THE recently formed partnership between pay TV children’s channel Nickelodeon and Dreamworld appears to be a match made in heaven.
Following an investment of more than $7m, a new section of Dreamworld—Nick Central—was opened in December, creating a lure for families to visit the fun park and a powerful branding tool for Nickelodeon.
The arrangement is one of such symbiosis that one wonders why it wasn’t done sooner.
The 10,000m2 area screams Nickelodeon. Everything from the names of the rides, such as the Rugrats Runaway Reptar Rollercoaster, to the colour schemes on structures is a reminder of the pay television channel.
It is the first themed park for Nickelodeon outside the US, where the Nick Central concept originated, and has been a major attraction for visitors.
According to Dreamworld CEO Tony Braxton-Smith, anecdotal evidence from parks in the US showed attendance figures increased by 15% among children, an increase of 7% overall following the introduction of Nick Central.
“Kids don’t come alone,” Braxton-Smith says.
And they have to eat, drink, buy souvenirs and will pester parents to be brought back.
Braxton-Smith first approached Nickelodeon several years ago with the idea of establishing Nick Central.
In 1997 there was an erosion in children’s attendances and when Looney Tunes, a children’s section at rival theme park Movie World, opened attendances fell again.
“[Nickelodeon and I] sat down and talked about a deal that made sense for both of us—the Nickelodeon people understand our business,” Braxton-Smith says.
Nickelodeon was familiar with Dreamworld, having held several promotions there previously.
“It was clear that when we did promotions with The Rugrats the numbers were up,” he says.
Designing the park was a three-way process between Dreamworld and Nickelodeon in Australia and the US.
“We wanted it to be kid-tested and kid-approved,” Nickelodeon Australia GM Catherine Nebauer says.
Research conducted in Australia included focus groups where children were asked what they would like to see in a theme park.
And if results from the opening weekend—where 1500 children from the “Nickelodeon family” tested the park—are any indication, it meets with kids’ approval.
The area includes 12 new attractions for Dreamworld including the roller coaster—the first suspended roller coaster in Australia. There’s also a “foam factory”—called the Wild Thornberries Rainforest Rampage—where kids and adults can blast each other with 20,000 foam balls.
One of the most popular attractions is a live show where winners get slimed—literally.
“TV is a one-on-one interaction between the TV and the kid,” Nickelodeon vice-president of recreation Howard Smith says.
“This is about a family experience and everyone walks out of there having a good time. Kids own us, in a way, but to come to Nick Central is to experience us first-hand.”
Nebauer agrees that Nick Central is a fantastic extension of the brand.
“Kids are able to interact with the brand—it is a great way of building a relationship.”
Braxton-Smith admits that having other theme parks on the Gold Coast helps business but says the trick of getting people to come back is the secret to Dreamworld’s success.
The introduction of thrill rides such as the Cyclone roller coaster and the filming of Network Ten reality series Big Brother within the park have proved extremely successful, boosting ticket sales and return visits.
He says the beauty of the relationship with a television network, as opposed to a particular cartoon, is that it can evolve as the network develops.
Nick Central has created another reason for people to come back to Dreamworld, especially for the younger generation and Dreamworld has brought the TV network alive.
