Steve_Cony
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Mar 18, 2008, 12:30 PM
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Marketing Notes from ACA Tri-State
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By Steve Cony
The well-attended, always-intriguing Tri-State Camp Conference just concluded.
I had the opportunity to talk marketing with a broad cross-section of attendees and found some trends, reported here in a very un-scientific manner:
- Camp directors have concerns about enrollment trends in an economic downturn, more so for 2009 than for this season.
- The lesser level of concern for this year has to do with a feeling that once parents make commitments to their children, they are generally not likely to pull back.
- Those with serious concerns are beginning to think more seriously about building specialties into their general camp programs, because they feel that these kinds of directed learning experiences indicate higher value to 21st century parents.
- The Internet is occupying the lion’s share of camp professionals’ marketing attention. Directors are beginning to understand that the home-grown, “bare-bones” sites that they mounted as first efforts no longer stand the test of creating positive perceptions of a camp’s trustworthiness.
- More and more camps are finding various ways to include video on their Web sites. While many are continuing to include their full-length video promos on their sites, others are beginning to see the value of editing short clips. They agree that shorter video messages are more in keeping with the habits of Web surfers.
- Some camp directors are beginning to question the continuing need for print marketing materials – brochure, folder, etc. Others cling steadfastly to a polished presentation in print. Those who remain loyal to the need for a brochure cite two factors: First, when parents practice that all-important word-of-mouth process, the brochure can be a handy reference piece. Second, parents who were camp kids themselves remember the idea of a camp’s brochure fondly and ask for it as an expected item. In other words, a camp’s brochure is counted among items like lanyard, marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers.
- Those camps that have traditionally maintained four-week sessions and some who have held to single seven-week and even eight-week sessions are feeling pressure. Many have converted to offering two-week sessions for a first time, but others remain convinced of the importance of continuity. Those who believe strongly in the value of a four-week-or-longer stay continue to explain to parents that the building of a solid and supportive camp community is dependent upon campers living with each other long enough to become well acquainted.
- The decline in the use of traditional print advertising continues.
In summary, that trite old phrase about “the winds of change blowing” certainly applies to camp marketing. Directors are changing their media mix, their tactics and their responses to marketplace demands. We can also conclude that the total marketing effort now depends quite heavily on a camp’s Web site. Just being on the Internet is not sufficient. Camps must be there with a savvy and memorable message that has true stopping power. Whereas the camp decision process in a typical family used to involve comparison of two, three or perhaps four options – the ability to shop competitively is now virtually limitless. If someone is truly shopping with no recommendations or direct referrals, every camp has a distinct challenge to emerge with the enrollment.
Steve Cony is a marketing consultant who assists children's camps with the development of strategic plans and the execution of marketing materials. Camp directors may contact him at 914-271-8482.
Visit Steve Cony's website: BiggerIdea.com
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(This post was edited by Steve_Cony on Mar 18, 2008, 12:45 PM)
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