Event Marketing Case Study
From First Season to Expanding Across the Country
The Great Straw Maze is a family-owned fall attraction located in the West Acres Mall parking lot in Fargo, ND. Created by Kathy and her family, the maze offers a 2-acre outdoor experience complete with scavenger hunts and photo opportunities. It's designed to be a welcoming, memorable outing for families looking to enjoy the fall season together. What started as a first-year venture in Fargo has grown into an expanding concept, with Kathy now bringing the Great Straw Maze to new markets across the United States.
Partnership Scope
Retainer
Industry
Events & Entertainment
Location
Fargo, ND
Services Provided
- Social Media Management
- Graphic Design
- Social Ads
- Copywriting
- Drone Capture (Video & Photography)
- Public Relations
- New Website
- Event Campaigns (Highlight Guinness World Records Campaign)
- Website Design & Development
- Full Visual Rebrand
- Community Awareness (Facebook Group Posting)
The Challenge
Brand New Attraction, Zero Awareness
When Kathy came to OpGo in 2023, she was gearing up for her very first season. The vision was clear, but the marketing foundation wasn't there yet. No existing audience, no brand recognition, and a tight window to get Fargo-Moorhead families excited about a new fall destination before the season started. She needed to build awareness quickly, drive real foot traffic, and give the Great Straw Maze a presence in the community that felt authentic to the family-owned story behind it.
Our Solution
A Community-First Marketing Strategy
We started by building the foundation: a full visual rebrand and a new website that captured the warmth and personality of the maze and gave Kathy a home base for her marketing. From there, we built a marketing plan around the things that make the Great Straw Maze worth talking about: the family behind it, the unique experience, and the events that gave people a reason to come back. We handled social media content and posting, designed graphics and flyers that matched the warmth of the brand, ran targeted ads to reach both local families and out-of-town visitors, and actively posted in local Facebook community groups to get the word out organically.
HIDDEN
We continuously track key metrics like engagement, reach, fan growth, and click-throughs. We use these insights to optimize performance and bring new ideas to your monthly check-in.
Full Visual Rebrand
We gave the Great Straw Maze a refreshed visual identity that matched the personality of the attraction: warm, family-friendly, and genuinely fun. The new brand works consistently across the website, social media, print materials, and ads, giving the maze a polished and recognizable look from day one.
Website Design & Development
We built a new website from the ground up to give the Great Straw Maze a real home online. The site makes it easy for visitors to find event dates, learn about the experience, and get directions — everything a first-time visitor needs to go from curious to showing up at the gate.
Social Media Management
We managed content and consistent posting across platforms throughout the season. That meant highlighting key events like Dog Days, Bales and Brews, and the Haunt in the Hay, sharing behind-the-scenes moments, and keeping the Great Straw Maze top of mind for local families as fall got closer. Consistent posting kept the brand active and relevant all season long.
Graphic Design
We designed social graphics, print flyers, and promotional materials that matched the cozy, family-friendly feel of the maze. Every visual was built to work across both digital and print, so the brand looked consistent whether someone saw it on Facebook or picked up a flyer at a local business.
Social Ads
We ran targeted ad campaigns to reach families in the Fargo-Moorhead area as well as out-of-town visitors coming in for regional events. The goal was simple: get the right people to see the maze at the right time and give them a reason to show up.
Community Awareness
We posted regularly in local Facebook community groups to build organic buzz and tap into existing neighborhood audiences. This grassroots approach helped the Great Straw Maze feel like a community staple from day one, not just another paid promotion.
Copywriting
We handled the writing across social posts, ads, and promotional materials, making sure the voice stayed consistent and true to the family-owned story behind the business.
Results
A Strong First Season and a Foundation for Growth
With a new brand, a real website, consistent social content, and a marketing strategy that kept getting sharper each season, the Great Straw Maze has grown every year since that first season. Each year we've worked together, the results have built on the last: a larger audience, stronger community recognition, and more families making it a fall tradition. That momentum has fueled something bigger. Kathy is now expanding the Great Straw Maze beyond Fargo, bringing the concept to new markets across the United States. It's a real example of what happens when a strong local foundation opens the door to something much larger.
"OpGo Marketing is absolutely amazing. They went above and beyond to make sure my business was successful. So professional and experts at what they do. Thank you Maddi and the rest of the OpGo team. Couldn't have done it without you. Forever my marketing team!"
Kathy Johnson, Owner and Operator, Great Straw Maze
Ready to get your event or business on the map?
Whether you're launching something new or trying to grow an existing audience, OpGo can help you build awareness and drive real results. Let's talk about what that looks like for your business.