Working At Knott’s Berry Farm In Marketing
What’s it like working at Knott’s Berry Farm in Marketing? I was recently asked that question and more during an interview for the Berry Vine, Knott’s Berry Farm’s newsletter for associates. As the Digital Marketing Manager for the Knott’s Berry Farm Resort, I have the great opportunity to oversee a number of exciting new areas for the company. I am responsible for leading the creation and execution of the digital strategy for the entire Knott’s Berry Farm Resort including the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park, Knott’s Soak City Water Park and Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel. My responsibilities include overseeing digital content creation, digital PR, social media, website content creation, mobile app content, digital ad buys and digital analytics. Many of the areas that I work on didn’t even exist a few years ago. The everchanging landscape of digital marketing is both exciting and challenging at the same time.
“What would you say you do here?”
Jennifer Acoba, Knott’s Digital Marketing Coordinator, was interviewed with me for the article. Jen joined my team in early 2016 and instantly brought a tremendous amount of passion and creativity to our social media posts and marketing activations.
Q: How would you describe your position to a Kindergartner?
Jen: I get to play on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all day!
Brad: My job is mixing together marketing, technology, and theme parks.
Q: What was your background before working at Knott’s? What led you to the position you are currently in?
Jen: My first job was actually working at Disneyland in Attractions. I worked there for 4 years while pursuing a marketing degree from Cal State Fullerton. At the same time, I also worked as a marketing coordinator for the OC Fair and managed the social media accounts for a local food truck. I actually started as a Knott’s seasonal employee as the Department Assistant for the Promotions Team. When my current job opened up, I applied and moved into the Communications Coordinator role.
Brad: I have had the great opportunity to work in many marketing and technical roles throughout the entertainment and technology industries. I started my career in the video game industry as a programming intern. My first marketing job was for an Adobe enterprise software company, which was followed by five years working in the animation industry as a digital marketing manager. In between, I worked at Six Flags on their first mobile app in 2009. I grew up going to Knott’s Berry Farm with my family and was excited to find a job opening that matched my experience and skill set. I joined Knott’s Berry Farm in June 2014 as Digital Marketing Representative and was recently promoted to Digital Marketing Manager this past January.
Q: What’s it like working at Knott’s Berry Farm in Marketing? What do you do on a day to day basis?
Jen: A lot of our time goes into planning social media and blog posts, special events, and newsletters. We are often on social media answering people’s questions or commenting. As time permits, I like to go into the park and do live stories on Instagram and take photos for Snapchat.
Brad: Working at Knott’s Berry Farm in Marketing is always a fun and everchanging challenge. Jen and I do a lot of different things depending on the day or season. On an average day, we manage our website, mobile app, and social media platforms. Our responsibilities also include creating photo/video assets, crafting the digital ad strategy with our ad agency and helping recruit bloggers. No two days are the same for our team.
Q: Where do you get the inspiration for the social media posts?
Brad: Inspiration kind of comes from everywhere. I always make sure to walk through the park once a day and see what guests are enjoying in the park. I often read through guest comments and listen to the passion our fans have about Knott’s. Nearly every meeting with associates from other departments also helps bring about different ideas about what to feature.
Jen: I agree with Brad. I also try to walk through the park and see everything that’s happening. We also like to look at our competitors and see what they are doing on social media. One of my favorite companies to follow is actually Taco Bell. I love their social media accounts and how personable they are with their audience.
Q: What do people tend to gravitate more towards online? What posts tend to be more popular?
Jen: I’ve noticed that people love clean, clear rollercoaster pictures and pictures of food like our Boysenberry Ice Cream and funnel cake.
Brad: I agree with Jen. People love posts about roller coasters. I also try to remember the brand. People love Knott’s Berry Farm; we have a lot of history here and things that make us unique. It’s important for us to remember that when we make our social media posts.
Q: Can you share one of your favorite projects so far working on the Digital Marketing team?
Brad: My favorite project to date was writing and producing the online Voyage to the Iron Reef commercial.
Jen: Hands down my favorite project was getting the Try Guys to come down to Knott’s Scary Farm and have them transform into one of our monsters.
Q: Is there anything other Knott’s Associates should know about the Digital Marketing team?
Brad: We work with a tremendous amount of partners, including every department at the park, the Cedar Fair corporate team and outside vendors such as our ad agency C-K. It truly is a team effort to make everything happen and our jobs possible.
Jen: If you ever see either of us in the park feel free to say hello!
Special thanks to Miranda Dill, Knott’s Berry Farm’s Communications Assistant, for conducting and compiling the interview.