5 Ways that Madame Tussauds Truly Gets Their Audience
If you plan to travel to London this fall, there are many things to do. One of these is the famous Madame Tussauds. Nearly 500 million people have visited this attraction since its first permanent home was established on Baker Street in London in 1835.
With all the changes in society, and how companies conduct business, it is amazing that one that has been around for nearly two centuries so completely understands their customers and knows how to serve them.
1. Understand Celebrity
The very idea of the museum is based on the concept of celebrity. There are people who are treated differently in life due to their accomplishments and achievements and we all want to get a glimpse of them. It is rare that we would bump into any of these stars in the course of our normal life, but for a small fee we can see them, touch them, chat them up and pose for pictures with them. The very first section of the attraction is called Party, and this is where the biggest stars are located. They have front-loaded the experience so visitors can see what they came to see immediately. Instant gratification works just as well as saving the best for last.
2. Cater to All Ages
Every museum must think about the ages and interests of their visitors, just like any business must, but when your stock in trade is pop culture, that means you have a pretty broad audience. From the band One Direction to Adele and from George Clooney to the cast of Twilight, they serve the different generations. Every wax figure is meticulously created over four months, with all the details that the fans know intimately. With items donated from the stars themselves, they can give their visitors an experience that most will never get. They respect their visitors and their interests, just like you must do with your customers, whether they are there to see Lady Gaga or Stephen Hawking.
3. The Royals
Whether you are British or from outside of the UK, everyone is fascinated with the Royal family. This is the highest level of celebrity. Madame Tussauds gives everyone the chance to have an audience with the Queen. That's right. Take your picture with a life-like model of the Queen of England. She is one of the most popular figures, and there have been 22 models made of the Queen during her lifetime.
4. Superheroes and Star Wars
Family entertainment means something for the whole family. If your kids are not into red carpets, movie stars or even sports legends, there are always super heroes. If that's not enough, there is a Star Wars exhibit where you can interact with your favorite characters from a galaxy far, far away. Frenzy around this series is building to a fever pitch as fans await the new movie later this year, so expect this attraction to be quite popular in November. The force is strong with those who planned this exhibit.
5. Selfie-Friendly
Have you been to a museum where everything is behind ropes or glass? And you want to take a selfie that shows you with some cool artifact of the past, but you just can't get the angle right. All of these wax figures are accessible for you get up close and personal. Take all the selfies you want. These figures are make to be interacted with. The new Kim Kardashian figure is taking her own selfie. Jump into that photo and let the world see you and your famous friend.
When this experience was created, they understood that it was not just about seeing the figures. It was about putting your arm around someone famous. Whispering in their ear. Taking your picture with them as if they were just a regular bloke. And it worked out perfectly since now everyone is able to take selfies with their favorite celebrities. It's as if Madame Tussaud herself understood the customers so well, she anticipated the revolutionary technological and societal changes to come.
This post originally appeared on the Modern Marketing Blog.