Marketing for shooting range - Solution Prime Ltd.
In the heart of Budapest, a unique opportunity emerged for the first time in Eastern Europe: a shooting range where anyone can try shooting with real firearms.
With three sections and hundreds of firearms available, visitors can choose from a variety of shooting packages at Budapest Shooting.
Concept development and story of Budapest Shooting
Let's talk about the story | Shooting range marketing
We remember the afternoon when we received a phone call inquiring if we had the capacity to take on a new project. The client had an innovative idea that didn’t yet exist in the city center and found us to be the perfect fit for their graphic design needs. Over coffee, we discussed the concept, delving into what would make this venture exceptional beyond just its location.
The final vision emerged: Budapest Shooting is an amusement park for adults, with its unique offerings and prime location, ensuring its success.
Planning
Design and Interior Architecture
After establishing the logo and graphic foundations, further requests followed. At that time, we were just beginning to expand into visual design, making this project an ideal opportunity to transform a former educational center with classrooms into a high-quality hotel-like waiting area and shooting range.
The shooting range itself was divided into two sections. The underground range, requiring strict adherence to professional and legal standards, was not our primary responsibility. However, the guest areas were ours to design, from material selection to furnishings. Working with structural engineers, several walls were removed to create open, easy-to-navigate spaces, with an emphasis on cost-effective material choices.
As work on the interior began, the external appearance also became a focus. The three-portal facade needed to attract attention without violating city regulations that prohibit fear-inducing imagery, such as firearms. Therefore, we opted for subtle shooting-related symbols in the design and installed three televisions in the windows to continuously display engaging content for those hesitant to enter initially.
Website Development
Budapest Shooting range marketing - Let's go online
A website was urgently needed to promote Budapest Shooting online. After several unsuccessful attempts with other web developers, the client turned to us. We proposed building a test site based on our own ideas. If approved, we would take over web development. Knowing the client’s goals and the future needs of potential visitors, we created a WordPress-based website with graphics and content within approximately a week and a half—essentially the first version.
This was followed by two more iterations, driven by the need to simplify and improve functionality based on visitor behavior analysis. Unnecessary elements were removed, and faster navigation features were integrated.
Booking system
The critical component
The booking system was a critical component of the business. After a long search for a suitable solution, including attempts to reprogram existing plugins, we ultimately enlisted the help of an external programming partner and started from scratch. We developed the functions and logic collaboratively, resulting in a frontend and backend system tailored exclusively to this domain—a unique solution that remains unparalleled.
Graphic design & marketing for shooting range
T-shirt design
In addition to the main branding, we were tasked with designing a series of merchandising graphics for white t-shirts. We developed three distinct designs: one for water sports enthusiasts such as scuba divers, a tourist-friendly design promoting Tenerife, and a client favorite—a Viking skull merged with sailing motifs and the flag of Tenerife.
Package Design
Shooting range packages
During the shooting experience, each guest selects a shooting package, which includes different types of firearms and varying numbers of shots, each with different pricing. An additional “extra package” option allowed guests to add more firearms and shots to their existing booking.
We worked with the client to create imaginative names for these packages and began the graphic design process. Each graphic and presentation referenced the package’s name and content, with a focus on responsive design to ensure adaptability across various platforms.
We created about 14-15 main packages and 8-9 extra packages, some of which remained unused due to business decisions.
Shooting range photography
T-shirt design
The unique nature of the project posed significant challenges for photographers. After careful selection, we found the perfect external partner. Together, we conceptualized the basic firearm photos and conducted the initial shoot. Since the firearms couldn’t be taken off-site and the inventory changed monthly, we aimed to establish easily reproducible setups and lighting to ensure consistency over time.
When our partner became unavailable, we took on the task of photographing new firearms ourselves, leveraging our growing experience in photography. This extended to event photography for the program and interior shots of the facility, providing us with high-quality raw materials for any marketing needs.
Videography and Editing
Motion pictures
Although not our primary focus, the evolving demand for quick video production and editing prompted us to offer this service. We often supported external video teams with specialized knowledge in the firearms sector, resulting in outstanding final products.
Social marketing, shooting range shots goes viral
Let's get loud
After taking over from multiple external partners, we seamlessly integrated social marketing with our daily graphic design activities.
With extensive raw material available and ongoing traffic data analysis, we launched targeted marketing and sales campaigns.
We enriched the sales process with educational content, focusing on the experiences and atmosphere to avoid a hard sell and instead encourage visitors to seek the same experiences they saw in our photos and videos.
Reseller package
Reseller Support
As our responsibilities expanded, we also developed support materials for resellers. We created a reseller package, enabling sales agents to easily provide information to partners unfamiliar with the area, making it easier to resell shooting packages.
Merchandising
T-shirt, poster, lanyard
Guests frequently asked if they could purchase souvenirs like t-shirts. In response, we designed branded t-shirts, lanyards, and high-quality posters featuring the shooting range’s firearms. We not only designed these items but also managed their production, delivering finished products to the client. The success was evident, with the initial stock selling out in about a week and a half, necessitating a new production run and ongoing supply.
Franchise expansion
More shooting range marketing more fun
The success of Budapest Shooting was evident, but the idea of expanding as a franchise seemed unlikely to many. Responding to high demand, our client built a new range on the outskirts of the city, an outdoor covered range completed in about a year.
Despite a delayed opening due to COVID-19, it became highly successful, doubling our responsibilities. We handled nearly all aspects of image creation, graphics, and marketing for both indoor and outdoor ranges, experiencing a fantastic period of growth and contribution to the client’s success.
Business Development
Not as easy as it looks
The brand’s success surprised everyone, with us constantly striving to keep up for nearly a year. Once we had a moment to reflect, we realized that from the simple initial idea of logo design, we had grown to manage or guide nearly all aspects of the marketing machinery within a year.
We continually sought new opportunities, developing the sales system and introducing affiliate sales. We also opened our booking system to partners and eventually built a unique gift card system. These initiatives positioned the company as a market leader, attracting approximately 30,000 visitors annually, with full bookings nearly every day.
Final thoughts
This project holds a special place in our hearts. We worked together for many years, including during the COVID-19 period. From a simple phone call, we evolved to handle full brand management and business development.
This fantastic journey, which ended in 2022, saw Budapest Shooting continue to use our materials successfully for another two years before undergoing a rebranding in 2024. We are grateful for these years, during which we learned a lot and celebrated many successes together. The project will always be remembered fondly at Solution Prime Ltd.
