The reality for Family Entertainment Centers is simple and uncomfortable at the same time.
There is no single marketing solution that works forever.
An FEC is not a SaaS company. It is not a restaurant. It is not retail. It is a highly seasonal, experience-driven business that depends on local visibility, weather, school calendars, tourism patterns, birthdays, group sales, and repeat family visits.
Because of that, FECs do not need “a marketing company.”
They need the right level of marketing leadership at the right time.
In my work with amusement parks, theme parks, and family attractions, that usually breaks down into three distinct roles. Each serves a purpose. Not every FEC needs all three at once.
Role 1: Marketing Consultant for FECs
Clarity before action
As a marketing consultant, my job is not to sell tactics. It is to help FEC owners step back and make sense of what is already happening.
Most FECs I talk to are already “doing marketing.”
They are running ads. They have social media. They may have an agency, a freelancer, or an internal marketing coordinator.
But something feels off.
Common signs:
- Ads are running but foot traffic is inconsistent
- Online bookings do not match peak demand periods
- Marketing spend increases, but birthday parties or group events do not
- Everyone is busy, but no one can clearly explain what is working
This is where consulting comes in.
I help owners diagnose:
- Where money is being wasted
- Which channels matter for their attraction, not industry averages
- How seasonality should actually shape campaigns
- Whether the issue is messaging, targeting, timing, or systems
For an FEC, consulting is often about stopping the wrong activity before adding more.
It creates clarity, priorities, and a realistic path forward.
Role 2: Fractional CMO for Family Entertainment Centers
Ongoing leadership without a full-time hire
When an FEC needs consistency and confidence month to month, the fractional CMO role becomes critical.
As a fractional CMO, I am not executing ads every day.
I am guiding decisions.
This role typically includes:
- Building a clear marketing strategy aligned to revenue goals
- Planning around seasonality, school schedules, tourism cycles, and weather
- Coordinating vendors, agencies, and internal staff
- Making sure promotions, pricing, and messaging align across channels
- Helping owners decide what not to do this month
For FECs, this matters because marketing decisions are rarely isolated.
A promotion affects staffing. Staffing affects guest experience. Guest experience affects reviews. Reviews affect ads. Ads affect bookings.
A fractional CMO connects those dots.
It gives owners a senior marketing voice at the table without the cost, risk, or rigidity of a full-time executive hire.
Role 3: Agency Partner Through PaperBoat
Execution with strategy, not guesswork
Sometimes, an FEC simply needs things built.
Ads need to be launched.
SEO needs to be fixed.
Content needs to exist.
Systems need to work together.
That is when my team at PaperBoat steps in as an agency partner.
What matters here is not the tools.
It is the order and intent.
When we execute, it is done under a clear strategy:
- Paid ads support specific revenue goals, not vanity metrics
- SEO aligns to local intent and attraction-based searches
- Content answers real parent questions, not generic blog topics
- Tracking and reporting actually connect to bookings and calls
Execution without leadership leads to churn.
Execution with leadership builds momentum.
Not Every FEC Needs All Three
This is important.
Some FECs only need consulting to get unstuck.
Some need fractional leadership to stabilize growth.
Some are ready for full agency execution.
The role depends on the business, the stage, and the pressure points.
Trying to force every FEC into one model is where most marketing relationships fail.
Fractional CMO vs Agency vs In-House Hire
The distinction most owners are never told
Here is the cleanest way to think about it:
- Agencies execute
- They run ads
- They build pages
- They produce assets
- Employees manage tasks
- They post content
- They coordinate vendors
- They handle daily requests
- Fractional CMOs guide decisions
- What to prioritize
- When to push and when to pause
- How marketing aligns with operations and revenue
FECs do not fail because they lack tactics.
They struggle when decisions are made without clear leadership.
That is the gap this model is designed to fill.