Another Opinion please

[Frightener]

Ok, I'm planning on having $4k in left over funds, meaning for extra props, runover money etc.

We're going to have little publicity / marketing done. Our biggest thing is, there's a few town / local events happening in the summer and fall. We plan on showing up in dress advertising there. We've also set out $750 in travel and flyers and have planned out 6 towns outside of our area to hit up and paste them all over.

Now.... I've come across a killer deal! A like new hearse, for $1,800! We have no iconic vehicle so far. It's an 88 Caddy with < 50k miles!! Drives perfect, like new. Was only recently retired when a guy's family insisted on buying a new one because of their clients wanting a newer styling of car.

... should I buy it!!?? I have a sponsor that's going to paint it black for me. Flat black. I'll do the airbrushing on it. We plan on making it SICK! in every since of the word, (not gory, sick as in OMG THAT'S FREAKIN COOL kinda thing)

This will be our rolling billboard. We will drive it EVERYWHERE! I work at a computer shop that sits on the hwy. It will be parked out front. We'll take it to get groceries in it. Everyone in town knows us as having cool / odd cars, so it'll just be a plus. Whadya think?

Thanks for input.

If you guys think I shouldn't buy it and use that money for radio ads etc.. please speak your minds. In my head, I'm thinking it's the best publicity. You WON'T be able to pass this thing and NOT look when we're done with it.

Dewayne

[HauntedPaws]

Are you going to TW? If not spend the 4k getting there you'll learn a wealth of information.

Think of this way. Buy the hearse your attendance will see it. Buy more advertising you'll have X amount MORE see your whole haunt.

[Frightener]

No, plans didn't pan out. We're planning on going 2013 though. We just can't make it this year, between our two day jobs, planning etc. too many things have come up that's slapping us in the face saying "Nuh uh"

Also, to say it again, in this area... THERE'S NOTHING HERE! The only 'decent' haunts are miniscule. They just don't build sets etc. Not a carved piece of foam anywhere, no animation stuff at all, no real icon char's etc. Just black rooms with throw in props. This being said, there's a big haunt about 1.5 hours away, but we don't even consider them. Everyone we ask in town doesn't know about them lol.

In other words, we're gonna be the biggest thing to hit this area. I may only be spending $15-20k on this haunt, but it's 4x's what anyone else spends on theirs and they have no advertising and they pull in 2k plus at min. some rumored at 8k

[Frightener]

Update.

Well everywhere else we asked, everyone agreed the Hearse was best if that's what we were gonna do with it. So we bought it yesterday. Got back in from 9 hour drive late last night.

[Capt.Chaos]

Good choice

In my humble opinion traditional advertising is a waste of time and Capitol. Especially in his industry. Have you ever. Heard of Guerilla Marketing? Look it up. Works awesome. Start getting that hearse ready and get a couple icon characters. Get a website and Facebook page and Everything you do now until you open should direct them to one of these resources. If you do it right by the time you open you should have a buzz going and be just fine. You and I have the same type of market by the sounds of it. This will be my 3rd year and I already OWN the entire market. Here is my philosophy. Spend the money, go for the long haul, do it right. By the time anyone has any idea what you are doing they will have to really pull out the checkbook to catch up. Good luck.

Chaos