

FRONT Figure 13.

Weave & created text embossed

Text is coated (shiny)

BACK Figure 14.

LETTERS

Figure 15.

Figure 16.

THE THRILL SEEKERS

Figure 17.

From the age of about 12 Thorpe Park has been one of our yearly family trips. Armed with a pack lunch and snacks we tackle the neverending queues in a bid to ride the best and biggest attractions.Getting there early, according to my Mum was the key, “Head straight to the back of the park and work our way to the front”. A frantic dash and 10 minutes later we would reach the chosen ride, only to be welcomed by a 30-minute queue time - typical. Four rides later and its time to go home, the majority of the day being spent in queues with all the other school children, parents and students that visit for a day of fun over the holidays. Queuing is a problem, there’s no doubt about that. Queuing at theme parks can affect the overall experience and enjoyment of the day as an interviewee clearly highlighted;

“

the last time I went to Thorpe Park during the holidays I swore to myself that I wouldn’t go in the holidays again because of how bad the queues were. (Southgate, 2013).

”

Ex-executive at Merlin Entertainment, Martin Barratt, further supported this when he said “it was always the biggest reason for complaints and sometimes it could lead to disturbances and fights” (Barratt 2013). Merlin don’t want consumers to have these negative associations and perceptions of their theme parks or their brand. It’s important that they tackle this problem and we can help them in doing so.

ONSUMER S E G M E N TAT I O N The Thorpe Park and Alton Towers consumers are wide and varied, ranging from digital natives to generation x, all of which have different personality traits and lifestyles. In order to create a solution to the queuing problem, we had to identify the different consumer segments that visit, paying particular attention to how each consumer groups experience will differ from each other. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s these consumer insights that will enable us to propose a suitable idea that will engage all visitors.

SUNSHINE TEENS Figure 18.

H O T D O G S TA N D / B U R N T S A U S A G E / K E T C H U P

The Sunshine Teens are a mixed group of boys and girls around 14-17 years old. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re rowdy, loud, impatient, energetic and enjoy spending their days with groups of friends. As most of these individuals live locally they travel to the park via public transport however, for those further away their parents drive them. This group is the most likely to pay full price as their parents are only dishing out for one ticket. However, as the majority are local, the 2 for 1 offers that are frequently in the newspapers to promote the park will also be used. This group will flock to fast food sites for their lunch, purchasing the standard hot dog/burger because no one is there to tell them that they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. They will spend as long as possible at the park in order to get on as many rides as they can, playing on the arcades and gobbling on sweets as they go. The sunshine teens are optimistic and will ensure they get on the main attractions, documenting their day on social media sites.

THE ACTIVE SOCIALISTS Figure 19.

ANY PIZZA FOR ÂŁ6 / LUNCH DEAL / HAM & PINEAPPLE

The active socialists are again a mixed gender group, but with an older age range. This group consists of students and young adults between the ages of 18-25 who mainly travel by cars and share travelling costs. This crowd are the most likely to utilise the discounts and offers available to enter the park with a group of seven seeking out an eighth person from the queue in order to use their 2-4-1 voucher. Promotional codes would also be used at the food venues located in the park although some will bring their own food or snacks. As money is an obvious influence on this group, due to the high volume of students, merchandise and additional buys would be limited. Again this group would want to spend a full day at the park in order to get their monies worth. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re laidback, loud but respectful and maintain the highly developed queue etiquette that is present in the UK.

S M A L L FA M I L I E S Figure 20.

PA C K L U N C H / S A N D W I C H / Y O G U R T / C R I S P S / A P P L E

Families of four are the next consumer segment, consisting of two parents and two children between the ages of 9 and 15. The family travel in a standard, trustworthy car and use the family saver ticket or the Tesco Club card system. They bring their own packed lunch and snacks so that food is readily available at the request of the kids. Throughout the day the parents would be faced with numerous â&#x20AC;&#x153;can I have this?â&#x20AC;? questions and will reluctantly give in at some point, purchasing them either sweets or small merchandise from the gift shop. This group probably leave mid afternoon as the rides available for younger children are limited and the kids might get impatient, bored and fed up.

I T ’ S A FA M I LY A F FA I R Figure 21.

MCDONALDS MEAL / CHIPS / BURGER / SAUCE

Next we have large families of around 8-15 members that comprise of adults, teenagers and children over 10. They’re likely to consist of two or three separate families that have come together and will be on the look out for larger group savings. Due to the size of the group the convenience of a fast food outlet will be used for their main meal however, the parents/carers will bring snacks and drinks from home. This group will be visiting to celebrate an occasion or to meet up with family they don’t see on a regular basis. As it is a family day out, ride photos may be purchased as a momentum of their day.

THREE’S A CROWD Figure 22.

S I T D O W N M E X I C A N M E A L / N A C H O P L AT T E R T O S H A R E

The last Thorpe Park/Alton Towers consumer group is ‘the couples’, aged between 18-30 years old. They have driven to the park for a fun day out or a date and will either purchase full price tickets or use the 2-4-1 discounts. Due to their low-key presence at the park their choice of food will be a sit down meal at any of the restaurants on site, which will probably be paid for by the male. These individuals are most likely to arrive mid morning, early afternoon to stay clear of rush hour and will spend around 5-6 hours at the park. The couple will wander around the park at ease and will participate at the stools situated throughout.

THE E N T E R TA I N M E N T FA C T O R The most notable and successful queue entertainment to date is that of Walt Disney Resorts, from in-line entertainment, themed queuing and hidden rows,

‘‘

THE QUEUES ARE BRILLIANT THERE BECAUSE THEY KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED ALL THE WAY ROUND" (INTERVIEWEE 1, 2013)

Figure 23.

The most notable and successful queue entertainment to date is that of Walt Disney Resorts, from in-line entertainment, themed queuing and hidden rows, “the queues are brilliant there because they keep you entertained all the way round” (Glenny, 2013). Disney is clearly leading the way so why don’t other organisations learn from them? The most apparent problem that UK theme parks face is space. We have little of it in comparison to the acres and acres of land Disney work with. We cannot introduce lines that run for metres long that are hidden throughout inside areas and change direction. Changing the queuing system to reflect Disney in this respect is just not physically possible. We can however, learn from the entertainment available throughout the queues at Disney. It’s all about the experience created and the entertainment offered to improve this. In-line entertainment results in shorter perceived queue times, which in effect equals a better and more positive experience. The entertainment factor is key.

THE BIG IDEA

TO USE ENTERTAINMENT TO RE-DIRECT AND ENGAGE CONSUMERS TO REDUCE QUEUE TIMES AND IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.

Figure 24.

Our research and investigations into waiting has led us to the neverending issue of queuing at theme parks. Although this is something that we cannot eliminate, we can introduce techniques and strategies, which would allow queue times to be managed. After observing and interacting with consumers during a visit to Thorpe Park, we picked up on ways consumers entertain themselves whilst they wait for a ride. We discovered that the most prevalent form of entertainment was the mobile phone. Whether using the device to talk to other people, to check their social media or to send pictures to friends, mobile phones were a huge distraction tool. This was not something we were particularly surprised at, especially when you consider the rise of the mobile in recent years. A Pew Studies survey conducted in 2011 also supports this, as they discovered that â&#x20AC;&#x153;42% of people in America use their phone for entertainment when they are boredâ&#x20AC;? (Pew Studies, 2011). Although Thorpe Park and Alton Towers already have working apps, after trying them out for ourselves we discovered that they lack sophistication, usability and the fun factor that is associated with theme parks. The apps didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t display any queue times and did not notify us of the ride closures that day. All in all, they were disappointing. The opportunity for improvement here is huge and as mobile phone usage continues to surge, integrating this device into our idea is critical.

THE BACKBONE During initial discussions with John Lyle, brand experience director at Bewilderwood, he explained that the key to minimising queue times at theme parks was largely to do with redirection.

Bearing this is mind and after taking inspiration from the entertainment provided in the queues at Walt Disney Resorts, we have decided to create an interactive application that aims to tackle the queuing dilemma;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Waiting Gameâ&#x20AC;?

The application will be available for smart phone users and will be based around an interactive game that redirects visitors to different attractions, cures boredom and ultimately reduces the actual and perceived waiting time.

GAME ON

Figure 25.

The consumer downloads the Merlin Entertainment app and selects their chosen theme park destination, which in this case would be Thorpe Park or Alton Towers. The customer can look at the rides available at the park, similar to the current app, which displays the rides through videos. The height restrictions will also be clearly highlighted here. The individual then picks the top 10 rides they would like to go on throughout their visit, ranking their top five in order. This can also be done online when the customer purchases their ticket. The chosen rides will then get submitted and used to compose a personal map and game layout, which will ensure that the user visits their selected rides.

Figure 26.

Figure 27.

Figure 28.

Figure 29.

Figure 30.

AT T H E PA R K When they reach the park the game layout will take the consumer on a journey where they must unlock and unveil clues to reach their next destination or ride. This will direct guests to specific rides at specific times, easing the queues for the main attractions. The queue times for each ride will be more widespread throughout the park as visitors get sent in a variety of directions.

Figure 31.

The app will register the maximum waiting time that people are prepared to wait for each of their selected rides and if this limit is exceeded, the app will suggest alternative options, offering discounts and vouchers as incentives to visit paying areas. For example, if at around 1pm the main ride Nemesis has a 90 minute queue time, the app would direct some of the visitors to eat at the Pizza Hut restaurant where they can get 25% off all pizzas. GPS technology will pick up on where the consumer is, which will allow the app to suggest the nearest places to eat.

Figure 32.

Assigning customers with vouchers to different food stations also provides families with more motivation to make use of the park facilities, increasing Merlin’s profit. As Martin Barratt said,

“we make every £, $, € count” (2013)

T H E F U N FA C T O R It was vital that we proposed a game that was fun and engaging for the consumer as a core value of Merlin’s is “make it fun… and this must be demonstrated everyday on every site and in everything we do” (Barratt, 2013). People visit theme parks to enjoy a fun and entertaining day out and the app should dovetail with this. Gaming student Dan Bailey confirmed this point this when he said “it needs to be engaging for the player while also being fun” (Bailey, 2013).

THE EXECUTION G E T T I N G “ T H E WA I T I N G GAME” OUT THERE... Initially the app will be trialled and tested at only one of the parks so that Merlin can measure its success and popularity and assess whether they want to introduce it to further parks. In order to introduce and promote the app, a campaign will be released alongside the launch of the next new ride at Alton Towers ‘The Smiler’. The campaign will link to the theme of the ride and will be based around ‘The Smiler’s’ overall story and set up. Money will already be invested into the advertising of the new ride, which enables the app promotions to be included into this budget. Combining the application with the new ride will provide a direct link from the app to the theme park and the buzz surrounding the new ride will transfer through to the app. The launch is the perfect platform to raise awareness of the application, creating further excitement and incentive for consumers to visit the attraction.

T H E C A M PA I G N LAUNCHING ALONGSIDE “THE SMILER”

Figure 33. & figure 34.

To motivate people to download the application and to create hype around it, the first 100 consumers to download and play the app at the park will gain free fast pass access to ‘The Smiler’, the new-featured ride.

Figure 35.

Keeping with ‘The Smiler’s’ overall theme, story and visual identity through colour palette, compostition and imagery.

MONTH

prior to the launch of “The Smiler”, print advertisements will be introduced. The campaign will peak before the opening of the new ride and will endure for the following two weeks.

TV ADVERT - STORYBOARD Figure 36.

As the TV advert comes to an end, “The Waiting Game” application will be promoted, encouraging viewers to download the app.

Don’t wait to ride

Download now

The ad will be aired one month prior to the launch, with the regularlity of the advert increasing after the first two weeks. The ad will continue to be played around prime time TV, 7-9pm for a further two weeks after the initial launch.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to play

#thewaitinggame

ON THE WEBSITE

Figure 37.

Promotions will be displayed predominantly on the website as well as being placed around train stations and bus shelters.

As many customers use Tesco Club card Vouchers to purchase their Thorpe Park or Alton Towers tickets, the app will feature under the ‘park information’ section on their website. This will introduce and draw consumer’s attention to the application, particularly for those consumer groups that will be taking advantage of the system.

Figure 38.

Advertisements in local papers will be placed to entice local people to visit. Naturally, the new ride will generate publicity and this provides an opportunity for the app to be introduced to the public. The more press and media coverage produced the better. We want everyone talking about “The Waiting Game”.

Figure 39.

We want everyone talking about...

THE WA I T I N G GAME Although advertising alongside the launch of the new ride may not appeal to small families, it will successfully target and attract the other consumer segments. In theory, no matter what the new launch ride is, it will not realistically appeal to every consumer. However, the other advertising, in particular the adverts placed on the Tesco Clubcard website, will reach this audience. These are the touch points that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;small familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; frequently interact with, increasing the promotional impact and success of the campaign.

With ÂŁ1.3 million likes on Alton Towers Facebook page and 44,388 followers on Twitter, social media provides the opportunity to market to and reach a huge audience.

FA C E B O O K

Figure 40.

Social media has become a key player in the majority of our consumer’s lifestyles and it is therefore a platform we cannot ignore. The app allows the player to connect to Facebook where they can check in, tag pictures and update statuses. The player’s score will continually be updated and a live leader board will be displayed on “The Waiting Game’s” homepage. This allows visitors to interact in a community-like environment where they can share their experience with others.

TWEET TWEET #thewaitinggame

Figure 41.

The hashtag #thewaitinggame will be used throughout the launch of the application where visitors will be encouraged to tweet about their day. The app account will tweet followers, picked at random, with questions specific to “The Waiting Game” and its effect on their day. As an incentive to respond to these tweets, once the follower has replied, further discounts and promotional offers to various Merlin attractions will be made available to them. This information allows Alton Towers to gain further insight and first hand research into “The Waiting Game” that could potentially improve the app and the overall experience.

T H E N E X T S TAT I O N I S . . .

Figure 42.

Figure 43.

UTILISING TIME Figure 44.

Tesco are one step ahead in discovering that utilising waiting times for transportation holds great opportunity. We were inspired by their innovative m-commerce idea that integrates virtual grocery shopping at Gatwick Airport. The idea allows you to order a basket of essentials from the four interactive screens based in the departure lounge, which will then be delivered the day you return. These trial boards have been introduced after the success of interactive billboards in tube stations and bus stops in South Korea that allow customers to shop on the go (Simpson, 2012). Tesco are onto a winner by integrating mobile with utilising time, providing a quick and convenient way to turn dead time into productive time. This is something that we have considered and tried to incorporate throughout our implementation strategy.

ALL ABOARD Waiting for public transport differs in a number of ways from waiting for other services. At stations passengers wait on the platform and there is no queue etiquette, nor any formal service rules. Waiting time is filled with persistent clock watching as individuals wait for the train to arrive at the station, with a book in their hand or music playing from their iPods. Waiting at the train station is just another moment where we must wait for a service, a time when an organisation could reach out to their consumer to connect with their brand.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Overall, more than 9 million adults are generally positive towards rail travel, while over 12 million can be seen as negative.â&#x20AC;? (Mintel, 2010)

This gives a brand the opportunity to utilise the waiting time, turning the negativity into something positive all whilst building a better relationship with consumers.

THE BIG IDEA

HELPING STUDENTS MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR TIME BY UTILISING THEIR TRAVEL WAIT BOTH ON AND OFF THE TRAIN

Figure 45.

SALES DECLINE 2012 saw WHSmith’s Travel sales “down three per cent on a like-to-like basis” (WHSmith, 2012). Our implementation idea to target consumers at train stations will aid in increasing this decline. Through improvements to the customer offering and by reminding consumers of the services and products offered at WHSmith, we aim to raise not only the WHSmith Travel sales but the High Street sales too. “The Travel business now operates from 619 units” (WHSmith, 2012), which gives us access to connect with a huge number of consumers. Through re-connecting and building this relationship with the consumer their awareness of the brand will increase, which in effect will raise sales.

CONSUMER SPOTTING Whilst undertaking primary research at train stations and interviewing a number of passengers, we discovered a number of similarities between the waiting customers. Out of the 10 people we interviewed, 8 were students, travelling to or from university that had used the 16-25 rail card to gain discount whilst purchasing their ticket online. It’s not uncommon for students to travel via train and it can be seen that “there is a greater usage than average by some demographic groups (e.g. ABs and those aged 15-24)” (Mintel, 2010). This consumer is a digital native, used to interacting with digital technology from an early age, and it therefore came as no surprise that the majority of students had purchased their tickets online. In fact, purchasing tickets via the Internet has become “a method of purchase that continues to grow strongly” (Passenger Focus A, 2012). Tickets purchased online tend to be advanced fares that are valid only for the specific time selected. If the passenger misses this time or gets on an earlier train, they must pay for a brand new ticket at full price. We found that because of this the students arrive at the stations with plenty of time to spare to ensure that they don’t miss their train. The cost implications of missing their train is a massive worry as the typical traveller will have little or no income, relying on their student loan to get them by. They’re the most likely consumer to be waiting at the station with 10 minutes to spare and it is because of this that they are our target consumer. These 10 minutes, in addition to the actual journey, are times spent waiting and it is this time that WHSmith could utilise.

STUDENT DNA

L-In SM O D T C I

Figure 46.

LinkedIn Social Media Offers Digital Tumblr Connected Instagram

Have you ever found yourself unnecessarily checking your phone? Repeatedly refreshing social media sites or emails? There’s been times when I’ve been out with friends and mid conversation I’ve reached for my phone to check it.I only checked it 10 minutes ago, why do I need to again? The truly worrying thing is that I’m not alone. A recent study showed that users have developed what they call ‘checking habits’ with the study subjects checking their phones 34 times a day (Cohen, 2011). The mobile phone has been interlaced into our daily lives and many of us cannot imagine functioning without them. Primary research also highlighted the use of mobile phones as 90% of interviewees looked at their phone during their wait. It’s this evident surge of mobile use that led us to using them to initially target the student customer. If we could target the consumer through a platform that they will struggle to ignore, the more likely they are to hear the message and interact with it. If a student receives a text the probability of them reading it is high.

Figure 47.

We are increasingly becoming a 24/7 society with the Internet fuelling the ability to work, shop and play whenever and wherever we want. As we expect to be constantly connected to people, places and content there becomes a blurring of our online and offline lives. Technology is central to this and in order to lead our lives the way we now want to, we’ll need access to the Internet anytime and anywhere, including the train.

Figure 48.

“BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WHEN TRAVELLING BY TRAIN IS ALREADY RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF RAIL TRAVEL – IT CAN BE PRODUCTIVE TIME RATHER THAN DEAD TIME”. (Go Ahead, 2012)

We picked up on this when we interviewed students at the train station where the majority had bought university work with them (see appendix F). We therefore feel that offering free Wifi as part of the implementation is vital in the ideas success in utilising time for the target consumer. With free Wifi, students will be able to utilise their time more efficiently and effectively, which is the main purpose of our idea. With the increased necessity to be constantly connected to people, places and content, mobile phone usage has soared. With some of the early failures in mobile advertising being due to poor timing (Peterson, 2013), the popularity of location-based advertising, geofencing has risen.

There are a number of companies that have seen the advantages of geofencing with brands such as Gap and O2 making the most of the innovative advertising method. With the use of geofencing, brands are able to determine who is nearby and target them specifically. It is a form of direct advertising that provokes a direct response and experience, which is hugely beneficial for brands. Geofencing targets our student consumer at the right time and at the right place, which is why it will be used throughout our implementation.

THE EXECUTION THE IDEA CYCLE The consumer sits on their laptop searching for the cheapest train ticket to get them home for the weekend. After adding their 16-25 railcard they find the best deal and proceed to the checkout. It is here that the consumer is introduced to the new free Wifi service offered by WHSmith, where they are asked to leave their mobile number- this is the first consumer touch point.

Figure 49.

FREE WI-FI

Figure 50.

L E AV E Y O U R N O .

Figure 51.

WEB PROMOTIONS

3 /

Figure 52.

TEXT

4 /

ENTER CODE

Figure 53.

On the day of travel the consumer gets to the station 20 minutes early and goes to collect their ticket from the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pay and collectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; machines. As they arrive at the station they receive a text from Smiths that congratulates them for getting to the station on time. A discount is then offered at WHSmith for food, snacks and magazines, as well as reminding the student that by purchasing an item they will receive free Wifi on the train.

5 /

RECEIPT

Once the consumer has purchased something from WHSmith, they will receive a receipt that will include a free Wifi code for that day. In order to receive this they must show their train ticket and 16-25 railcard. Figure 54.

The text is sent through GPS technology, otherwise known as geofencing, a trend that brands have recently started to integrate into their marketing strategies. This tracking technology allows WHSmith to measure how successful/unsuccessful the text is, as they will be able to see if the customer arrives at WHSmith or not.

Figure 55.

S TAT I O N A R Y A N Y O N E ?

The passenger finds their seat on the train and gets comfortable in preparation for their journey. During their travels, a refreshment cart will be making its way through the carriages, stocked with WHSmith stationary. WHSmith pens will be offered free to students as the ticket collector passes, which will help to hone the customerbrand relationship. These will be given out when the consumer shows their 16-25 rail card or student card. Other items will also be available to purchase from the cart, including notebooks, highlighters, rubbers, among others at a reduced price. Due to the number of marketing messages that consumers are now exposed to, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important that WHSmiths place themselves at the forefront of the customers mind. The free pen will boost this, acting as a little reminder of how WHSmith can help them to utilise their travel time. From this, a stronger relationship will be formed, encouraging passengers to purchase from WHSmith over other competitors in the future. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve built a connection, a bond with the consumer, which will increase the likelihood of brand loyalty.

EXECUTIONS

HSmith are communicating a message; they can help students to utilise their time, particularly their travel time. In order to reinforce this there will be motivational posters displayed throughout the carriage and waiting areas encouraging passengers to make the most of their journey.

INSPIRED BY

SIMPLE

motivational posters

TYPE

HAND WRITTEN

BOLD COLOUR

EASY TO READ Figure 56.

M O T I VAT I O N A L P O S T E R S

Figure 57.

Figure 58.

S TA N D O U T C O L O U R

Figure 59.

Primary research highlighted the popularity of using mobile phones whilst the student consumer waits, which is why we have used this to target our audience.

Figure 60.

Although itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to use the WHSmith blue to replicate the current brand image and identity, we felt that introducing more colours would appeal to the student consumer.

Figure 61.

The bright colour palette used for these adverts are eye catching and attract the the eye when staring into space - something that is regularly done on when sitting on a train.

Figure 62.

Figure 63.

“

People tend to pay attention to the shoes they and others wear” ( P f e i f f e r, 2 0 1 2 ) .

VIDEO QR CODES

Talks from professionals and famous figures on how to successfully utilise time will be released alongside the print campaign. These will be talks similar to those given at TED, featuring little hints and tips to inspire students to use their time more efficiently. These talks will be accessible from the QR codes on the WHSmith receipt, as well as posters in the carriage and links on the WHSmith website.

Figure 64.

Figure 65.

ACCESSING YOUR VIDEOS

1 / Contact information is entered and can be easily accessed by WHSmith to target consumer specific promotions in the future.

Figure 66.

2 / Personal account to store videos

Figure 67.

Videos are displayed largely and clearly so that they can be found and watched at ease.

3 /

Figure 68.

RECOMMENDING BOOKS

VIA TEXT MESSAGE

Figure 69.

If any books come in around the subject of utilising or planning time, organisational skills etc, WHSmith will recommend these to their consumers via text message. When the text is selected, it will direct the customer to the WHSmith website where they can purchase the book if they want.

.................................................................

Again, this will target customers through geofencing, which enables the texts to be sent as the consumer is passing a WHSmiths store (inside the circle) - another place where they can purchase.

......................

........ .........

...................

............

WHSmith

WHY?

100

W H AT ’ S I N I T FOR WHSMITHS?

Connecting with consumers is key and this is something that is vital for a brands overall success. Improving the relationship with the consumer can provide several advantages for a brand and

“

when you do it, you have a much stronger affinity, a much stronger business, much stronger growth and much stronger results.” (Stengel in Andruss, 2012)

The big creative idea highlights to the customer how WHSmith can fit into their travel experience and provides them with a solution to the ‘dead’ time that consumers waste by waiting. The text that is sent using geofencing technology promotes and drives sales of the products in the travel stores. This relates to products that are quick and easy to buy and includes reading material, food, drink and confectionary. In addition to the increased sales in this area, the stationary trolleys on the trains will market and push the sales of the products in the high street stores, the second biggest sector WHSmith operate in (WHSmith, 2012). The focus here is more on stationary where the consumer has more time to pick and choose what they want. The implementation idea we propose focuses on both of WHSmith’s key areas; endorsing the travel and high street stores in an integrated strategy.

101

W H AT â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S I N I T F O R THE CONSUMER?

The students boring, wasted journey of non-stop waiting around is transformed. No longer will students watch the clock, play on pointless games and stare aimlessly into space, bored and unoccupied. The idea allows them to utilise their time in an effective and easy way with no extra costs on their part. Our survey results highlighted the importance of being productive during a waiting time and our idea enables this. In addition to this they also gain free access to Wifi as well as receiving money off vouchers for magazines, food and drink.

Their overall waiting and travelling experience will be improved and this can be directly attributable to WHSmith.

102

THE FUTURE

There is great potential for Weave to work with a number of other clients that would benefit from entertaining, engaging or utilising waiting time. The most likely step for Weave would be to work with the NHS. With the increase in patient complaints and criticism surrounding waiting times, we feel that Weave could provide a range of effective and beneficial solutions to combat this.

Both of the proposed implementation strategies are based around engaging and connecting with consumers whilst they wait. Although they target this in two different ways the outcomes are still similar. The chosen brands have developed a stronger relationship with their consumer, improving their brand experience and increased sales will ultimately stem from this. Both of the strategies feature the use of mobile phones to reflect the change in technology and the effect that this has had on society and our day-to-day lifestyles. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vital that brands can keep up with the ever changing needs and demands of consumers and using mobile phones in an integrated strategy is one way to do this. Overall, the ideas proposed either ease or utilise the wait for the consumer and allow brands to take advantage of the unoccupied waiter.

ORED WHILST WAITING FOR THE TRAIN OR FOR A THEME PARK RIDE? NOT FOR MUCH LONGER.

103

104

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L I S T O F I L L U S T R AT I O N S Fig 1. ANON. Waiting room. 2011. [online image] Available from: http://shimosreadinglist.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/book-42-in-waiting-room.html [Accessed 28 April 2013]. Fig 2. MIKEL. As train goes by. 2009. [photograph by Mikel] Available from: http://www. flickr.com/photos/atzu/4035068330/ [Accessed 16 April 2013]. Fig 3. HOLMES, J. Impatient Consumer infographic. 2013. [own image]. Fig 4. HOLMES, J. Oversaturation. 2013. [own image]. Fig 5. HOLMES, J. Brand DNA. 2013. [own image]. Fig 6. HOLMES, J. Branding (website) mood board. 2013. [own image]. Fig 7. HOLMES, J. Branding mood board. 2013. [own image]. Fig 8. HOLMES, J et al. Mock up of the Weave website. 2013. [own image]. Fig 9. HOLMES, J et al Mock up of the Weave website. 2013. [own image]. Fig 10. HOLMES, J et al Mock up of the Weave website. 2013. [own image]. Fig 11. HOLMES, J et al Mock up of the Weave website. 2013. [own image]. Fig 12. HOLMES, J et al Mock up of the Weave website. 2013. [own image]. Fig 13. HOLMES, J Business card front.2013. [own image]. Fig 14. HOLMES, J Business card back 2013. [own image]. Fig 15. HOLMES, J Invoice. 2013. [own image]. Fig 16. HOLMES, J Welcome letter. 2013. [own image]. Fig 17. ANON. Rollercoaster. 2009. [online image]. Available from: http://www.pxleyes. com/photography-picture/4d9d1462754c5/Roller-coaster.html [Accessed 12 April 2013]. Fig 18. HOLMES, J Hot dog close up. 2013. [own image]. Fig 19. HOLMES, J Pizza close up. 2013. [own image]. Fig 20. HOLMES, J Packed lunch. 2013. [own image]. Fig 21. HOLMES, J McDonalds meal. 2013. [own image]. Fig 22. Nachos close up. 2013. [own image]. Fig 23. ANON. Queue management. 2011. [online image]. Available from: http://www. flickr.com/photos/imgeorge/5971928596/ [Accessed 29 May 2013]. Fig 24. HOLMES, J Visitor on phone in queue. 2013. [own image]. Fig 25. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image]. Fig 26. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image]. Fig 27. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image]. Fig 28. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image]. Fig 29. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image]. Fig 30. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image]. Fig 31. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image]. Fig 32. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Mock up of “The Waiting Game”. 2013. [team image].

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Fig 33. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Theme Park Advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 34. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Theme Park Advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 35. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Theme Park Advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 36. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. TV advertisement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; storyboard. 2013. [team image]. Fig 37. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. App promotion on the Alton Towers website. 2013. [team image]. Fig 38. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. App promotion on the Tesco Clubcard website. 2013. [team image]. Fig 39. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. App promotion print media. 2013. [team image]. Fig 40. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. The Waiting Game Facebook page. 2013. [team image]. Fig 41. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. The Waiting Game Twitter page. 2013. [team image]. Fig 42. HOLMES, J. Train track. 2013. [own image]. Fig 43 & 44. ANON. Tesco: Subway virtual Store. 2011. [online image]. Available from: http://www.sinbadesign.com/other-stuff/tesco-homeplus-subway-virtual-store/ [Accessed 29 April 2013]. Fig 45. HOLMES, J. WHSmith sales infographic. 2013. [own image]. Fig 46. HOLMES, J. Student DNA infographic. 2013. [own image]. Fig 47. HOLMES, J. Mobile phone infographic. 2013. [own image]. Fig 48. HOLMES, J. Geofencing mock up image. 2013. [own image]. Fig 49. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Free Wi-Fi advertised on the National Rail website. 2013. [team image]. Fig 50. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Leaving contact details mock up. 2013. [team image]. Fig 51. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Website promotion. 2013. [team image]. Fig 52. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Geofencing text message. 2013. [team image]. Fig 53. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Entering Wi-Fi code. 2013. [team image]. Fig 54. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith receipt with Wi-Fi code. 2013. [team image]. Fig 55. ANON. Woman with refreshment cart. 2013. [online image]. Available from: http:// www.smartertravel.com/photo-galleries/editorial/10-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-askfor-on-a-plane.html?id=427&all=1 [Accessed 28 April 2013]. Fig 56. HOLMES, J. Inspiration moodboard. 2013. [own image]. Fig 57. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 58. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 59. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 60. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 61. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 62. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 63. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith advertisement. 2013. [team image]. Fig 64. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith QR code poster. 2013. [team image]. Fig 65. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith QR code poster. 2013. [team image]. Fig 66. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith website mock up. 2013. [team image]. Fig 67. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith website mock up. 2013. [team image]. Fig 68. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. WHSmith website mock up. 2013. [team image]. Fig 69. HOLMES, J and SMITH, C. Recommended books text message. 2013. [team image].

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APPENDICES 128

APPENDIX A - METHODOLOGY 129 Methodology

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APPENDIX B - SURVEY 133 Survey questions 134 Survey results

T R A I N S TAT I O N S 136

APPENDIX C - OBSERVATIONS 137 Observation notes

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APPENDIX D - ETHNOGRAPHIC 139 Jade journey diary 141 Clare journey diary

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APPENDIX E - CONSUMER JOURNEY 145 146 148 150 151

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APPENDIX F - INTERVIEWS 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162

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Millie Hunt consumer journey Emily Clay consumer journey Ellyn Grant consumer journey Vicky Wilson consumer journey Richard Melbourne consumer journey

Interview 1 Interview 2 Interview 3 Interview 4 Interview 5 Interview 6 Interview 7 Interview 8 Interview 9 Interview 10

APPENDIX G - ETHICS 164 Consent forms

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T H E M E PA R K S 179

APPENDIX H - OBSERVATIONS 180 Images from the day

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APPENDIX I - INTERVIEWS 183 186 188 190 192 194 196 199 202 204 206

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Interview 1 Interview 2 Interview 3 Interview 4 Interview 5 Interview 6 Interview 7 Interview 8 Interview 9 Interview 10 John Lyle Interview

APPENDIX J - CORRESPONDENCE 208 Martin Barratt 216 Dan Bailey

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APPENDIX K - ETHICS

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APPENDIX L - VISUAL INSPIRATION 240 Layout inspiration 242 Infographics inspiration

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APPENDIX M - RECORD SHEETS

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APPENDIX N - CRITICAL PATH

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APPENDIX O - DECLARATION & ETHICS

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APPENDIX A METHODOLOGY

PRIMARY RESEARCH

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Survey To initiate our investigation into waiting and people’s opinions and attitudes towards it, we carried out an initial questionnaire to gain an understanding of the general consensus towards waiting. It was important to discover what it was that consumers do whilst waiting to see if there were any predominant entertainment methods we could consider for our idea. The survey highlighted people’s frustrations and allowed us to see if there was any particular waiting time that was found most annoying or irritating. We used the information from this to decide which waiting area to proceed with and research further. The survey was created on Survey Monkey and was distributed via social media sites; Facebook and Twitter as well as being emailed to specific genders and ages. We felt it was important to ask both females and males of mixed ages to gain a balanced overview. The survey results indicated that we reached 29% more females than males and because of this, the averages taken from the results were steered slightly more towards the female consumer. This was taken into consideration. Altogether 40 females and 22 males, totalling in 62 respondents, completed the survey. TRAIN STATIONS Observations Observations were taken at a number of stations including; Nottingham, St Albans, Burton Upon Trent, St Pancreas, Euston, Finsbury Park and Luton Airport Parkway. These observations took place from 18th March to 8th April all at different times of the day. This enabled us to gain a broad understanding of the consumers and to identify the different types of passengers that travelled at particular times and on certain days. Through these observations we could gain a more accurate and true representation of the consumer behaviour at train stations and observe how people spent their time waiting. The observations allowed us to select a target consumer and identify their waiting behaviours. Photographs of the waiting areas and the platform were taken so that we could produce realistic visual mock-ups. Ethnographic Research As Clare and I regularly travel by train, we used this opportunity to document our train journeys. We documented two different journeys, one short and one longer to understand how the experiences may vary depending on the distance. We documented what we did on the journey, how we felt on the journey and whether we had any frustrations or annoyances. We also took this time to observe what other passengers were doing with their time and how they were using the time to their advantage – or not to their advantage. This research was undertaken to gain inspiration for our own ideas and to observe and evaluate the space that our idea would be implemented in. As we’re both students, we used our railcards to travel, similar to our target consumers. Although this meant we were only able to travel off peak, the information we gained is accurate and appropriate for our target consumer. Consumer Journeys In addition to our own train diaries, we asked 1 male and 4 female travellers to visually document their journey. The female consumers were all students between the ages of 19-24, with the male consumer being slightly older than our target audience. This was done to compare the differences between age and gender. The visual diaries were photography based and allowed us to understand and see each individual’s journey, what they take with them and how they interact and experience it. Although the consumers couldn’t and didn’t photograph every

130 minute of their journey we did get a fairly good idea of the consumer journey. Interviews Whilst observing at Nottingham Train station we carried out a series of interviews with consumers waiting on the platform. We interviewed 7 females and 3 males, totally in 10 interviewees. These interviews asked a number of questions based around the consumers journey, what they had bought with them, whether they had checked their phones whilst they waited etc. These were undertaken to categorise the consumers and to identify any differences. We were able to gain further knowledge into our student consumer and the interviews highlighted a number of similarities that can be taken forward for our implementation. During the interview period we noticed a similar pattern with regards to the type of consumer waiting and their reason for travelling, which allowed us to really hone in on our target audience. The results gathered from the interviews provided us with a lot of productive insights, which lead us to construct and build our idea. THEME PARKS Visiting Thorpe Park During the Easter holidays Clare and I took a trip to Thorpe Park in Staines. Visiting the park allowed us to take in the atmosphere of a Merlin attraction and observe the current offerings, branding, staff and consumer interaction. It was important to see the layout of the park to propose a suitable implementation and visiting allowed us to identify the positives and negatives. Unfortunately on the day we visited the weather was particularly cold and the effects of this were clear to see. The park was uncharacteristically quiet with many of the rides being closed due to the poor weather conditions. Due to this, queues were non-existent and the longest queue time was 30 minutes. However, we decided to utilise our time at the park and asked consumers how not queuing was, in comparison to queuing on a normal day and whether their journey had been or is normally effected. Observations Whilst at Thorpe Park we took the opportunity to observe the visitors around the park, identifying the different consumer groups and how they behave. During the 30-minute wait for Nemesis we were able to observe fellow waiting consumers, watching what they did to entertain themselves and how they tackled the boredom of queuing. Interviews In addition to observing visitors at the park we engaged with some of the consumers, asking specific questions on how they were finding the day, their experience in comparison to previous visits and how they felt about queuing in general. As all of the interviews were undertaken whilst consumers were in groups it inspired us to create something group based and allowed us to delve deeper into the individual consumer groups that visit the park. Due to the weather conditions and atmosphere at the park we only managed to interview 10 groups of people. Interview with John Lyle We interviewed John Lyle, brand experience director at BeWILDerwood. We approached him to ask him for his expert opinion on waiting at theme parks, asking how his park deals with queues. However, BeWILDerwood isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t part of Merlin attractions and is altogether a very different type of theme park with a different target audience to Thorpe Park and Alton Towers. Nevertheless, speaking to John Lyle opened our eyes up to the difficulties we

131 might face and also gave us some initial insight into how brand experiences can be created for families. Trialling the Thorpe Park app In order to gain insights into the current offerings at Thorpe Park we downloaded the Thorpe park application. It was important to see what the app offered and whether there were any obvious weaknesses. We also wanted to see how Merlin visualise the app and how they communicate via the application. Downloading and investigating the game allowed us to pick it apart and scrutinize each element to see whether these could be transferred or improved. EMAIL INTERVIEWS Martin Barratt From speaking to John Lyle we managed to obtain Martin Barratt, ex director at Merlin Entertainments, email. From this contact we were able to ask Martin a number of questions about Merlin and their theme parks from an inside perspective. As well as asking about the problems of queuing we also gained insights into Merlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach and how they entertain their visitors before and during the experience. It was also helpful to gain a better understanding of Merlin as a brand, which enabled us to propose an idea that was appropriate and met their core values. Although Martin provided us with some great insights it was important for us to remember that his views could be biased toward the brand, focusing on only the positives. Daniel Bailey After deciding that our idea would based around an interactive game available for smart phone applications, we wanted to hear some feedback and views of someone more in the know. We therefore contacted Daniel Bailey a graduate game designer to ask about the design process as well as asking for his knowledge and opinion on what makes a good game. This also gave us the opportunity to explain our idea to someone and receive some valuable feedback. SECONDARY RESEARCH Secondary research into the general attitudes towards waiting was undertaken to highlight where the potential opportunities may lie. Further research into waiting behaviour and how consumers respond and react to waiting was also considered to enable us to provide something that will benefit the consumer and solve the problem of waiting/ queuing. Investigations into the different consumers were carried out to determine which demographics were appropriate target audiences for both Merlin Entertainment and WHSmith. Looking at marketing and visual trends and identifying what was currently working for brands provided us with inspiration and influenced our implementation idea. We created a Pinterest board with a range of images and visuals that we were inspired by and highlights our visual progress. A range of sources informed and shaped our opinions and provided us with credible facts and data. These included; books, academic journals, online reports, online and magazine articles, blogs, websites, social media sites and Youtube videos. I received weekly newsletters from Fast Company to keep up to date with current trends and I also signed up to Google alerts, which provided us with any recent articles or websites that mentioned or discussed visual trends. The wide variety of sources used enabled the report to have an element of authority and provided me with an educated voice with knowledgeable and up-to-date views.

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APPENDIX B SURVEY QUESTIONS SURVEY RESULTS

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INITIAL SURVEY

134

S U R V E Y R E S U LT S S A M P L E

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APPENDIX C OBSERVATIONS

137

O B S E R VAT I O N S I N P U M P K I N C A F E - N O T T I N G H A M T R A I N S TAT I O N

- Not many seats available - Quite crowded atmosphere with many people sharing tables - The café is inside and as it is a cold day today many people are using the café as a place to stay warm - Most people are eating - Three people are reading newspapers - One person is working - One younger girl is on her phone with her iPod on the table - The average prices for food and drink are similar to those at Costa - Man, roughly middle aged, is using his phone - Woman, roughly 40 years old, is trying to make a call on her mobile - Another middle aged man is on the phone standing near the magazine stand - There’s music playing quietly in the background - A woman, who looks to be in her 20s, is listening to music on her phone - Whilst we have been sitting here, which is roughly 10 minutes, only two people have looked at the magazines (one male, one female) - There are more middle aged consumers inside the café than outside - Outside there is definitely a younger demographic – Is this because they don’t want to or don’t have the money to spend in the café? - The majority of younger consumers are listening to music and checking their mobile phones.

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APPENDIX D JOURNEY DIARIES - JADE - CLARE

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TRAIN JOURNEY DIARY Jade Holmes 28 / 02 / 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I arrive 25 minutes early (typical me), find a seat and put my suitcase in the luggage holder I realise I’ve left my earphones at the flat – DISASTER!! I started to update my diary for the next few weeks to waste some time, however I still have 10 minutes until we leave the station. I’ve bought a book with me to read for research although this won’t distract me for long as reading whilst moving makes me feel travel sick. A boy joins me on the table. I’d say he was roughly 18-23 years old and he has been on his mobile phone since he sat down. He continues to use his phone throughout the journey as well as listening to music. The women next to me who looks around 35-50 years old has just eaten and has now started to knit. She has headphones with her and is watching/listening to something on her iPad mini as she knits. The man ahead of me, approx. 45+ is reading a newspaper. A younger girl, more than likely a student, is on her phone and listening to music on her earphones. I notice her check her phone quite frequently before she falls asleep for a bit. After being on the train for 10 minutes I have already checked my phone twice!!! I play a game on my phone for a bit but I get bored and stop. I mostly use my phone to talk to friends on whatsapp and to check twitter. I tweet whilst I am on the train. A lady a few seats away from me has been on the phone for around 10 minutes now – is this a useful time to for people ‘catch up’ with friends/family. When I get to St Pancreas to catch my connecting train the atmosphere changes. People are rushing around and there seems to be a lot of people stressed out or rushing to catch their train. When I’m underground I notice a lot of people in work wear/suits with large bags, which I assume is because they’re travelling home from work. Most people here are travelling alone. Some people have newspapers that they’re reading. I go to check my phone but realise I have no signal. I don’t really know what to do for the next 10 minutes so I stand on the platform playing a game on my phone – there are no seats available for me to sit on, as the platform is relatively busy by this point (the time is 4.28).

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TRAIN JOURNEY VISUAL DIARY Clare Smith Thursday 21st February 2013 13:48 The Train is not due until 14:28 but I arrive in good time, as I have pre booked my ticket and cannot miss the train or I will have to buy a whole new ticket. I am sat in the overpriced cafĂŠ with around 20 people of mixed ages, genders, races etc. 4x couples, s couples talking together 2 doing their own thing 80% of people have drinks but most look done with and people are just using the space to sit in the warm. Lots of people on phones, reading papers and books, and ticket checking. I board at 14:11 and instantly pull out my water and magazines. I listen to other peoples conversations before pulling out my Ipod. 14:28 depart promptly. I start to note down how many times I check my Facebook and Twitter but loose count, I would say I check it every few minuets. The ticket inspector chekcs my ticket at 14:32. I read my magazines and after 1 minuets I continue the journey with my Ipod and texting. I notice a child and mother sat colouring and playing games to occupy their time.

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APPENDIX E CONSUMER JOURNEY - MILLIE HUNT - EMILY CLAY - ELLYN GRANT - VICKY WILSON - CLARE FRIEND

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MILLIE HUNT CONSUMER JOURNEY

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E M I LY C L AY CONSUMER JOURNEY

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QUICK EASY BUSY SMELLY YUMMY BISCUITS UNI WORK MUSIC SLEEPY DREAMY

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E L LY N G R A N T CONSUMER JOURNEY Arrived at the station at 16.47, 20 minutes early for my train. I checked the platform, browsed whsmiths for a magazine but they didn’t have the one that I wanted so I got the lift down to the platform and got a seat outside where I sat for about 15 minutes, doing nothing but people watching. Train came on time, got a seat by the window going backwards through choice, even though I hate going backwards...weird. Really busy tiny small slow train (more like a bus) that stops at about 12 stops. Bored already and it’s only been ten mins. I’m currently just listening to music on my phone (legally blonde) and staring out the window (and at the 2 horrendously fat people spilling out the chair next to me) contemplating writing in my diary about my trip to Paris that I just got back from . Train stopped at 17.46 due to signal problems, have been waiting ten minutes. Still no sign of movement the train lady keeps saying she will let us know when she hears any info and she is sorry for the delay. Everyone looking very bored and concerned. I’m just listening to Beiber and staring at the window at a bush very jealous of the woman playing fun games on her iPad next to me. 18.02 train started to move again. Got to derby 20 minutes late so the train that I was meant to get to notts had gone and I have a half an hour wait for the next. Filled the time by going to the platform, Going to the loo, buying some cadburys taster chocolates from the vending machine and sitting people watching in the waiting room. Everyone else in the waiting room apart from 2 were passing the time using some sort of technology I saw a laptop, a tablet, an iPad, iPod, phones. Crazy. Now on my next and final train from Derby to Nottingham which is hopefully on time. I’ve got seats too myself this time and a luggage rack to put my bag unlike the last one when i had it crammed under my legs which was awkward. Train just departed on time, I’m just playing on snap chat to my friends and trying not too laugh out loud or look like a weirdo taking pictures. Listened to music for the rest of the journey, arrived in notts just after half 7...half an hour late but not too bad. Now time for the tram! On the tram 19.39 had to wait for about 2 mins very fast! Nearly homeeeeeeeeeee.

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VICKY WILSON CONSUMER JOURNEY

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RICHARD CONSUMER JOURNEY

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APPENDIX F INTERVIEWS - INTERVIEW 1 - INTERVIEW 2 - INTERVIEW 3 - INTERVIEW 4 - INTERVIEW 5 - INTERVIEW 6 - INTERVIEW 7 - INTERVIEW 8 - INTERVIEW 9 - INTERVIEW 10

Responses From Train Station Interviews Nottingham Train station 10am -12pm Monday 18th March 2013 Male / 21 / Student / 16-25 Railcards User 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 4 Minutes, 10 remaining, Yes 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Straight Through 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) East Midlands 5) Are you traveling alone? No, with friends. I’m meeting them on there 6) What are your reasons for travel? University 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? I might do a bit of uni work Phone 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes, Once 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Regularly 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? N/A 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Gets me to uni on time, can use my railcard 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? No will occasionally buy a drink/coffee

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Female / 19 / Student / 16-25 Railcards User 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 5 Minutes. Yes I had a lift from someone so had to come early 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Connecting train at Grantham then on to Kings Cross 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) East Coast trains as they are the cheapest 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? Going home after visiting my brother 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? Phone/Ipad 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes I have it out constantly for communication, Fb, Twitter, Music Phone is essential 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference, Cheapest 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Regularly 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? St Pancreas, lots to do 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Can use my railcard, wasn’t too early 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? No will occasionally to keep warm

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Female / 20 / Student / 16-25 Railcards User 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 15 Minutes, 10 remaining, Yes I use my railcard so if I miss the train I can’t catch another I would have to buy a brand new ticket 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Straight Trough 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) Not sure, I just choose the cheapest 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? To go home from university 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? Uni work Phone 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes, a lot, FB, Twitter, Whats app, texting 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference, the cheapest 10) How regularly do you travel by train? 2-3 times a month 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? N/A 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Cheapest time, can use my railcard 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? No I like to save money

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Male / 19 / Student / 16-25 Railcards User 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 10 Minutes. Yes I’ve come early to avoid missing it 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Change at Leeds 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) Northern Rail, it’s the quickest 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? University, in Huddersfield 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? Phone, quite important to have with me, and I’m going to make a presentation for university 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Not yet, but will use it a lot once I’m on 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference, 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Regularly, every weekend 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? N/A 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Gets me to uni on time, can use my railcard 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? No

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Female / Student / 16-25 Railcards User 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 30 Minutes 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Straight Through 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) East Midlands 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? University 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? No I get bored 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes I have it out, very important 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Every week 11) Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best train station youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to and why? N/A 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Gets me to uni on time, can use my railcard 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? No I need to save money

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Female Student 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 30 Minutes, 15 remaining, Yes 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Straight Through 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) East Midlands 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? College 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes, lost count very often, FB, Twitter, Instagram 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Regularly 11) Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best train station youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to and why? N/A 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Gets me to uni on time 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? No will occasionally buy a drink/food

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Couple 40’s 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 15 Minutes 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Straight Through 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) East Midlands to London 5) Are you traveling alone? No, with my Husband 6) What are your reasons for travel? A city break 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? Magazines, Phone 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Once 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference, I don’t travel very often 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Not often, we usually drive 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? N/A 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Not too early/too late 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? Yes have bought a coffee

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Female / 20’s / Student / 16-25 Railcards User 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 15 Minutes. Yes I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get here and wanted to leave plenty of time just in case 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Connecting train at Ealing 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) Not sure 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? Going home, been visiting friends this weekend 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? Phone 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes, have spent the last 15 mins staring at my phone, FB, Twitter, Soduku 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Regularly 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? St Pancreas 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? N/A 13) No

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Female / 50’s / Visiting Family 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 15 Minutes, got here early to be prepared 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Straight Trough 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) Not sure 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? Visiting Family 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? Book 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes, I’ve been deleting old messages, (not a smart phone) 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? No preference 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Once every couple of months 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? Copenhagen, it’s very modern 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Not too early/Late 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? No as there’s nothing to do

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Female / 20’s / Student / 16-25 Railcards User 1) Is this the beginning of your journey? Beginning 2) How long have you been waiting for? Is this through choice? 5 Minutes, 5 remaining, Yes 3) Is your journey straight through or do you have a connecting train? Change at Grantham 4) Who are you travelling with? (Train company) East Midlands 5) Are you traveling alone? Alone 6) What are your reasons for travel? London for an interview 7) Have you bought anything with you to occupy your journey? A paper and my phone 8) Have you looked at your mobile whilst waiting? How often? What for ? Yes, regularly texting 9) Do you have a preference of train company? Why? East Great Western as they are convenient 10) How regularly do you travel by train? Regularly 11) What’s the best train station you’ve been to and why? St Pancreas, it’s modern and there’s stuff to do 12) Why have you chosen to travel at this time? Gets me to my interview on time, cheaper 13) Have you made use of any of the facilities here? Yes have bought a coffee

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APPENDIX G ETHICS - CONSENT FORMS

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APPENDIX H OBSERVATIONS

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IMAGES FROM THORPE PA R K

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APPENDIX I INTERVIEWS - INTERVIEW 1 - INTERVIEW 2 - INTERVIEW 3 - INTERVIEW 4 - INTERVIEW 5 - INTERVIEW 6 - INTERVIEW 7 - INTERVIEW 8 - INTERVIEW 9 - INTERVIEW WITH JOHN

INTERVIEW AT THORPE PARK – 25/03/2013 Respondent 1 Respondent 2 Jade: We wanted to ask if erm, the fact that there are no queues, does it change your experience at all? Yes Definitely it’s awful when there’s queues. Yeah Clare: Do you think its better not having as many options and it being cold and there being less queues. Ermmmmmmm Well, we were just saying that I said that when we come in the summer its horrendous, obviously because everyone is off school. No I just think they shouldn’t let so many people in the park in the summers Clare and Jade: Yeah Because even though they have everything open its ridiculous, you queue 2 hours for one ride and its horrible Clare: Yeah So this is actually better But its freezing Jade: Yeah it is freezing And half the rides aren’t open so, obviously they’ve said they’ll give us free tickets when we go out. Clare: Yeah, have you ever been to Alton Towers Yeah No I haven’t been there

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Clare: Oh have you not. How do you think the queues differ there? Errrrrm, I suppose its bigger so the queues are better than here Yeah But you still have the same problems don’t you. Clare: have you ever been to Disney? Yeah Clare: have ya, and what are the queues like? The queues are brilliant there because they keep you entertained all the way round Clare: yeah so its kind of part of the Yeah and they’ve got it all set it up so that you could go off in different directions in different queues Clare: Oh right So, you don’t even realise your in a queue half the time and you don’t really wait Clare: Yeah So your walking all the time so you don’t feel like you’re in a queue Jade: Yeah So that is my best experience Clare: Yeah Jade: Yeah I would agree with that Its much better isn’t it Jade: Oh yeah so much better Yeah this is pants really. Its too small a park for

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Jade: Yeah they definitely let too many people in, I’ve been here in the summer or like when I was younger as well. Halloween Oh god yeah that’s awful isn’t it. It’s 2/3 hours Jade: And especially because you have the mazes then as well Yeah, yeah its like a 3 hour wait for one maze which is really really bad Jade: Yeah it is So yeah they have it right in America Jade: Yeah Clare: oh right that’s brilliant thank you! Jade: Thank you

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INTERVIEW AT THORPE PARK – 25/03/2013 Respondent 1: R1 Respondent 2: R2 Respondent 3: R3 Jade: We just wondered if we could ask you a few questions on how you think having shorter queues today has affected your trip today and whether it has improved your experience or… R1: We would rather queue and it be warm R2: Yeah, rather it be warm R1: Yeah, even though you’re not queuing for very long its like R3: Yeah we haven’t queued for anything yet this is the first thing we’ve queued for Jade: Yeah, do you find, how do you feel about queuing normally R2: When it’s cold I hate it Jade and Clare: Yeah Jade: What about if its not as cold R2: Its still shit innit R1: Yeah R3: I’d rather pay for the queue jump R1: It depends what the ride is as well sometimes, sometimes you queue for like an hour and a half and then the ride is only like 30 seconds Jade: Yeah, a bit like stealth Clare: What do you usually do to keep yourself busy like while your queuing? R1: Phone probably R3: Yeah

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R2: Yeah taking pictures R3: Snap chat Jade: Yeah snap chat thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the new one isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it R3: Yeah pretty much Jade: Ok thank you very much

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INTERVIEW AT THORPE PARK – 25/03/2013 Respondent Jade: Ok so how do you find not queuing? Has it changed your experience here at Thorpe Park? At first when we came in I thought it was going to be so good because there’s no queues and I thought we’d get on everything but half the rides are shut because of the weather and the reality hits when your standing still that it’s so cold you actually don’t want to wait. Jade: So even though theres not many queues, even queuing for just a few minutes is just as bad today? Yeah because the first few rides we didn’t queue at all and so half an hour now seems like a mammoth queue Clare: Yeah Whereas that normally that would be really short Jade: And how do you find queuing normally when you’ve visited theme parks in the past? I hate it. The novelty wears off after ten minutes Clare: Do you ever take anything to entertain you whilst you queue? Just my phone Jade: What do you use your phone for? Twitter, Facebook, texting and snap chat Jade: Do you take pictures on your phone then? Yeah Clare: So if there was something that, where you could use your phone to play an interactive game or something, would you be interested in that or? Yeah probably, as long as I wasn’t playing it on my own and like my friends were playing it too. If it’s going to keep me entertained

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Jade: Yeah Clare: Do you ever use the maps or guides when you come to any of the theme parks? Yeah Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a map with me to plan out my journey Clare: Have you used it yet? No, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so dead and there are no rides open that were just kind of picking the rides that are open Jade: Yeah. If there are heavy queues though does the length of the queue determine what ride you go on? Yeah definitely we might plan to go on a ride but if the queues too big we just wont bother. Jade: Ok thank you very much Clare: Thank you

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INTERVIEW AT THORPE PARK – 25/03/2013 Respondent 1 Respondent 2 Jade: Has not having to queue changed your experience at Thorpe Park today? Yeah it means you can get on rides faster Yeah it’s not too bad its quite quick Jade: Yeah. Erm how do you feel about queuing normally on a normal day? Its long. It takes too long. An hour or two hours its too much. Clare: Would you rather come and half the rides are shut like would you rather come today where you can get on the rides quick but there’s not many open and its cold or would you rather come when its hot, all the rides are open but you have to queue a bit longer? Probably when it’s hot even though you have to wait Yeah cos when its cold yeah its shit It’s a better atmosphere as well Jade: Do you feel that when there’s long queues, do you feel it ruins your day at all? A little bit Not really A tiny bit. Your going to be standing there Jade: Do you expect it, do you expect to queue if you come in the summer Yeah Yeah cos like its not as if you’re a little kid anymore. You know when you were younger and you had to go when your parents went init but like when your older you don’t have to go you can stay later. Clare: Have you ever been to Alton Towers

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No Clare: No. Have you ever been to Disney? Yeah Clare: How did you find the queues there? I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been in a long time init Clare: Oh really Jade: Do you take anything to entertain yourself when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re queuing? Na Jade: No? We just talk to each other really Jade: Yeah so just talking to your friends really Yeah Jade: Ok thank you very much Clare: Thank you!!!

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INTERVIEW AT THORPE PARK – 25/03/2013 Clare: Has the short length or no queues changed your experience at Thorpe Park today? Yes, if all the rides had been open it would have been fantastic. Clare: Yeah There are hardly any queues for the rides and this means we’ve managed to go on all the rides we wanted to and more than once, which is a bit of a miracle. Especially here its normally rammed. Clare: Do you normally have specific rides that you really want to go on when you visit theme parks? Like do you select the top 5 rides and make sure you go on them? Yes we tend to want to go on all the big rides, like most of the people. Clare: So which ones are your go to rides here at Thorpe Park? Collosus, Saw, Stealth, Nemisis and no doubt the new ride will be a favourite too. Jade: Yeah definitely, especially when it first opens. Those that are local might come just to try out Swarm. Yeah Jade: So, ordinarily when its busy and there are longer queue times, does this determine which rides you go on? For example, if you went to go on Stealth but it had a 90 minute wait time would this change your decision to go on it. Its dependent on what my friends want to do to be honest. I personally wouldn’t want to queue 90 minutes for Stealth as I have already been on the ride and it is the shortest ride here. Jade: Yeah so for that particular ride the queue might not be worth it. Yeah Jade: And do you use the map to get you from ride to ride? No anymore we’ve been so many times now and the park isn’t that big so we kind of know our way around. I do use them when I go to theme parks I’m not familiar with.

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Jade: Yeah so you find them useful when you don’t know the park very well Yeah I’d get so lost without one Clare: Yeah me too. Do you take anything to entertain yourself whilst you wait in the queues for the rides? I usually speak with my friends or use my phone Clare: What do you use your phone for? Normally to check or update Facebook or Twitter or to text friends. Clare: Do you ever play games on your mobile? Yes I got addicted to temple run when it first game out Clare: Have you heard of Snapchat? Yeah Clare: Do you have the app? And do you use it? Yeah, I send pictures to my friends Clare: Ok cool. Thank you so much Jade: Thanks You’re welcome

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INTERVIEW AT THORPE PARK – 25/03/2013 Jade: Has the limited queuing today at Thorpe Park effected or changed your experience in any way? Yeah it’s better not having to queue Jade: Have you been to a theme park before where you’ve had long queue times? Yeah loads. Most of the time the queues are long normally at least half an hour Jade: And how did those queues effect your time at the park? It’s just annoying having to wait for so long. It can get boring. Clare: Do you ever bring anything or do anything to entertain yourself while you queue? Not really. I don’t want to carry stuff around because you have no-where to really put your bags when you go on the rides. Like if I knew it would be safe I’d probably think about bringing my iPad but I wouldn’t risk it. Clare: Do you use your phone at all? Oh yeah I use it loads when I’m waiting Clare: What do you use it for? Games mostly. Yeah if I get really bored I’ll play games. Clare: Do you ever use it for social media when your at theme parks? So like today, have you been on any social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter? Oh yeah I’ve been on Twitter and updated my status on Facebook. I uploaded a picture this morning when we first got here and checked in at Thorpe Park. Jade: What games do you play? At the moment I love Candy Crush but I can’t get past this one level and its really annoying me Jade: Does the fact that you can’t get past it make you want to play it more? Yeah definitely I just want to beat it and get past that stage

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Clare: Yeah Jade: Ok thank you very much for letting us interview you Clare: Yeah thanks so much Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re welcome

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THEME PARK INTERVIEW WITH DEBBIE SOUTHGATE J- D -

From previous experience do you take anything with you to entertain yourself whilst you queue? No

J- D-

Does the length of queues influence your decision to go on a ride? Sometimes

J - D-

Why sometimes? Well if it were cup and saucers for example and it was empty I would go on it but if it had a queue I wouldn’t. If there was a big ride that I really wanted to go on and the park was closing then I would queue for that if there was nothing else to do.

J- D-

Does the length of queuing effect your day? Yeah

J- D-

In what way? It will effect the enjoyment of the day. The last time I went to Thorpe Park during the holidays I swore to myself that I wouldn’t go in the holidays again because of how bad the queues were. Also its about value for money I think we only got on about 4 rides that day so we didn’t get much for what we paid for.

J- D-

So, if the queue times were shorter, say below 40 minutes for the main attractions, would this be an acceptable queue time for you? Only for the big rides. Not for the cup and saucer and them type of rides, I can understand longer queues for the novelty rides though because everyone wants to go on them.

J- D-

Do you ever use the maps or guides available at the parks? Yeah

J- D-

And how do they help you? Help me find my way around

J- D-

Do you ever plan which rides your going to go on before you reach the park? Yes. It never pans out though

J- D-

Why do you like to plan before? To maximise the time I have there and to keep the waiting down to a

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minimum. I like to outsmart people so if the park has just opened I will go to the back of the park because I think most people start at the front. J- D-

J-

Yeah I always go to the back when a park first opens in the morning. What do you think of the big screens that are situated around the parks that update you on queue times? I think they’re helpful but not always accurate which is irritating. Theres not enough of them and they don’t have all the rides on them. They’re sporadic, inaccurate and incomplete.

D-

Have you been on any rides that have a theme to them or a story involved in them? For example Saw at Thorpe Park is themed around a horror story, Dumbo at Disney is themed around the film. Yeah

J- D-

Does this attract you? No, if anything it would put me off.

J- D-

Why is this? Well the scary rides are the main ones that are themed and they just scare you in advance before you’re even on the ride.

J-

Yeah that makes sense. What about rides that aren’t themed to scare? Or if the big rides were themed in another way, one that didn’t scare you or make you feel uneasy? To be honest it probably wouldn’t influence my decision as to whether I’d go on a ride or not.

D- J- D-

J-

Ok. Would you prefer to have something to look at or interact with whilst you were waiting? Yes, I would absolutely want to. I only have America to go by but on all the long queues in America they provide something to distract you. You never get to see the full extent of the queue, they’re clever and they hide parts of the queue. It feels like your moving quicker – you tend to have something about the ride or the theme park or the length of time displayed which is helpful in distracting you. Background info on the ride or something visual or special offers would be good to have in England. Yeah a few people have mentioned Disney and the success of their queues. So they main difference between the parks at Disney and the UK theme parks is to do with the queue time appearing to be shorter than it actually is. That’s a good point that we can take forward. When

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D- J- D-

you have planned for your trip to a theme park have you purchased the tickets online before or do you buy them there on the day? Yeah I normally purchase them online before unless I find 2-4-1 vouchers. Yeah that makes sense if my friends and I go we always try and find vouchers. What do you think about fast pass? Yeah they piss people off because you have to pay for them.

J- D-

Have you ever bought fast passes? No I haven’t. We have had fast pass given to us with some of our tickets in Disney that we used. Also, if you’re not the person with a fast pass ticket seeing someone go past you is one of the most frustrating things.

J-

Yeah that always really bugs me. What about the queues such as single rider that people use because the queue time is shorter? Have you ever used these? In England, my son and I once went on a ride and the single rider option was a way to get on the ride quickly. As it happens it took us as long to queue for single rider as it was to go together in the normal queue.

D-

J- D-

J-

Oh dear that’s not on. It kind of defeats the object of it being a quicker way to ride doesn’t it. Yeah and it really annoyed us. Obviously we would have much rather gone on the ride together because that’s the whole point – you go to these parks with other people to share the experience.

D-

Yeah so basically if they’re going to suggest that the single rider is a quicker queue they should ensure that it is. Yeah

J- D-

Ok thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions. You’re welcome.

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Interview at Thorpe Park – couple 20-25 Female – F Male – M Jade: Ok so, has the lack of queuing today altered your experience in any way? And if so, how? M: Yes definitely F: Yeah having no or shorter queues is so much better. You’re able to go on everything you want. Jade: Yeah that’s always a plus being able to get on everything. When you’ve been to theme parks before have you managed to get on all the rides? F: It depends how busy it is. When I used to go with my friends it was over the school holidays and it was always really busy then. We only used to get on a few rides Clare: Yeah it’s not great during the holidays Halloween is also really bad Jade: Have you ever been here together over Halloween? M: Yeah we came last year F: You didn’t like it though did you M: Na too many people, too many queues we just spent the whole day waiting for rides and for the mazes. Even the mazes had like an hour or more wait it was ridiculous. Jade: Yeah I’ve been on Halloween before and I’ve found the length of queues to be really irritating. It seems a bit like you’ve wasted the day especially when you consider you’ve paid £20/30 odd for a ticket. Clare: When you have had to wait in the past how do you bide the time? F: Well when were together we just chat, look at our phones. Sometimes we will play games on our phones and try and beat each others high scores. M: Yeah like last time when I smashed your Temple Run score F: (laugh) Yeah

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Clare: So your mobile phone plays a bit part in keeping you entertained? F: Yeah, I mean it makes it sound as if we can’t wait in each others company but it does get a bit boring no matter who you’re with when you’ve been standing around waiting for an hour. Jade: Yeah that’s true my legs always start to feel tired after about 40 minutes. F: Same Clare: (laugh) It’s bad really isn’t it that we can’t even stand for 40 minutes without our legs feeling tired. Have you ever been to Alton Towers? F: Yeah Jade: Have you? M: Yeah I have too Clare: And what did you think about it compared to here? M: They have more rides and its better Jade: Because of the rides or because the queues are better? M: Na the rides, they have more of the good ones Jade: Yeah it is a bigger park Clare: What about Disney? Have you ever been? F: Yes I love Disney Clare: Why? F: Well its just magical Clare: And how did the queues differ at Disney? F: Well I haven’t been in a few years and I was a bit younger so I don’t really remember. I know the queues didn’t really bother me though. It didn’t ever feel like we were queuing for long. We might have been. Jade: Yeah Disney are good at making the queues seem shorter

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F: Yeah Clare: That’s all the questions actually. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us Jade: Yeah thank you we really appreciate it M: That’s ok F: You’re welcome. Good luck with your project Clare: Thanks!

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Interview at Thorpe Park – 25/03/2013 Sunshine Teens Jade: How have you found your day so far? Respondent A: It’s been good because we haven’t had to queue. Respondent B: Yea but its been so so cold Respondent C: And it’s shit because half the rides are shut Respondent D: Yea but at least we haven’t had to queue. Clare: How did you get here today? Respondent C: My mum bought us and she doesn’t finish work till later so we have to wait Respondent B: We’re ready to go now, it too cold and all the good rides are shut. Clare: Have you been to Thorpe Park before? Respondent C: Yea course we have it’s usually amazing Jade: Do you come a lot? Respondent D: Well its *respondent C’s * birthday so we usually come for birthdays and on inset days. Clare: So how do you feel about queuing? Respondent A: It’s so annoying Respondent D: But I don’t mind if I know it’s a ride I really want to go on Jade: Do you ever bring anything or do anything to entertain yourself while you queue? Respondent B: We all have our phones we’ve just been snap chatting our friend who couldn’t come today Respondent D: yea and we have e ach other to talk to but Respondent A: the queues are still annoying

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Clare: Have you bought anything whilst you have been here? Respondent C: My mum did us a packed lunch but we got hungry so we had some chips Respondent A:I usually buy a photo or something if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good one but all the good rides are shut so I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bother. Jade: So what are you going to do now you have been on all the rides? Respondent C: Play in the arcade Respondent A: Yea yea yea dance mat Clare: Thanks for that guys All Respondents: cheers, bye, cya

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Interview at Thorpe Park – 25/03/2013 Julia Buckley Jade: Hi sorry to bother you I know you look freezing, but we just wondered if we could ask you a few questions. Julia: Yea sure what about? Clare: We’re students studying in Nottingham and are completing a project based upon waiting and queuing, I know todays not the best for it but could we ask you about your day so far. Julia: By all means go ahead Clare: Have you ever been to Theme parks in the past where you have been queuing for hours? Julia: Eughhh Alton Towers ! We live up that way so the kids are always wanting to go but my sister lives this way so we have all met up today for my nieces birthday. Its always horrendous every time I’ve been we only get on 4 or 5 rides. Jade: So do you think Thorpe Park is better? Julia: Well its hard to tell as I’ve never been here before and today it’s dead. Clare: So in comparison would you rather today with no queues or Alton Towers warm with huge queues. Julia: Neither, (laughs) I’m the bag carrier, I can’t stand these places (laughs) Jade: But given the option no queues then Julia: Yea no queues although, we went to Disney a couple of years ago and I have to say it was completely different. The kids loved it there was no getting bored in the queue and actually for someone like me who doesn’t like rides al that much the queues were the best parts. Clare: That’s something I hadn’t really thought about Julia: Yea I mean why would I bother going on that type of holiday? But you will understand when you girls have children of your own that you do things for your kids whether you want to or not.

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Clare: Not me Jade: (laughs) Julia: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true believe you me Jade: I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everything Clare: Thanks Julia: No problem good luck girls

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Brand experience Director Bewilderwood John Lyle – Interview Wednesday 13th March

We asked John for an insight into queue times and waiting based upon a perspective from Bewilderwood. C: How bad is queuing at Bewilderwood? J: queuing isn’t a massive problem at Bewilderwood, but the main queuing starts at the entrance queuing for tickets. What we do is push people to book their tickets online, this way they can go straight to the separate queues. However most people don’t like booking online as they like to use vouchers and offers. C: John what do you do to help ease queuing? J: Pointless paths C: What are they? J: Well the park is themed and the story starts at the very beginning, part of the story is queuing and having actors to help keep customers entertained, making the queues part of the experience. C: Actors that’s interesting J: Yea so we do our best to give our staff the best training, so they now how to deal with situations such as queuing. J: To be honest the key to short queues is redirection, sending people off on different paths so they don’t all end up in the same place at once. C: Do you think queuing can ever be solved? J: I mean I think eventually what we would like to do is buy time slots, so we can distribute people around the park. By having control you can monitor queues better. C: I think that’s everything Thank you J: No problem and anything else email me

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APPENDIX J CORRESPONDENCE

208 From: Clare Smith <csmith307@hotmail.co.uk> Subject: The Waiting Game - FCP Year 3 Date: 14 March 2013 12:19:47 GMT To: “johnny@johnnylyle.co.uk” <johnny@johnnylyle.co.uk> Cc: “jadeholmes@virginmedia.com” <jadeholmes@virginmedia.com> Hi John, After chatting to you yesterday, Jade and I have brainstormed some of the things we discussed around waiting at theme parks. Whilst you are most definitely right in saying that Merlin are a very profit led company our main focus now is to conclude the benefits that Merlin could reach from our idea. We have put together a series of short questions and we would be extremely grateful if you could pass them on to Martin Barratt if possible. Here are the proposed questions; 1) What have Merlin done in previous years to help with queuing? 2) How well did this work? 3) Did you find queuing was amongst the bigger problems you had to deal with at Merlin? 4) What do Merlin do outside of the actual rides to entertain and engage with their consumers both: a)Before they go to the parks (planning the journey) b)Whilst at the parks 5) What are consumer responses to the fast track option? 6) How do you think the theme park industry will evolve over the next 5 years? 7) Which parks are the most family orientated, where the key target consumer is families? 8) And finally what core values would you say Merlin have as a brand? We really appreciate you helping us out. Many thanks, Clare Smith & Jade Holmes

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From: John Lyle [mailto:johnny@johnnylyle.co.uk] Sent: 27 March 2013 08:51 To: Martin Barratt; Simon Egan Cc: smith307@hotmail.co.uk; jadeholmes@virginmedia.com Subject: Fwd: The Waiting Game - FCP Year 3 Martin/Simon A few of my Nottingham Trent Students are working on a project to entertain people in queues which I thought you would have a far better insight into than me and may produce some interesting ideas/results. Simon, if you could consider it from a BeWILDerwood perspective that would be doubly brilliant. They are very bright and able students in their third year, so if you do have a few minutes spare to email them or call them that would be fab and would really help them complete a useful final paper. See you both later Thanks John From: John Lyle <johnny@johnnylyle.co.uk> Subject: Fwd: The Waiting Game - FCP Year 3 Date: 30 March 2013 07:57:48 GMT To: csmith307@hotmail.co.uk, Jade Holmes <jadeholmes@virginmedia.com> Morning if you email martin directly, he will help with your answers maybe give him your number so he can call you too? Cheers John From: Jade Holmes <jadeholmes@virginmedia.com> Subject: RE: Entertaining in queues Date: 30 March 2013 11:21:46 GMT To: mrbarratt@aol.com Cc: csmith307@hotmail.co.uk

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Hi Martin, Thank you very much for taking the time to look at and answer the questions we have prepared for you. After talking to John about queuing and waiting at Theme Parks, he suggested we speak to you as you have expertise and experience in this area. We have put together a series of short questions and we would be extremely grateful if you could answer these for us. Here are the questions; 1) What have Merlin done in previous years to help with queuing? 2) How well have these strategies worked? 3) Did you find that queuing was amongst the bigger problems you had to deal with at Merlin? 4) What do Merlin do outside of the actual rides to entertain and engage with their consumers? Both a) Before they go to the parks (planning the journey) b) Whilst at the parks 5) What are customer responses to the fast track option that is now provided? 6) How do you think the theme park industry will evolve over the next five years? 7) What is the core consumer for theme parks; Thorpe Park and Alton Towers? 8) What core values would you say Merlin have as a brand? How do they portray these values? We really appreciate this and your involvement will go a long way to helping us understand the theme park industry. Thanks again and we look forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards Jade Holmes and Clare Smith Nottingham Trent University THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT AGAIN FROM CLAREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EMAIL ON 10TH APRIL. Subject: Re: Please Help Some University Students Out - John Lyle To: csmith307@hotmail.co.uk

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From: mrbarratt@aol.com Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:28:15 +0000 Hi Clare I haven’t forgotten your email, but it was a little more wide ranging than I expected. No worries though; I will get back to you this week with some answers. All the best Martin Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange From: Clare Smith <csmith307@hotmail.co.uk> Subject: RE: Please Help Some University Students Out - John Lyle Date: 10 April 2013 20:30:21 GMT+01:00 To: mrbarratt@aol.com Cc: Jade Holmes <jadeholmes@virginmedia.com> Hi Martin, Sorry about that just wanted to make sure you had received it. We really appreciate this it is really going to benefit our dissertation. Clare & Jade From: mrbarratt@aol.com To: csmith307@hotmail.co.uk Subject: RE: Please Help Some University Students Out - John Lyle Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:03:27 +0100 Hi Clare I have attached my answers to your questions. I hope this helps, but please don’t hesitate to get back to me if it is unclear or if you need more information. All the best Martin

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RESPONSE FROM M A R T I N B A R R AT T What have Merlin done in previous years to help with queuing? First of all I think we should define the different types of attraction that Merlin operates, since queue strategy differs depending on the type of attraction. So I guess we should divide them into a) Theme Parks (Alton Towers, Legoland etc.) and b) Walk Throughs (Sealife, Tussauds, Dungeons). Merlin has been operating Theme Parks since 2005 when they acquired Legoland parks. Queues were a huge problem, because Lego insisted that all their rides and attractions had high interactivity and this leads to low throughput/long queues. They had tried to entertain one or two of the slowest moving queues, such as the Driving School, by introducing games and puzzles along the queueline. One of my tasks as part of the acquisition team was to identify ways to reduce the proportion of a visit spent queueing. We had two strategies, 1) introduce new rides and attractions with high capacity or no need to queue, such as the Rapids Ride and outdoor play areas at Windsor, 2) introduce queue control systems, such as LoͲQ http://www.loͲq.com which started in Windsor in 2008. Walk Throughs could be defined as one long, slowͲmoving queue. Once inside the attraction this isn’t a problem, it’s just the bit before you get in that has to be managed. Tussauds has question and answer boards along the outside section of the queues, which cope with quieter days. On busier days they have queue line entertainment, which we also used at the Dungeons. How well have these strategies worked? Queueline games and puzzles tend not to work well, because to complete them you have to stop moving and lose your place in the queue. Kids might choose to do this, but their parents don’t often let them. Introducing higher capacity rides and attractions with no queues works very well. Theme parks with no queue attractions are generally more popular than those which have few or none. For example if you get tired of queueing at Chessington WOA you can visit the zoo. Queue control systems bring mixed results. They are popular with the operators since most produce significant extra revenue, and many operators introduced them just for that reason. Many visitors don’t like them because they see that those with more money to spend can get on the rides before them. I understand this, because when a park introduces a fast track system they don’t reduce the standard ticket price, so the visitor understands that they are paying the same but waiting longer. Those visitors who buy a fast track ticket tend to like the system, but not all those who want to can, since the number sold on any day is typically 10 to 20% of visitors, or there is no benefit to buying in. Universal Orlando reckon that as many as 80% of their daily attendance would buy a fast track if they didn’t limit the numbers, although this is probably much higher than parks with less powerful IPRs. Disney have a free queue control system which is the most popular with the average visitor. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guestͲservices/fastͲpass/

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Did you find that queuing was amongst the bigger problems you had to deal with at Merlin? It was always the biggest reason for complaints and sometimes it could lead to disturbances and fights. English people have a highly developed sense of queue etiquette and can get very upset when they see people breaking it. In the theme parks we had to be very clear about the rules. For example we had to make it very clear that part of a group could not hold a place for other members of the group, so if you wanted to be all together the part of the group nearer the front of the queue had to go back to the rest of their group. Nor could people leave a queue and expect to rejoin at the place where they left it. Arguments and fights tended to happen when people broke these rules (which were posted at every queueline entrance), or when people pushed in (usually groups of youths), or when people ignore the unspoken queue rules (usually foreign visitors with different queue habits). There is an optimum length for a queue for a theme park ride. Less than 15 minutes and a rider doesn’t have time to build up the sense of anticipation necessary to really enjoy the ride. (We conducted an experiment at Alton Towers where we gave hear rate recorders to a group of students and monitored the results. Less than 15 minutes in the queue and their heart rates would not peak. Those who waited less than 15 minutes tended to enjoy the ride less. Rides are like any entertainment, think about a Disney cartoon for example. You have to build tension and the enjoyment comes when the tension is dissipated, that huge sense of relief when the wicked witch is vanquished or when you step off the roller coaster). Over 30 minutes in a queue and most people get bored. This should inform good queue design, so for example Disney have a fixed queue of about an hour which is highly themed and decorated, maybe with TV monitors showing the back story of the ride. If the queue grows beyond this point they will bring out posts and rails. These are meant to signal that the queue is very long, in the hope that people will go elsewhere and come back when the queue is shorter. What do Merlin do outside of the actual rides to entertain and engage with their consumers? Both Before they go to the parks (planning the journey) You can break down most of the activity into the ‘3 Ps’ (Print, Promotions and PR). Different types of attractions have their own mix of these three and some will also use advertising if they have new features. Merlin attractions have very strictly controlled marketing budgets and the effectiveness of each campaign is carefully measured. Whilst at the parks The parks are the entertainment of course. Merlin are focussed on research and every attraction has a target for the number of visitor questionnaires to be filled out every day. Some of their bigger attractions use the Avius touchscreen solution to get more responses http://www.aviusinsight.com/oursolutionͲoverview

214 Research results are regarded as very important and are seen by senior management every week. Attractions have research targets as well as financial ones and improving satisfaction scores are a central part of each business’s five year plans. What are customer responses to the fast track option that is now provided? See above. How do you think the theme park industry will evolve over the next five years? I don’t expect much change. Growth is likely to happen in Asia and parts of South America. There is a lot of new park activity in China and Brazil. In Europe the theme park industry is relatively mature. Parks need big investment every two or three years just to maintain visitor numbers. There has been a trend to introduce themed accommodation to the bigger parks and this will continue, although some parks have reached the limit of demand or run out of room to expand. This is beneficial to the parks as it changes it from a day out to a ‘destination’; giving increased dwell time, higher spends and the opportunity to introduce second gates. What is the core consumer for theme parks; Thorpe Park and Alton Towers? Big theme parks can attract a very wide market, whereas smaller theme parks have to differentiate. So Alton Towers aims to have areas and attractions which appeal to every age group, a smaller theme park like Thorpe Park has teenagers and young adults as its target market. Where visitors comes from also makes a difference. Local audiences want new experiences if they are to revisit so repeatability and new rides or attractions are key. Tourists demand relevance, so and attraction must reflect its location. Merlin attractions can be broken down as follows:

Sea Life Legoland parks Lego Discovery Centres Chessington WOA Thorpe Park Dungeons Alton Towers Heide Park Madame Tussauds Gardaland Warwick Castle London Eye

Mass market

9 9 9 9 9 9

Parents with children 4 to 11 9 9 9 9

Parents with Tourist Local older children, young adults 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

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What core values would you say Merlin have as a brand? How do they portray these values? From the Merlin website… The Merlin Way Merlin Entertainments Group is a leading name in location based, family entertainment. Its aim is to deliver unique, memorable and rewarding experiences to millions of visitors across its growing estate, and it achieves this objective largely thanks to the commitment and passion of its managers and employees. Merlin’s brands, while being household names, will never fail to be distinctive, challenging and innovative. They will, in short, have attitude! They will deliver the best financial returns in the sector and demonstrate a record of growth in market share that will be unrivalled. In every respect and to every group of stakeholders Merlin will always be an exciting company to be involved with. Delivering Memorable Visitor Experiences In order for us to deliver memorable visitor experiences and make every moment special for our guests, we need to deliver prompt, professional and exceptional service. It is vitally important that we create the right atmosphere and our teams are committed to deliver fun, happy and exciting experiences for all our customers. Our Values As a global company we have a very unique way of working and we call it The Merlin Way. The Merlin way is part of the company's DNA. It is demonstrated everyday on every site and in everything we do. In short:x x x x x x

We love what we do We care We are innovative and fast moving We do what we say We make every £, $, € ....... count We take ownership ............... And we make it fun

http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/en/company/vision.aspx

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CORRESPONDENCE DAN BAILEY - GAME DESIGNER From: csmith307@hotmail.co.uk To: danbailey90@hotmail.co.uk CC: jadeholmes@virginmedia.com Subject: Gaming - Sams Friend From Boss Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 21:58:08 +0100 Hi Dan, Sam passed on your email and we wondered if we could ask you a few questions to help us out with our dissertation? We are thinking of creating a gaming app for a theme park to occupy users whilst they queue would be great if you could answer the following! Where do you start when creating a game? What makes a good game? In your opinion, what are some of the most successful games and why? In your opinion, what are some of the most successful gaming apps and why? What are your opinions on interactive games? Do you think games are improved by competitive elements or not? How long does it take to create an app? What are the main differences that you have to consider when designing a game for an app (for smart phones) compared to a game for other gaming devices? What do you do when a game loses its novelty? We really appreciate your help Clare Smith & Jade Holmes

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RESPONSE

Game Stuff Just to let you know these are my personal opinions and may not necessarily represent those of other gamers or that of the gaming industry. Hope you do well on your essay. Where do you start when creating a game? Though I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell about how they would start in the industry, I can give examples of how a team I was involved in created a commercial game at Uni. The way we began was to set up a meeting with the entire team and start brainstorming and spit balling ideas to one another until we reached one we liked. We had to discuss who our main target audience would be and how we could make it enjoyable for them, as well as game differences in difficulty settings to accommodate for casual and hardcore players. The team was split into 4 sections Artists, Designers, Programmers and the Project Lead; in the industry they would have many more sectors including Animators, Sound designers, Motion Capture Artist, Legal department among many others. Artists would create the character, the environments and the assets of the game. The Designers would plan and map levels, menus, character interactions etc, generally anything to do with how the game would play out. The programmers would make the engine in which the game ran. The Project Lead would make sure everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s running smoothly and act as the go to guy and the main voice between each team. We had to work how long approximately it would take to create said game and then make a schedule we would have to keep to, showing where we should be at each week. If anyone failed to do what they were assigned within that week, the process would not only hinder themselves but the rest of the team so everyone had to be on the ball. Regular meetings were also scheduled to check progress. What makes a good game? Personally I would put it down to gameplay, it needs to be engaging for the player while also being fun. Making a game challenging is a good way for customers to keep playing. If they lose they are able to learn from their previous mistakes and rectify them in the next play through. A problem arises when a game becomes too challenging, this is generally because a player likes to feel that they can beat the

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obstacle even if it takes a few tries to do so, as they can learn, adjust, strategize etc. More often than not however if a game is too hard and they don’t have that feeling that they can beat the obstacle, they become frustrated, give up and just stop playing. If the gameplay is too easy people get bored as it doesn’t engage or require the player to think about what they are doing. One major belief among people who don’t play games often is that if the game looks good then it must be good. Never judge a game by its graphics, there are hundreds of old 2D games with quite crude graphics that are still considered to this day to be some of the greatest games ever made because of their gameplay. That’s not to say 3D games are bad by any stretch of the imagination, just do not assume they are going to be great because they look great. There are many games that have switched from 2D to 3D and though they gained quite a lot from it they also lost what made them fun and engaging in the process as sometimes they just fail to recapture or live up their predecessors. Just look at Sonic or Mortal Kombat, they lost quite a lot of nostalgia when they transitioned, and though they created some new gameplay mechanics during the 3D era, they still didn’t have what made their 2D counterparts so great in the past. Years later both companies released 2.5D (3D game on a 2D plane) games and both were smashing successes as the games went back to their roots.

In your opinion, what are some of the most successful games and why? Personally I believe some of the most successful games out there are not only ones with great gameplay but also a great story. I believe games with a strong, gripping and unusual story keep the player interested and more heavily engaged within the game and are able to relate to or sympathize with the characters involved and their reason for doing what they are doing, similar to how films can make people feel. There are games out there like Metal Gear Solid or Assassin’s Creed that intertwine their stories with real world historical events to create outlandish yet plausible situations and plots that keep the player intrigued while also learning about events from times gone by. In your opinion, what are some of the most successful gaming apps and why? What are your opinions on interactive games? Interactive games are a milestone in the gaming industry simply because they are family friendly, everyone and anyone can play them, meaning there’s more interest and they generally become highly regarded even to those who have never picked up a controller before.

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Think about it when the PS3 or Xbox 360 arrived you would find that most of the people who owned those consoles were (though not strictly limited to) gamers. However with the introduction of the Wii and how interactive it was you could guarantee that there one in almost every house hold. People could play tennis or bowling in their living room and actually feel like they’re playing the real thing instead of sitting down on a chair pressing some buttons. Also if you go into any arcade across the UK or anywhere for that matter you are guaranteed to find driving games with the actual car seat and pedals, dance games with a mat etc simply because they are fun and interactive for customers. With the introduction of apps and games that rely on a touch screen people can play these games on the go or whenever and wherever they feel like. Do you think games are improved by competitive elements or not? It depends solely on whose playing, someone who plays games casually or to relieve boredom may simply just want to play for fun and to alleviate their boredom with only minor challenges to keep them occupied. As mentioned before the thing to be aware of is that if a casual player or someone who has never played before encounters a difficult scenario and keeps losing the chances are they will begin to get frustrated and simply give up and stop playing. How long does it take to create an app? Generally it depends on who is creating the app and what’s being made. Though I couldn’t possibly give you a definitive time, some quite talented individuals could make a very basic app in a couple of hours and have in finished within no more than a week. However if you were making something quite heavy handed like a game or an internet app then it could take much longer. What are the main differences that you have to consider when designing a game for an app (for smart phones) compared to a game for other gaming devices? It needs to be something you can just pick up and play. If you think most of the time people use game apps is when they have some spare time or just need something to keep them occupied for a while. What they don’t want to do is being fiddling about with loads of menus, tutorials, having to set up or download things, they just want to start playing and pass the time for a while. What you must know is that commercial games for home consoles and other devices are made to be long and sometimes tedious and require the player to learn the controls to a T while apps are simple effective, pass the time nicely and their controls are simple to learn with the basic swipes and taps of the screen. What do you do when a game loses its novelty? So you complete the main of a game, what now? What most companies do is give you a reason or an incentive to go back and play through the game again and again

220 by adding some extra features that were either not in the original play through or must be unlocked, for some itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as simple as acquiring a new outfit for the character for others its playing as a completely different character from their perspective instead of the main ones. Recently games have had the addition of achievements and trophies which are added to games by their respective creators. They have no barring or effect on the game itself and are simply there to give the player more reason to keep playing. These are a set of tasks that the player can perform during gameplay that can vary from super easy to ridiculously hard. Once done they are awarded achievements and trophies for completing the action asked of them. For some when a game begins to lose its novelty companies add updates or DLC (Downloadable Content). This inserts more into the original game that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t present during creation, like new characters, different scenarios, extra levels etc. Normally by then a sequel is already in the works, though that generally depending on how popular the predecessor was. One reason a game can lose its novelty is when it becomes repetitive, tedious and is simply the same thing over and over again without anything fresh or innovative added to it.

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APPENDIX K ETHICS CONSENT FORMS

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APPENDIX L VISUAL INSPIRATION MOOD BOARDS

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I really like the use of the clock here, which links to the overall theme of time and waiting. The style is simple and fits with the overall design aesthetic I want to portray. Using flat colour and basic lines I think that the clock would look good as chapter dividers to break the writing up.

The spaced out font creates space and draws attention to what is being said. Could this be used throughout the report to highlight the wait (the space representing the ‘wait’). Potential for this to be used around the introduction chapter.

Large letters can be used as a layout design when there aren’t any relevant pictures to accompany a small amount of text. Makes it a bit more interesting and again, links to the modern, minimal layout that I’m inspired by.

CHAPTER TITLES Clear Bold Easy to read

SUB HEADINGS Slightly thinner font Again, easy to read and understand Creates a bit of contrast

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I was inspired by these to create consumer profiles that focus on one aspect of the consumers day-to-day life. I really like the use of one large image to represent an individual, especially when the text describes the consumer groups in so much detail. The basic layout of one image with text balances out the descriptive text. I felt that if I started to include a mood board of images that relate to the consumer group in addition to the text, it might get a bit confusing. I have therefore decided to stick to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;less is moreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trend with respect to the one image.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided to use the same colour palette for the report layout and design as we have used throughout our branding. This allows the report to link to the executions as well as the individual booklets we have produced. It allows all 4 inidivudal pieces to fit together so that they can be packaged and presented in a consistant format.

I really like the idea of using tracing paper as page dividers - these could introduce the title pages with the clock. The different paper adds more texture and makes the document look more interesting. The difference in thickness and texture of the paper also creates some visual contrast.

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I N F O G R A P H I C S I N S P I R AT I O N I really like the idea of using things that signify a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;waitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in my infographics. This shows something loading, the person is waiting for something to load - this links well to the overall theme of my report. I have tried to use similar motives and icons in my infographics so that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re relevant to the topic.

Using thin lines to break information up is really effective here. It allows the data to be read easily and separates each statistic. This is something that I took inspiration from and incorporated into my own infographics. I also used the lines to direct the reader from one stat to the next, making it clear and easy to understand.

I really like the use of icons throughout infographics to highlight what the stats are referring to. It also makes the design a bit more exciting and visually appealing. Again, thin lines are used here to separate pieces of information, which is something I noticed a lot when browsing for infographic inspiration.

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APPENDIX M TUTORIAL RECORD SHEETS

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Learning outcomes

§ Propose an implementation project through specific appraisal of the cultural, social and global discourses, testing their impact on your recommendations.

§ Distinguish and utilise specific theories and case studies that fully validate your targeted implementation proposals.

§ Formulate design platforms, media contexts and routes that demonstrate and reflect analysis of consumer culture.

§ Adapt and apply appropriate creative research methods and analytical tools

that show an inventive and project-specific approach with reference to the broader creative environment. § Utilise and manipulate professional academic research principles, respond to design responsibilities and analyse ethical practises. § Critically evaluate and apply visual literacy and aesthetic interpretation in relation to the chosen project context. § Appraise and apply concepts and ideas by evidencing critical analysis of the relationship between creative outcome and business success. § Utilise and justify new concepts, testing your implementation interpretation against valid and timely benchmarks. § Utilise and manage decision-making processes reflecting professional practice and industry sequences. § Demonstrate project-specific visual referencing and literacy when resolving implementation outcomes. § Resolve creative design outcomes by critically utilising and selecting appropriate media, IT and production methods. § Manipulate and adapt methods for managing your own learning, organisation skills and evaluating progress. § Manipulate language and critically evaluate the use of communication methods in both the content and construction of your research work.

fcp3

School of Art & Design ba

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 20th February 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Potential ideas for the next stage of your project

Learning issues to discuss in session: What have you been looking at? What is this next stage about? What are the tutors looking for/expecting?

Feedback from session: More visual than the previous report Execution of the idea is the most important aspect Visual references and inspiration are also an important part of this stage Waiting environments has potential and opportunity to target consumers

Tasks for next session: Develop ideas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how can brands capitalise on waiting environments to target/communicate with consumers? Look over the learning outcomes

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

fcp3

School of Art & Design ba

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 27th February 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Work in progress Any questions on learning outcomes

Learning issues to discuss in session: What areas have you started to look into? What have you considered in terms of primary research? If any What can be the same for our team reports? What HAS to be individual?

Feedback from session: Layout, writing, infographics, consumer profiles should all be different. The ideas needs longevity – what are some long term campaigns? Visual research, trends in art direction, graphics etc Why is it right for now? The presentation is 10 minutes and is a brief presentation on your ideas, where they’ve come from, what you’re planning to do etc

Tasks for next session: Prepare presentation For the week beginning 11th March bring; 15 elements of research that link to eachother

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

fcp3

School of Art & Design ba

TUTORIAL WITH ANGIE FLETCHER

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 28th February 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Current ideas

Learning issues to discuss in session: What are your ideas? How can you progress? Where are you taking them from here?

Feedback from session: Do you want to create a consultancy/agency that collaborates and proposes creative ideas to brands or do you want to focus specifically on one brand only, as if you work for that brand? Need to decide which waiting time to focus on What are the consumers for this waiting time? NEED TO DO; Analyse survey results Decide on the waiting time and therefore the consumer Decide on whether we will create an agency or work in house Tasks for next session: NA

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

fcp3

School of Art & Design

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 6th March 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Presentation

Learning issues to discuss in session: Feedback on presentation

Feedback from session: Why is it important to connect rather than sell? Contextualise the idea Interview people in queues Ensure the idea has some longevity rather than short burst that will fizzle out Look at â&#x20AC;&#x153;How to do better creative workâ&#x20AC;? by Steve Harrison Look into the future Branding of consultancy

Tasks for next session:

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

fcp3

School of Art & Design ba

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 22nd March 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Where are we with our project? Bring any research

Learning issues to discuss in session: The Triangle (Coms strategy, big idea, big creative idea, executions

Feedback from session: WHY IS YOUR PROJECT TIMELY? Use examples to highlight points Research visual references too Remember ETHICS The big idea should be relevant both commercially and creatively When is it the right time to launch your executions and why? Try and talk to experts/industry professionals In terms of methodology â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which method and why? Sample size, where it took place (this can g in the appendix if you want) Tasks for next session: Interim Presentation (contextual research, final objective, next phase and what we plan to do).

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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2 5 0 of Art & Design School

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 17th April 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Interim presentation

Learning issues to discuss in session: Feedback from presentation

Feedback from session: Could we use WHSmith/ other brands that are predominantly at train stations? Like the interactive app idea at theme parks Really like the link to the launch of a new ride and the free fast pass tickets Good identification of the consumer however; Look at the Sunshine Teens and Digital Natives Look at Brian Wong for inspiration

Tasks for next session: Any questions or queries with your idea How are you progressing Any qâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the report.

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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School of Art & Design ba

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 2 5 1 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 1st May 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Work in progress Any questions to discuss with regards to the report/writing/visuals

Learning issues to discuss in session: Storyboard Visual outcomes

Feedback from session: Prioritising what to do next To continue to manage our time well Continue to plan and give ourselves deadlines

Tasks for next session: Bring any section of writing you want help with Visuals for feedback Any other questions on the report

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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2 5 2 of Art & Design School

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 8th May 2013 Name : Jade Holmes

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Bring any section of writing you want help with Visuals for feedback Any other questions on the report

Learning issues to discuss in session: Get feedback on visuals Ensure that writing is clear

Feedback from session:

Tasks for next session:

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared)

Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

253

APPENDIX N CRITICAL PATH

C R I T I C A L PAT H

APPENDIX O DECLARATION AND ETHICS

School of Art & Design School of ArtForm & Design Declaration 2012/13 Declaration Form 2012/13

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Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Module Leader: Tim Rundle Ref. no: FASH30001

I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of the approval in the conduct of this project. This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed.

Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regulations on assessment contained in its handbook.

Signed .................................................................................................................... Date .......................................................................................................................

258 Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design Ethical Clearance Checklist for individual student projects To be completed by the student for an individual project that involves the collection of primary data this includes images, drawings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. Please complete this document following the guidance in the School of Art and Design Ethical Guidelines and Framework for Research and Practice Undertaken by Students. Section A: About the research Name: Programme of Study: Module Title and Reference Number: Name of module leader/supervisor responsible for the management of the project Duration of project Project title Section B: Training and experience Have you had previous experience of or been trained in the methods employed to yes collect data, and/or discussed with your supervisor? Have you been informed, given guidance, had issues outlined in relation to research yes ethics and consideration in relation to your project?

no no

Section C: Methodology/Practice/Procedures Does your proposed study involve procedures which are likely to cause physical, psy- yes chological, social or emotional distress to participants or yourself? Does your proposed study involve the use of hazardous materials, other than those yes currently covered by the School Health and Safety procedures?

Section D: Ethical checklist

No no

If you have selected an answer shaded in grey, you must submit a full application to the Subject REC or modify the project. A full submission to the Subject PREC comprises of: this form, a project proposal, an additional statement of up to 500 words outlining the ethical issues raised by the project and the proposed approach to deal with these.

Compliance with Ethical Principles If you have completed the checklist to the best of your knowledge without selecting an answer shaded in grey, the research is deemed to conform with the ethical checkpoints and you do not need to seek formal approval from the Subject PREC. Please sign the declaration below, and lodge the completed checklist with your supervisor. Declaration I have read the Ethical Guidelines and Framework for Research and Practice Undertaken by Students. I confirm that the above named investigation complies with published codes of conduct, ethical principles and guidelines of professional bodies associated with the research discipline. Name of student: ……………………………………………………………………………… Signature of student ………………………………………………………………………………. Signature of supervisor/module leader ……………………………………………..…………………… Date ………………………………………………………………..