War veteran redeems 33-year old offer for free day at Knoebels

Public Relations can be a weapon of good or an instrument of bad. Here is a great example of the former.

Good thing it wasn't for Geauga Lake... ;)

ROFLMAO, redman...

Knudos to Knoebels for honoring a 30-year-old coupon!

Went to Knoebel's last summer myself, and fell in love with the place. This just reaffirms that.

Well, technically... if there's no expiration date set on the coupon...

I don't see why they would even think of denying them admission.
However, if it does say "To Be Used On or Before September 6th, 1974" somewhere... then the park is just showing how friendly it really is.

This is a no-brainer for the park. They get national publicity for the cost of a couple of admissions. Any park who would not accept this coupon doesn't know a good opportunity when it sees one.

Certainly a good decision for publicity reasons....but much like HW, I'd say they accepted the coupon because "it's the RIGHT thing to do"....:)

It's about time we hear a good publicity story instead of stories like GL refusing the kids and likewise.

Ah, but perhaps the GL PR reps are smarter? They get publicity when they announce refusal of the coupons and publicity again when they announce they've reversed their policy. ;)

Not to mention there's a big difference between giving away $30 in tickets and a dinner (that they originally issued themselves) and giving hundreds of children free admission (under a program started by another company).

Not that what Knoebel's did wasn't (K)noble and all (heh, I'm a friggin' comedian), but I could've shelled out the $30 and free dinner and not thought twice about it.

I guess it does show how easily people can be manipulated by PR.

-Gonch
making up for the lack of 'Nate' around here lately ;)

*** This post was edited by Lord Gonchar 7/14/2004 4:10:02 PM ***

"It's the right thing to do" was my inital reaction when I read the headline and I read it was Knoebels. I haven't seen the original letter, but the fact the park is providing dinner for two along with the free "admissions" (which include all the extras, BTW) for TWO instead of for one as the original offer stated is going above and beyond.

I agree that there may have been a PR angle (otherwise we would have probably not heard about it), but from what I've observed about the was Knoebels is run, I'd say their inital reaction would be "Of course we will", without hesitation.

As the guy at Totem Treats explained to us "We have Red, White and Blue Birch Beers available because we're a patriotic park" (I never have found the Red birch there, btw), then they also have a replica of the Iwo Jima memorial complete with a historically accurate period flag. This is another fine example of the parks patriotism and supporting troops and vets in action. As the end of the article states, they are currently trying to ressurect this very same program as it relates to current world affairs.

Dragster Freak - if it were a 33 year old Geauga Lake free coupon (and who can count how many times that park has changed hands in 33 years), we'd be seing a scathing article like "Park turs its back on Veterans", quicly followed by another artice 48 hours later "Park decides to honor Veteran's coupons"

GL was just an example. Wow, I'm glad someone decided to straighten me out. Otherwise, I'd just be another automaton.(sp?) ;)*** This post was edited by Dragster Freak 7/14/2004 4:16:09 PM ***

I guess this is what happens when you don't put an experation date on a coupon!

Then again the tickets you buy at Knoebels have been the same since I was very small and never expire. The only thing that changed with them are that they don't have nickle ones anymore and they added the $.50 ones about 10 years ago.

That's exactly right cpunk. My family used some coupons we found in our car's glove compartment a few years back from a previous trip. I love how that works...

-Steve, who loves trying to find old tickets around his house for "free" rides at Knoebels... ;)