Putting the Haunt in Hauntvertising: How this Agency Found their Niche Market

Agency

Joe Teo

October 31, 2019

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Welcome to our Agency Spotlight series! Each article will feature pioneers of the #agencylife and how they run their businesses in the modern world.

Who is FearWorm?

Patrick Stanger and Ernest Corder are the Co-Founders of FearWorm Hauntvertising. The team behind the magic consists of that dynamic duo plus Tyler Barnett, our Digital Marketing Director, Laura Kilpatrick the Art Director and Social Media Manager, Shelly Wright our Media Buyer, and Matt Nelsen our Digital Media Buyer. FearWorm also has a small, dedicated team of contract employees serving in our creative production, and social media departments.

What is your background?

FearWorm’s co-founders both originally hail from the radio industry. Patrick is the lead for creative services within the agency - concepts, audio, creative direction and our well-known ‘fearworms’ – a creepy tune or sing that gets stuck in your head. He has history within the haunted attraction industry, as he was part of the marketing team behind a fierce brand within the Austin market, House of Torment.

Ernest has been an ad guy for over 20 years. His career began in radio, but he moved to the agency side in which acts often as a professional resource for FearWorm. Ernest is also the lead team member for media strategy and digital advertising as a whole.

Tyler came from within the haunted attraction industry itself. He is a former haunted attraction owner, so he brings a unique perspective to the table, as well as his professional expertise in the realm of digital marketing.

Laura joined the team from her work within the haunted attraction industry, as well. She has been a graphic designer for a string of haunted houses for a decade, and her work there led her to design for FearWorm’s flagship client, Dark Hour Haunted House. Laura is also an educator within the industry, and within her field. When she isn’t focusing her creative efforts on campaigns for our clients, she may be teaching future graphic designers and creative directors at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

How would you describe FearWorm?

FearWorm Hauntvertising is the first and largest advertising agency built exclusively for the haunted attractions industry. We offer creative services, social media management, traditional and digital advertising services to haunted houses, amusement parks and other seasonal events throughout North America. FearWorm is comprised of a team of passionate, professional, dedicated individuals. Each team member brings a much needed perspective, personality, and skill to the company. The chemistry, respect, and trust that has been built amongst our team promotes and supports a highly creative, innovative, and powerful marketing machine.

What does your agency do especially well? What is your speciality?

FearWorm Hauntvertising, simply put, builds solid brands and drives specifically targeted markets to purchase tickets and visit Halloween-themed attractions or other entertainment based events. Ticket sales and event attendance are the ultimate measures of FearWorm’s success. With that being said, we are definitely exceptional at what we do.

We specialize in haunted attractions, but also work with escape rooms, amusement parks, concerts and other events. We offer a full marketing package - creative that engages, social media that drives sales, forward-thinking digital marketing tactics, and other supportive campaign elements like traditional media. We personally consult with and often direct many, if not all, of the moving parts of our clients’ marketing efforts. This usually calls for some travel throughout the year, presenting our team in a sort of haunted attraction industry A-Team manner.

We fly-in and work together to ensure that campaign assets or materials collected and produced for marketing purposes are high-quality, relevant, compliant and consistent with each client’s unique brand identity, and strategies.

How would you describe your workplace/office culture?

Our home base it out of Austin, Texas, but all of our employees and contractors reside throughout the U.S. and Canada. Our team members love what they do, so they get their work done without set hours or an in-office schedule. We are a precision team – everyone plays their part and is an expert within their field.

At FearWorm, we function as a whole, motivating and inspiring one another as we tackle each new project. Every team member brings a unique experience, talent, and personality to the company. The FearWorm team is well balanced, each member having a complimenting counterpart. With this unique, specific chemistry we continue to thrive, learn, and support one another as we grow and develop as a whole and individually. FearWorm is as utopian as you can get for a marketing firm.

What are the benefits of a specialized agency?

The benefits of our agency as a specialized firm are that we:

Know this industry inside and out.
Learn what works with our individual clients and are able to use that knowledge across the country.
Excluding other endeavors allows for us to have the time it takes to become true experts in a specific field.
We have created synergy and efficiencies by concentrating our efforts into one area.

Bottom line, the largest benefit is our continually fueled and growing experience! Experience is in fact the best teacher.

What is the future for FearWorm Hauntvertising?

Being specialized, we are definitely hyper focused on our industry. FearWorm is moving to offer as many services as we can for our clients and their businesses. The more we can offer and do for our clients, the better they will be presented to and received by their markets. We will be taking what we have learned from working together and applying it to our movements in strategy, processes, and plans for our future.