Let's be Fair and help Cedar

I shared at a recent City Council meeting that Cedar Fair is ignoring the marketing opportunities they could develop by partnering with the 49ers when the stadium opens.

Let's have a contest, prize to be determined, to surface some professional marketing opportunities for Cedar Fair.

When media giant Paramount owned Great America, the ownership team's professionals reached out regularly to the local community and to the Bay Area to increase Great America visibility. While Cedar Fair may not have depth in West Coast marketing experience, we in Santa Clara can share our outreach skills with our corporate neighbor.

Here are some ideas from me. I look forward to reading everyone else's marketing concepts too.

1) Target outreach to 49ers season ticket holders to offer weekend package deals. For a Sunday game, arrive midday Saturday, check into a nearby Santa Clara hotel, visit Great America and enjoy a relaxing evening before going crazy at the '49ers game on Sunday. If one really wants to get creative, allow the special weekend package deal to admit the holder to the park on Saturday AND Sunday for one package rate.

2) Invite all fans to present their football admission ticket for half price entry to the park after any local game.

3) Special "off-season" Great America deals for '49ers season ticket holders, such as discounts on birthday parties, etc.

4) Theme celebrations based on the visiting team's home location. For example, there are plenty of folks in the South Bay who hail from Pittsburgh. Whenever the Steelers come to town, Great America could host a theme day focused on folks who used to call the Western Pennsylvania area "home."

5) And, a big idea: partner with the many other events the stadium will host so more bodies enter the theme park.

Santa Clara County is an incredibly diverse and affluent community. We host lots of ethnicities, languages and work skills. Let's work together, fellow Santa Clarans, to help Great America's marketing efforts. Cedar Fair is a publicly-traded company; let's help them with some quality local public input. Click on the comments link below to share your marketing ideas gratis with Cedar Fair.

- Chris Stampolis