Good Sam Rebrands, Seeks to Appeal to a Wider Audience – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Just in time for the new camping season, Good Sam has rebranded.
The membership club has refreshed its visuals and updated its messaging as part of efforts to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional base, while at the same time reminding people of its longstanding heritage in the RV market, according to Will Colling, Good Sam executive vice president.
“We have found that our largest-growing segments within Good Sam, in particular, are people who have an affinity toward road travel — and we had the best products and services to support them,” he told RVBusiness. “So, when we looked at our niche within the RV space, what we realized is we’re a road travel and recreation enthusiast company. We will always have the niche within the RV space, but we speak to this broader set of consumers.”
Updating the company’s brand was a bit of a balancing act, Colling admitted, as the organization did not want to alienate its many longtime Good Sam members as it sought appeal to a wider audience. The company solicited feedback from veteran members as part of a six-month research process before making any decisions, he said, adding the company spent about 18 months total on its rebranding effort.
“After launching this rebrand, they (members) have found that we didn’t deviate away from what they loved about Good Sam, but what we ended up doing was creating a brand that could better speak to that broad audience,” Colling said.
Part of Good Sam’s rebranding effort is reflected in its updated visuals. The company has introduced the new tagline “Good to Go,” which appears prominently on its updated website, and it has revamped the Good Sam logo. The new Good Sam logo drops the halo over the “G” in Good Sam and the company name now appears in green lettering rather than the traditional red. Additionally, a new design element features the company initials, GS, in white lettering against the green backdrop of a road sign as the new brand emblem.
Still, updating the visuals was just part of the Good Sam rebranding effort, Colling said.
A big facet of the rebranding is a combining of the Good Sam membership and credit card programs into a combined rewards program, whereby members can earn points for using their Good Sam credit card for purchases from the Good Sam family of brands and Camping World, as well as campgrounds, plus anywhere Visa is accepted.
“It is the first loyalty program that exists where people can earn on their spend in RV service or in retail in a meaningful way, but also have that translate to the rest of the RV lifestyle,” he said. “It really starts to bring this industry into a more modern era of engagement.”
Additionally, Good Sam is working with companies in affiliated fields to create additional membership benefits, Colling said, pointing in example to the company’s partnership with RecNation Storage, a nationwide RV and boat storage business, and Princess Cruise Lines.
“You’ve started to see us introduce cornerstone partnerships like the one we announced with a boat and RV storage partner, which is really within the realm of enhancing the RV lifestyle, to other travel partners like Princess Cruise Lines, where we acknowledge that the RV consumer wants to experience more than just road travel,” he said.
Alongside of its rebranding, Good Sam recently launched its “Good to Go” sweepstakes, offering travelers three chances to win the ultimate summer road trip, with the grand prize encompassing a five-night RV rental, Good Sam campground credits, a year-long Good Sam membership, and a roadside assistance platinum policy.
“We are looking forward to being able to provide individuals — especially individuals outside of the RV lifestyle—their first experience on an RV road trip, and that’s really the purpose of the sweepstakes as we enter into the summer,” Colling said. “So, being able to attract that interest and get individuals to see the RV lifestyle as an opportunity, or an alternate mode of travel or vacation, is really big for us.”
