You don’t always need a big destination to have an adventure. One of my favorite movies is National Lampoon’s Vacation, and while Clark Griswold is determined to get his family across the country to Walley World, they have more than enough adventures before they ever reach the park.
There’s a lesson in that for RV industry public relations. Your campground or RV resort doesn’t need to add a major attraction, launch a new service or announce something groundbreaking before you can earn media attention. You may already have stories that could get your name in front of potential guests. You just need to recognize them and have the right public relations strategy to tell them.
Look at your property through a reporter’s eyes
When you work at your property every day, it’s easy for interesting things to start feeling ordinary.
You may see families returning for their 10th summer, while a PR professional sees a story about multigenerational travel and the traditions bringing families back to the same destination. You may see another busy fall weekend, while we see an opportunity to talk about travelers extending camping season beyond summer.
Good public relations isn’t about manufacturing a story. It’s about recognizing how what’s already happening at your property connects to something a journalist and their audience care about.
Find the bigger story
Sometimes the best media opportunity isn’t exclusively about your campground.
Reporters cover family travel, seasonal getaways, outdoor recreation, changing vacation habits and other trends where your experience can add something meaningful to the conversation. Your property might offer a great example, while your team can provide the firsthand perspective that helps a reporter tell the larger story.
That’s where an experienced RV industry public relations team can make a difference. Understanding what journalists are covering, what their audiences care about and how your campground fits into those conversations can uncover opportunities you might not recognize on your own.
Maybe a local television reporter needs someone to discuss holiday weekend travel, a regional publication is looking for fall getaways or a travel writer is exploring why families are choosing outdoor vacations. You don’t need a new attraction to participate in any of those conversations.
Don’t wait for your Walley World
New amenities, expansions and special events can certainly give you reasons to contact the media, but they shouldn’t be the only reasons.
Your guests, traditions, expertise, community involvement and the trends you’re seeing firsthand can all lead to stories throughout the year. A strong RV industry public relations strategy helps identify which opportunities are worth pursuing and how to make your story relevant to the right journalist at the right time.
The Griswolds didn’t have to make it to Walley World to have an adventure, and you don’t have to wait for your campground’s next big thing to have a story worth telling.
It might already be happening right in front of you.
If you’re ready to learn more, contact us here or call (865) 977-1973.