Go RVing Adapts Campaign to Zero In on Changing Market

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From actively making use of social media to embracing brand ambassadors and promoting “experiential” events, Go RVing has employed some cutting-edge marketing tools in recent years.

However, that does not mean the campaign has entirely abandoned traditional print media, which was once a staple of the organization’s campaign tools, according to Karen Redfern, senior vice president for Go RVing.

“Print is still very much a part of our media plan,” she said. “There are still those people that like to hold a physical magazine in their hands.”

Still, print campaigns today are very different than they were back when Go RVing first started running ads some 20-plus years ago, Redfern acknowledged. For one thing, Go RVing ads used to run in large, national circulation publications with a wide reach, but today the media landscape has changed dramatically and some of those publications no longer exist or are a shadow of what they once were.

So, in their place, Go RVing advertisements run in magazines with editorial focuses that are seen as being complimentary to the RV lifestyle, such as publications that cater to enthusiasts in the outdoor active and travel markets, as well as family life, according to Redfern.

“I think we can see that, with magazines focused on families and the outdoors, those are the publications that they are our sweet spot,” she said. “I feel like we’ve homed in on the publications that are the right fit for us, from a print perspective.”

Meanwhile, as in past years, Redfern said Go RVing looks for editorial tie-ins with its print advertising, such as a recent custom piece that ran in HGTV Magazine about ways to use RVs beyond the RV campground.

Redfern also is quick to note that low-tech print media has become more high-tech these days thanks to the use of QR codes that run with Go RVing’s print ads. Readers of the various publications can use their cell phones to scan the Go RVing QR code to get more details about the RV lifestyle. Go RVing is able to make use of the data from the QR codes to evaluate how effective its advertising campaigns are and can use that digital footprint in its full funnel modeling.

Go RVing Makes Advances with Diverse Audiences

Meanwhile, Go RVing continues to make inroads with various demographic groups that have historically been under-represented in the RV market, including ethnic and racial minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.

On that front, Go RVing was recently recognized for its continuing partnership with Q.Digital, the leading independent LGBTQ-owned media company, which owns several websites that cater to LGBTQ-related audiences. Go RVing was recognized by the Equity Upfront initiative, which promotes diversity in media.

Last year, Go RVing debuted three video spots featuring the couple Kelly Paulson and Rachel Hrebenar, who received tips from experts on cooking (see video above), staying fit and traveling with dogs while camping in an RVing. The videos appeared on Q.Digital websites and also are hosted on Go RVing’s website, where they can be accessed here.

Kirk Smith with UM, a Go RVing advertising partner, said Go RVing wanted to make sure the marketing pieces would resonate with the target audience, so it worked closely with Q.Digital representatives to create the messaging for the videos.

“They (Q.Digital) have been a great partner for us,” he said. “The value they bring is being able to talk to their audience in an authentic way, with messages that resonate. That’s really important and valuable when it comes to advertising.”

Couples and young families continue to be a mainstay of the Go RVing campaign, Smith said, but added that it’s important to make inroads with other audiences as well.

“If you want to grow as an industry, you have to talk to growth audiences,” he said. “As the nation grows and gets more multi-cultural, as diverse consumers become a bigger part of the U.S., it’s important to make sure the Go RVing marketing plan takes that into account … so that’s really the benefit of the Q.Digital (marketing) program.”

Smith adds that the LGBTQ audience is very receptive to the Go RVing message. Go RVing data shows that its LGBTQ-targeted content received 5.3 million video views last year, up from 2.5 million video views in 2021.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/go-rving-adapts-campaign-to-zero-in-on-changing-market/