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Branding Comes to the RV Park & Campground Business
by David Gorin
President
David Gorin & Associates
Branding is coming to the park industry. For many years KOA, Thousand Trails, Outdoor Resorts, Coast to Coast, and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park were recognizable brands familiar to many RVers and campers. Outdoor hospitality branding is now expanding with parks with as few as three or four in the group, trying to capture mindshare among RV and camping consumers.
How does a company go about distinguishing itself from others in its field, become instantly identified - creating an emotional connection with consumers and growing the business via customer loyalty? Effective branding - making a “household name” for the organization that equates with a feeling of value and confidence for consumers. Al Reis, legendary marketing guru, defines a brand as “a singular idea or concept that you own inside the mind of the prospect.” Branding is a holistic approach – logo, business name, tag line, business culture, staff training, and the actual experiences your customers take away from their interaction at your place of business.
Brands We Know
Holiday Inn. Hilton. Ritz Carlton. Recognize these brands? Of course you do. And chances are when you read the brand names you had an instant image in your mind of what the properties and hotel amenities were like. Now think of KOA, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, Outdoor Resorts. What images do these brands create?
These companies have recognized and reaped the benefits of successful branding. Consistent service, amenities, marketing messages, laser-sharp business focus, staff training combined with a reasonable number of parks in various locations have built trust in consumers.
Thousand Trails and Coast to Coast have been long standing, highly recognizable brands. Capitalizing on a membership concept that delivers quality resorts at a cost savings to the consumers and provides a national network to make RV travel easier and more predictable, these companies boast thousands of brand loyal members.
When a consumer is faced with several options, identifiable brands can influence their decisions. Choosing a reliable and well-reputed brand aids them in knowing what to expect and lends credibility to their choice.
Upcoming Brands
In the past, outdoor hospitality brands have been few and far between. Many, if not most, parks and resorts have been independent and family owned/operated. But all that is changing. Rapidly entering the market are brands such as Encore, CAL-AM, and Best Parks in America. These independent ownership and management companies and marketing groups understand the importance and benefits of branding. Their message to consumers is consistent. They’ve figured out how to reliably meet guest expectations. Some focus on “adult living” communities such as CAL-AM while others like Best Parks in America focus on delivering an upscale experience. Encore (and its slightly lower quality brand Sunburst) – at one time the two fastest growing brands in the Florida market, was acquired by Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS). While ELS has not focused on expanding the Encore brand to its non-Encore or Sunburst acquisitions, the company is growing in the Florida market with a mix of both branded and non-branded properties.
New Kids on the Block
Today, investment groups and multiple park owners are consolidating holdings and building brands for tomorrow’s campers. These savvy marketers understand the value in providing a name that is recognizable and an experience that is consistent – no matter what area of the country the consumer chooses to travel in. Often the brand owners are corporate refugees that are applying the tried and true methods that have worked in mainstream America for brands such as Holiday Inn, Hilton, and Ritz Carlton.
New-comers such as Guest First RV Resorts, Elite Resorts of America, Legacy Resorts, Morgan RV Resorts, Best Parks in America and Adventure Bound Camping to name a few emerging brands, are working toward carving a particular niche in the industry – geographic and demographic – by design.
These “new kids” are raising the bar. Brands that have hummed along for years are sitting up and taking notice of the branding methods being employed. Websites, including online site selection and booking, are being used as one of the main lines of communication. Email addresses are being collected for communication purposes. Special offers are being created to entice the consumer to choose their brand. Consistency throughout the brand encourages customer loyalty throughout the brand’s park system.
Branding Is…
In a nutshell, branding is about helping consumers identify and identify with your business at a glance. It is not a product or a logo and it’s not marketing. It’s positioning and perception, an intangible relationship. Delivering on promises and enhancing experiences encourages brand loyalty and repeat business. Done properly, when a consumer sees your logo or hears your brand name a preconceived notion of your resort registers – resurrecting positive emotions associated with your brand.
Branding differentiates and distances businesses from one another, again influencing the purchasing decision and garnering customer loyalty. The fact is a brand can’t be everything to everyone. It is critical when building a brand to identify specific target markets, narrow your focus, and hone in on this segment.
A successful brand will result in increased awareness and attitude, generates faith in your business, influences purchasing decisions and shapes perceived quality and value. Portray your brand in its best light at every opportunity and your business will flourish; allow it to convey mixed messages and you’ll pay the consequences.
It is interesting to note that a straw poll of approximately 1,500 consumers recently conducted by the Wall Street Journal showed which product purchases are most influenced by brand. According to the survey, 41% of consumers make a car buying decision that is influenced by brand while only 2% of consumers indicated that their travel-related purchases are influenced by brand. This finding comes as a bit of a surprise as most would believe that the travel brands – Hilton, American Airlines, Hyatt, Sheraton and so forth – would play a much higher role in customer choice. I think we’ll see that number grow in the future.
Can Brands Replace Ratings?
Have you ever found yourself patronizing a business because of the way they make you feel, your familiarity with them or they with you? The product may or may not be the best but it meets your needs and you always know what to expect. I grew up with Skippy Peanut Butter and now matter how often I’ve tried Jiff, I keep on coming back to my favorite brand. Apply this logic (or emotion) to campgrounds and RV resorts. Brand marketers are counting on positioning themselves in the camping consumers’ psyches resulting in consumers choosing their parks based on brand recognition and relationships not necessarily on ratings. Will it work?
Perhaps. The key is consistency. Can the consumer expect and receive the same level of service, comparable amenities and facilities – even the same feeling at any and all brand locations? It’s a tough trick requiring strong leadership, vision and direction, thorough and frequent communication, stringent staff training and a mission that all members of the organization – from the CEO to the housekeepers – live and die by.
Does the consumer check out the ratings on a Hilton Hotel or a Days Inn? Even though some properties under these brands may differ from one another, the brand is powerful enough to speak to the consumer often without the need for any further investigation other than to perhaps be assured that the property is in the right location.
Does the RV and camping consumer check out the ratings on KOA, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park or an Encore-branded property? The experienced, old-timers probably do because they are familiar with the disparities that often exist among the parks in each of these brands. The new-comer to RVing, after just a few visits, will most likely trust the brand name of these and other parks, and brand will be a key decision maker for younger and newer RVers and campers.
New Brands in the Park Industry
Who are some of the new brands popping up in the park industry? Here’s a quick view of some of the brands that are gaining traction. This list is not intended to be comprehensive but will give you an idea of the expansion of branding in the park industry.
Founded in 2003, Best Parks in America is a marketing group comprised of independently-owned premium level parks. There are currently 21 parks in 11 states in the group.
Adventure Bound Camping Resorts is owned by industry entrepreneur Wayne Klekamp. The brand currently has 9 parks in its system including 3 Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park franchises. With the exception of a park in Tucson, Arizona, the other 8 parks are located along the Atlantic Coast and in New England.
With 9 RV parks in Oregon, Arizona and California, Guest First RV Resort is a rapidly growing park brand is owned by Millennium Pacific Asset Management, Inc. The brand name is unique and reflects management’s commitment to the highest levels of guest satisfaction.
According to their website, Carefree RV Resorts has 23 parks with 17 of the properties in Florida and the others in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, California and Ontario, Canada. The group includes 1 Yogi Bear park. David Napp and Colleen Edwards, the two investors behind the original Encore and Sunburst parks owned by National Home Communities, are behind this new brand. The company is aggressively buying parks and looking to expand.
Canadian investor Ed Mayer is building a network of Florida condominium RV parks. Elite Resort of America is currently operating and selling sites at 4 locations with at least 1 other property in the pipeline. This brand specializes in offering affordable RV and park model sites and an active site rental program for site owners.
Legacy RV Resorts are owned by Bryant Management in Austin, Texas, this group has 12 parks in 9 states including 3 Yogi Bear franchises. The parks are generally family vacation oriented and are located in strong destination areas with significant appeal.
Some other brands appearing on the scene include: Horizon RV Resorts, Morgan RV Resorts and Premier RV Resorts.