The Skip the Line mobile trivia game was launched to engage millions of Six Flag park attendees across the county. Many marketers are incorporating location-based rewards in their mobile initiatives and both Six Flags and Ask.com believe that it offers mobile users real-time perks.

“Based on a user’s location, the app will launch a Six Flags-branded Skip the Line game where guests can earn points and win a move to the front of the line if they answer trivia questions correctly,” said Robbie Waeschenfelder, director of brand marketing at Ask.com.

“Mobile is a huge focus for Ask – it’s where the future of Q&A lies as consumers move away from desktop computers and demand answers to timely questions from mobile devices,” he said. “In the last year, in addition to the traction we’ve gotten with the app, Ask has seen an uptick in traffic from mobile devices to our site.

“The test campaign is designed to drive downloads and engagement, as well as help us better understand how users engage and respond to game mechanics within our app.”

Game engagement
The Six Flags and Ask.com mobile campaign engages consumers in a new way.

Users can download the Ask.com iPhone Q&A app, which updates to detect when a user is within a two-mile radius of any Six Flags parks across 10 key markets such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, San Antonio, St. Louis, Boston and Baltimore.

Based on a consumer’s location, the app launches the Six Flags Skip the Line game and lets users earn points and win jumps in line if they answer trivia questions correctly.

“We’re seeing extremely high engagement come in from the mobile channel,” Mr. Waeschenfelder said. “Overall, mobile users contribute almost four times the answers to questions as compared to site users.

“They also provide two to three times more questions and comments,” he said. “Overall, 43 percent of the visits we see to the app are from users returning more than eight times a month, so mobile is clearly a pathway to a highly engaged user.

“The Ask for iPhone app and The Skip the Line game will be heavily promoted throughout the parks during the month of June, with heavy rotation across the Six Flags TV Network, an in-ride-line TV network made up of more than 500 screens across the parks,” he said.

“Ask.com will be featured on these screens across the 10 parks where the game is available.”

Mobile realization
Six Flags has found the smartphone penetration of its target market is about 50 percent and its audience is receptive to perks and mobile games.

The company sees in-app games and offers as a way to drive downloads and engagement, as well as test drive game mechanics and location-based offers as part of the overall consumer experience.

“Mobile entertainment is a growing trend at theme parks overall,” Mr. Waeschenfelder said. “Six Flags continues to see an uptick in families visiting the park as part of the larger, economy-driven ‘staycation’ trend and is constantly looking for ways to help its guests have a more entertaining and value-packed day while they are in their parks.

“The Ask.com Skip the Line mobile game is one example, but Six Flags has also tapped other programs to engage and entertain guests as they wait in line, such as mobile-based scavenger hunts ‘twit-hunts,’ text-based guest services and ride-line wait alerts,” he said.