Arora Hills Corn Maze
Desired Results:
Generate traffic and increase awareness of Arora Hills, a Clarksburg, Maryland master-planned community with a brand that focused on “nature.” Promote positive community relations between the developer/builders and area residents.
The Solution:
If you grow it … they will come! Creating Results proposed turning a large area of the site – not slated for construction until later phases – into a 3.3 acre corn maze. The home-grown, house-shaped maze was designed and produced by a professional maze architect and located directly behind the community’s welcome center. The design was chosen by Creating Results to reinforce the new home community concept: creating an outdoor attraction highlighted Arora’s “back to nature” theme.
All proceeds went to a local charity, Hospice Caring, Inc. of Montgomery County. The Hospice provided the staffing on weekends in September and October.
The maze was promoted as family-friendly entertainment through an extensive media relations campaign, as well as window posters placed in local businesses, flyers mailed to residents, eye-catching print ads and direct marketing. Give-aways for kids and promotional items allowed families to bring home the fun (and client logos/sales materials). The event was featured each week in the calendar section of local papers.
The Results:
6 feature articles in 8 publications over 3 months attracted a steady stream of maze-loving families – more than 2,600 people visited! These outlets included the Washington Post, regional issues of the Gazette and the Washington Business Journal. A $6,500 contribution was made to Hospice Caring in 2004. The clients were so pleased, they repeated the event in 2005.
For the duration of the Corn Maze attraction, traffic increased at the welcome center by 40%. For a two month period after the event, there continued to be a steady and high flow of prospects despite a drastic cut in community advertising. All of this during a season that tends to be slow for the real estate industry!
The Arora Hills Corn Maze was recognized with a 2005 Major Achievement in Marketing Excellence (MAME) award.
