Jeremy Greene of RV Industry Association

This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain some errors.

Jeremy Greene (00:00):

RVing and RVers were I think oftentimes portrayed as quirky, maybe a bit outdated, older certainly. When I look where Go RVing and where the category is today, there's just been such a monumental perception shift for the category. It's a credit to the industry as a whole and having the vision to come together and say we need that shift in how we're perceived. And that's been the biggest impact that I've seen.

Kyler Mason (00:26):

Whether you're going to market through dealers, distributors, or some other partner channel, the mediated sale is complex. We call it B2B2X,

John Gough (00:34):

But the leaders in the industry are the ones who are making it look simple. I'm John Gough

Kyler Mason (00:39):

and I'm Kyler Mason, and this is Why You Win, presented by Element Three.

John Gough (00:43):

In this episode, we dive into different ways that the trade association is growing the category and thinking about what kinds of messages and campaigns will create traction in the market as they serve lots of different stakeholders across OEMs and dealers, distributors, government relations, and more.

(00:59):

Go RVingYou're going to love this one. Jeremy, thanks so much for coming on the podcast today. We are so glad you're here.

Jeremy Greene (01:04):

Yeah, thanks so much for having me. Real excited to talk to you guys.

John Gough (01:07):

So RVIA is an industry association a little bit different than some of the OEMs and dealer groups that we sometimes have on the show. And your role, you've been at RVIA for just over 10 years now, is that right?

Jeremy Greene (01:20):

Just about 10 years. I think I've been there eight years now. Yeah.

John Gough (01:23):

Yeah, you're headed for it. So vice president of marketing, tell us about marketing for the association. What are you working on?

Jeremy Greene (01:30):

So in my role at the RV Industry Association, I always see our marketing communication strategy across all of our brands. So that includes the RV Industry Association, obviously, the RV Technical Institute, which is focused on finding then the next generation of certified RV technicians. And then GoRving, which is our national effort to inspire people to experience and then ultimately consider and purchase RVs. On a day-to-day, it could span everything from brand strategy to paid media, creative, public relations earned media, as well as experiential marketing, just really everything under the comms umbrella. So each organization's very different, all has different objectives and missions, but ultimately they're all trying to achieve the same thing, which is to really help grow the industry.

Kyler Mason (02:20):

Is the organization set up to serve those different divisions or tell us a little bit about the structure.

Jeremy Greene (02:28):

So there's RV Industry Association and then there's the two subsidiaries, the RV Technical Institute and GoRVing. Both of those are a shared relationship with the RV Dealers Association. They're both staffed by RV Industry Association staff, but our boards are a mix of both dealers, manufacturers, as well as suppliers in some cases. So RVTI, the RV Technical Institute, the majority of their staff is based in Elkhart RV Industry Associations, and GoRVing staff is based out of our Northern Virginia offices just outside of Washington DC. And then we have a full team in - house that supports all of our comms objectives for those programs, as well as the other programs of the RV Industry Association, like our government affairs work, our standards and things of that nature.

John Gough (03:17):

When you say a full team, how big is the team?

Jeremy Greene (03:19):

I think we're at eight. So we got folks in all different roles, social, creative, comms, earned media, but they're experiential events as well. We have staffers. So yeah, I think it's eight staff altogether.

John Gough (03:34):

That's a good size. It's bigger than some OE marketing teams and smaller than some OE marketing teams right in that sweet spot.

Jeremy Greene (03:41):

I still look at us as a small, nimble team, but it's a good size that we're able to support all the different things that our members ask of us as well as the dealers. Every day is different. You can imagine working on the three different associations or three different groups. So every day's a little bit different, but we got an amazing talented team that helps to drive the industry forward.

John Gough (04:02):

Those three groups I imagine have evolved pretty organically. We'll spend some time later talking about GoRVing specifically because it's sort of a keystone that we've talked about on the show several times. But what about the Technical Institute? When did that come about?

Jeremy Greene (04:17):

So just over five years ago, the industry looked at, this was probably right before COVID is when it really got started. And the industry was looking at, we've got all these newer RVers that are coming in. We don't want to lose them out on the back end when it comes to service. We've always had a service training program that's been a shared effort with the RV Dealers Association, but we looked at how can we scale that? How can we drive credibility throughout the industry? And so there was a ton of planning that went into re-envisioning the curriculum, which continues to be worked on to this day. That's really the core of what RVTI delivers. It's just a standard curriculum across the industry, but then getting the buy-in of the manufacturers, suppliers, dealers to help implement that across the category. And so yeah, it's been amazing to see it grow.

(05:08):

It kind of still feels like it's in that startup phase a little bit, but it's got so much brand equity already across the industry just in five or so years.

Kyler Mason (05:15):

If it feels like the startup phase now, what will it feel like when it's reached more of a maturity stage?

Jeremy Greene (05:21):

Yeah, I mean, I think consumers really understanding and looking for the RV Technical Institute certified technician. And that's something that has just gotten started on our side, whether it's through partnerships with folks who help RVers find certified technicians or through our own map to find an RBTI certified technician. I think that's really that next growth phase is consumers becoming aware of what a certified technician looks like in the industry and seeking out an RVTI tech.

Kyler Mason (05:54):

It may be just obvious to you, but I think it'd be helpful for you to say why is it actually important that consumers understand that?

Jeremy Greene (06:02):

Yeah, I mean, I think it's mostly important just so they're getting back out on the road and enjoying the things that they love to do as quickly as possible. And so leaning back onto that standard developed curriculum really helps the industry as a whole make sure that we're delivering quality service. As RVers start to look for that, they can hopefully get their rig fixed quickly and get back out to what they want to do, which is go camping.

John Gough (06:29):

The way that the RVIA supports the industry as a whole puts you in a unique position just like trade associations generally do. Talk a little bit about how you are balancing the requests and the requirements of your different stakeholders. So the OEM and the dealer and the distributor, all of these different groups have shared goals, obviously grow their own businesses and grow the industry and also their own unique priorities. How do you navigate that?

Jeremy Greene (06:59):

Yeah, I mean as an association and before being with the RV Industry Association, I was in the association world and oftentimes that's a challenge. What we ask is our members, especially our board and our committees, when they come together, they're taking off their company hat and they're putting on their industry hat. It's not always that easy. It doesn't always happen that way. But in general, it's how do we have a shared vision of what is best for the industry and how the association can support those things? So we have a board of directors for all of those entities. And then we have with the RV Industry Association, we have committees that span everything from PR to an audit committee, finance committee, supplier committee, things like that. Our staff is really driven by the work that happens at the committee level and that goes up to the board and that directs the staff in how to support the industry.

(07:53):

So yeah, it's really the members coming together and saying, "Yeah, this might be what I want for my company, but it's great for the industry as a whole and let's get to a consensus and then move forward."

John Gough (08:05):

Yeah, looking for those win-win situations across the organization. Where is the attention currently? Where are people focusing their energy?

Jeremy Greene (08:14):

I mean, policy is always a big one with any administration, but certainly where we are today, where we've been for the past few years when it comes to tariffs or things like that, policy changes can greatly affect every business within the category. And so the attention our government affairs team and work has been doing has raised. We just got off of our RVs Move America Week event. It's a fly-in that happens in Washington DC where our members and dealers and campgrounds as well, they come in and they can see firsthand how we're in offices on Capitol Hill and trying to push policies that are beneficial for the industry forward and fighting against the other side. And so that was a great event, but certainly government affairs, public policy on a federal level as well as on a state level, which is oftentimes even more critical is a big deal.

(09:11):

And then just where the industry's at today, obviously we need to continue to look at scale and growth and make sure that we've got the next generation of buyer ready. We're in a bit of a stagnant period, probably the longest period that we've had where typically our shipments and retail kind of does that slow climb up. We experienced a great boom during COVID and where we are today obviously isn't where we were just a couple of years ago. So Go RVing obviously is getting a lot of attention and trying to make sure that we've got a great outlook on the future.

Kyler Mason (09:45):

There's been some down cycles, like you'd mentioned, and we're looking for the route up. Does that change any of the near term priorities for a Go RV? How are you guys talking about current conditions and what the priorities are right now?

Jeremy Greene (09:59):

Yeah, I mean I think in some ways there's definitely a spotlight or a microscope on it and there's questions about ROI, which are only natural when there's down cycles. But I think that there's always going to be periods of upcycles and down cycles. One of the things that we're always focused on is future forward, not somebody who's going to wake up and buy an RV today, but somebody who restocking the pond so that we've got future buyers in the next three, five, even 10 years. So yeah, I think sometimes it brings that microscope, but ultimately it hasn't changed our objective and what we're trying to achieve to make sure that the industry is here in the long term.

Kyler Mason (10:42):

Great. Talk to us about that objective itself. I'm assuming that's the shared vision you guys are working off of.

Jeremy Greene (10:48):

I think the industry came together in that mid - 90s timeframe and said it's really a challenge for one brand. We got some amazing brands that have been around for a long time, but it's still a challenge for any one brand or dealer really to grow the market alone. And so those brands were competing for market share. Overall awareness and consideration were probably a bit stagnant during that '90s timeframe if you look back. And so the industry realized, "Hey, let's come together and we want more people buying RVs. And if we want that, we got to get more people dreaming about RVs." So Go RVing was spun out and our job isn't to sell any specific RV brand. We don't have any RVs to sell ourselves as an association. Our job is to grow the entire category. And so those companies came together to invest because they saw a bigger vision and something that, again, taking off their company hat, putting on their industry hat, something that would benefit everybody.

John Gough (11:43):

So what are the standout moments or the campaigns that you look back? And you've been there for a good chunk of that time, obviously not since the beginning, but are there moments that you look and say those were pivotal or iconic moments for GoRVing?

Jeremy Greene (11:59):

And I've only been involved in GoRVing for just the past couple of years, but when I came to the RV Industry Association, clearly with a marketing background, a consumer marketing background, I was really focused on how could I be involved here? Because it's just such a cool program from the inside to see. But a couple of things jump out to me. One is just what we've done with experiential marketing. The way I look at GoRVing is we're not a billboard, we're not a print ad. You need to experience the category in order to really grow to love it. And we've been doing experiential marketing for quite some time now. I'd say probably about 15 years GoRVing has been involved in it. But it was interesting. Early on, one of the big lessons learned was we'd show up at events where you weren't expecting to have an RV experience.

(12:49):

So you'd wake up and you're going to a music concert or you're going to a community event, an air show, a football tailgate, whatever that event is. Because again, we're trying to reach those new audiences that haven't experienced RVing. And they'd show up, they'd walk through the display and constantly we'd hear like, "I didn't know there was a bathroom in here. I didn't know these had bunk beds. They've got amazing modern kitchens." And you just after hearing that over and over, start to then look back at the ads that Gorving at the time was putting out. And the inside was never featured. I mean, it was always these amazing glamor, epic shots of an RV in these awesome locations, but the inside wasn't featured. And so our advertising was spending years showing those beautiful destinations. And so we just assumed that consumers knew what was inside the box going down the road that they saw and realized that they didn't.

(13:47):

And so I think that's another reason that's got that hook into me that experiential marketing is so key because especially if we're trying to reach non-RVers, we really have to show them. They have to picture themselves inside the RV and what it can mean for themselves, for their family and all the places they could go, but also how this has got the comforts of home. And it's really a differentiator for our category where if you stay at a hotel or a resort, if you go on a cruise, if you stay at a Airbnb or a Vrbo, that's someone else's stuff that you're staying in. It's not yours. And that's the great thing about our category and RVing is you get to take your stuff with you and it's those comforts of home that just elevate the experience when you're out there in the outdoors experiencing it.

Kyler Mason (14:34):

You make the alternative sound sufficiently gross. That was good.

Jeremy Greene (14:39):

And we've been working on that too. It's like, is there something more there without getting too gross? We do have a campaign called Don't Go There, which is kind of all about the frustrations of other forms of travel, but there certainly is a picture that you can put in your head there.

John Gough (14:57):

I heard somebody describe a pool as a wet bus the other day, like a public pool.

Kyler Mason (15:01):

Oh, good. And

John Gough (15:02):

I was like, "That is so accurate and disgusting.

Kyler Mason (15:05):

Hate that immediately." Campaign for your own pool.

John Gough (15:10):

This was just someone on social media complaining about having to share the pool with other people. But yes, maybe that. That

Kyler Mason (15:17):

Could go viral. You just made me think about this, but those people that you mentioned that said, "I didn't know that this was in there and this and this and this, " I would love to catch those people before they walk in and be like, "What do you think's inside of that? "

John Gough (15:29):

That would be a great campaign too.

Kyler Mason (15:31):

Schrödinger's

John Gough (15:32):

RV.

Kyler Mason (15:33):

What

John Gough (15:33):

Is inside this box? I

Kyler Mason (15:34):

Assume it's just a big box with all your toys. What could they possibly think is in there?

Jeremy Greene (15:40):

Yeah. What do you think is in there? It's funny, we're gearing up for our experiential campaign right now. Our first one is with the Boy Scouts Jamboree here in a week or so, but we're putting cameras inside the RVs to capture those reactions. But maybe we need some on the outside to question them before they even go in.

Kyler Mason (16:02):

Please. But just you got a screen and be like, "Have you been to one of these before?" "No, I've never seen one. "And then do you get some gold? It'd probably be more of a spoof thing. No,

John Gough (16:12):

That would be interesting though to how many people have been in one before? Because until I started working around them a lot, I'd actually never been in an RV. It wasn't a foreign concept. I wasn't surprised there was a bathroom inside them, but power sports or boating. And we've talked to people from those industry associations as well that it takes effort to get people interested in the category because they have their own category feelings as well. But I think of the three, RV is probably the least likely to have had just the general population in an RV. You're way more likely to have been on a boat, I assume. And

Kyler Mason (16:50):

Seen at least something with two wheels. What's

John Gough (16:52):

Inside a motorcycle? There's not nothing. Yeah,

Jeremy Greene (16:54):

You can see right there everything that's got to offer versus RV. It's a little hidden. And then honestly, I mean, our industry just makes amazing products and the floor plans that they come up with are insane.

Kyler Mason (17:05):

Crazy. And

Jeremy Greene (17:06):

I get the same feeling every time I walk into anyone, and I've been in a bunch, is like, how did they do that? How'd they come up with that? It's just a genius. Truly.

John Gough (17:16):

And they are so different between the Class C and the Class A and overlanding van conversion. You have very different experiences within the category. And the first time you see a teardrop trailer and you're like, oh, there's a full queen-sized bed in this thing and a kitchen. I had no idea, no way to expect that. We

Jeremy Greene (17:37):

Have another idea, which is I didn't know that was a bed and all the different places at an RV that they come up with on how to turn these things into beds. The way

Kyler Mason (17:45):

That those things fold out in a lot of the closets they come out of and the different ways it comes together, it's crazy. Yeah. John, you made me think of something. Oh, I have a question for you. There's so many different types of RVing and there's all the different categories. How do you balance then in the way that you spend your budget on campaigns and advertising and awareness actually demonstrating use cases to educate without showing brand preference because you're working for the industry and not for the brands? It's

Jeremy Greene (18:15):

A bit of a challenge too. Obviously we look at where the core of the products are within the category and 85 to 90% being towable, 10 to 15% motorized. More so now than ever we're trying to highlight the towable category in all of our content, whether it's even just through social or in our mass reach ads. So that definitely is always a focus. There was a time where GoRVing would de - badge RVs and pull any brand logos off of them in campaigns. And we've gotten the industry behind moving off of that. We still obviously look at market share to some degree and try and make sure we've got a good balance. It's more of an art than a science, but the team does log it and track it and tries to make sure we have the right representation across all these categories because as you mentioned, there's a lot of different RV types, there's a lot of different brands.

(19:14):

And so again, we're not trying to sell any one brand, but how do we make sure that there's good representation in our assets that we're delivering out?

Kyler Mason (19:23):

You hit on this a little bit ago, but I'm curious to hear you talk a little bit about competition and how you think about that because your competition is the alternatives. So how do you address that? How do you think about competition? How do you consider it in your strategy? That kind of category of questions.

Jeremy Greene (19:41):

Oftentimes I think you're competing with as much as we're competing with cruises and hotels and air travel, sports tournaments, indifference is this big competitor doing nothing at all. And so we need to just make sure that we're continuing to drive an emotional attachment to what it means to RV. I like to say this, that as a homeowner and over 80% of RV owners are homeowners. I've got a list on my phone of all the things that I want to do to my house or places that I want to travel with my kids. And we need to make sure first and foremost that RVs get added to that list that I want to either go RVing or I want to own an RV. And then once that consideration is up there, we got to make sure we're staying in front of folks until they're ready to purchase.

(20:33):

So there's a lot of competition. Other categories and brands within those categories are outspending us like crazy 30 to 50 times. But oftentimes it's not just about the dollars that are being spent, it's the story that's being told. And I think RVing and our category, we've got such a great story to tell of just so many amazing places to go, all the comforts of home that you can take with us and the memories that you can make for a lifetime. One of our core audiences that we focus on is families because we know that those early childhood experiences with RVing are such a catalyst for future ownership of an RV. And so yeah, families and then really just highlighting just amazing just the differentiators that we can find between the other categories and how amazing RVing is itself.

John Gough (21:25):

Well, and GoRVing as a campaign starting in the mid - 90s was the template for some of these other industries that have wanted and been jealous of that association and of the campaigns that you all have run and then spawned Go Boating and similar powersports campaigns. And we had Carl Blackwell on the show a couple months ago who was one of the leaders in the Go Boating campaign early on. But you guys with this much time now, almost 30 years under your belt for this, you are probably seeing the fruits of that effort in this very long-term kind of way that people whose families got into RVing because of that early inspiration are now the second generation of buyers. Is there any data around that? I'd love to know.

Jeremy Greene (22:17):

There's a ton of data on that, but I'll probably just add in something more anecdotal. But John, if you think back 30 years ago, not quite 30 years ago, but about that long and ask someone to picture an RV and the people who RV, many people will go to National Lampoon's Christmas vacation and Cousin Eddie.

John Gough (22:37):

Balls in my head, but yeah, you're right.

Jeremy Greene (22:39):

Spaceballs is another great one. A little different kind of an RV from that movie. But yeah, I mean Cousin Eddie, that's what would come to mind. RVing and RVers were I think oftentimes portrayed as quirky, maybe a bit outdated, older certainly. And I look where Go RVing and where the category is today and 30 years of work that's not just Go RVing, but the industry as a whole should really take credit for this. You can't watch a truck commercial or an insurance commercial for that matter without seeing an RV and painted in a positive light. You see them at NASCAR, tailgates, music festivals. If you go to any national park, they're everywhere. They're used for remote work and homeschooling, pet travel. So the difference and what you see, especially on social is you see young families, you see solo adventurers, all these content creators obviously that are out there now RVing and seeing our amazing country.

(23:42):

There's just been such a monumental perception shift for the category. And I think that's again, it's a credit to the industry as a whole and having the vision to come together and say we need that shift in how we're perceived. And that's been the biggest impact that I've seen.

John Gough (23:56):

So really popular social content, I would love to know if this counts as RVing like a DIY conversion. Is the tent big enough for those people?

Jeremy Greene (24:06):

It's not something we necessarily promote from GoRVing, but anything that is even tangential to the category I think is a positive overall for us. Lots of people will come into the category doing that, upfitting a van, a skoolie, whatever it is. And they may do that when they're 18 to 25. And those are great experiences that then they're going to reflect on when they're 35 and they've got two young kids and they're going like, "Well, I might not do it like that. Maybe they will, but I'm going to look at the industry and all the amazing products we have to offer." But the experiences they had shaped their perceptions of what they want to do and how they want to spend time with their family.

John Gough (24:51):

Yeah. I would rather not continue to be in the one that I made that has the hole cut in the roof that leaks all the time. I'm going to let that be somebody else's problem.

Kyler Mason (24:58):

That's

John Gough (24:58):

Something you would do. I need a certified technician. That is totally something

Kyler Mason (25:02):

I would do. Yeah. If I could say, "Here's the bingo board of what you would do. " That's the one. Oh, thank you. So what's going to grow the category next?

Jeremy Greene (25:13):

I mean, we look at the power of cultural moments. We have to make sure that we're right at the forefront of American culture. Awareness alone I don't think is enough. We have to continue to find ways to make the category relevant in moments where people care about whatever it is that they care about. We've done movie partnerships. A great example of that was the Tory Story 4 partnership. And on the surface, I think I can just look like just a general movie partnership. But the way we look at those things is how can we find opportunities to make sure that RVing is at the center of these massive cultural moments that happen throughout the year? And there's millions of the families obviously that were excited about that movie. People continue to reflect back on that movie, especially as the fifth installment. That's something that a film like that that celebrates road trips, adventure, family experiences, those values obviously align really well with us.

(26:10):

And so something like that is really important. We're always looking for opportunities, not necessarily just movie partnerships and things like that, but where's the culture today? Where's the culture going? And how do we make sure that RVing is central in that conversation? This year obviously was really important with the 250th anniversary of the birth of our country. And so it's a great opportunity for us to celebrate, to have RVers go out and celebrate posting content. We worked with a ton of creators that are not RVers to put them in RVs and on RV trips and then talk about how the best way to see the country is in an RV. And so yeah, I think that's really a key thing we're constantly looking at is how do we just say culturally relevant?

John Gough (26:57):

So we had a guest on the show from a heavy equipment ag manufacturer the other day and they are building equipment to go on the moon to mine helium. So you could put that in your hopper, RV on the moon.

Jeremy Greene (27:14):

Absolutely. I mean, why not, right?

John Gough (27:16):

Why not there?

Kyler Mason (27:17):

Don't

Jeremy Greene (27:17):

Just see the

Kyler Mason (27:18):

World.

John Gough (27:18):

Don't just see the world. Oh my gosh, it's got a tagline in everything.

Kyler Mason (27:21):

That one's free.

Jeremy Greene (27:23):

Yep.

John Gough (27:24):

First tagline's free.

Jeremy Greene (27:25):

See the world from a different perspective.

John Gough (27:27):

There you go. The little pale blue dot and then RV.

Kyler Mason (27:31):

I'm curious about the culture of risk taking in the organization. Is it hard to take calculated risks with a lot of stakeholders? Just what's that like?

Jeremy Greene (27:43):

Yeah, I mean, I think it becomes or can be a challenge. We're actually going through that right now is how risky do we want to be with our forward-looking strategy, especially looking at some of these other categories that are... They're saying that we can deliver you amazing outdoor experiences. You look at hotels and resorts that are putting properties right up next to national parks and they're saying that you don't need to own something. I think we're going to need to continue to take risks. Obviously, as you mentioned, calculated risk is a big part of that and that can be a bit of a challenge when you got so many voices to come together. That's where we do the work from our boards is where's the comfort level and how do we as an organization really set and sell the vision back to them and let them know that they're in good hands and can be trusted with how we'd move the category forward.

Kyler Mason (28:39):

It's got to be tough, especially just even thinking about down to the campaign language that you use. You go real far with some of the angles on the alternatives that how far can you go where you're still maintaining the integrity of the brand and the industry and all that kind of stuff?

Jeremy Greene (28:57):

We've been really focused on what our brand identity is and we see ourselves a little bit as the funcle, the fun uncle, but not crazy fun uncle, the trustworthy mentor but fun uncle.

Kyler Mason (29:14):

Three beer uncle, not 12 beer uncle.

Jeremy Greene (29:16):

Yes, exactly. Yeah. There's a big difference between those two uncles, but we want to be a trusted resource. People don't want to feel like they're just being sold to really with any advertisement or if anything that you're buying. And I think that that's another great place for GoRVing and where we operate is again, we don't have a product to sell, so we're a resource. We're trying to educate the consumer so that when they're ready to buy that they feel prepared. And so we can still do that in a very fun way. And obviously social is a big part of our playbook there.

Kyler Mason (29:51):

Is there anything that we haven't asked you that's helped you to say what's next for you? What's next on your priority list that we're missing?

Jeremy Greene (29:59):

Maybe the The creator economy, I could touch on that just a little bit.

Kyler Mason (30:03):

That'd be great.

Jeremy Greene (30:03):

I think experiential marketing and what we've done there has kind of taught us that people often, and I'm this way myself, that you don't often want just super polished marketing. It doesn't come across as authentic and trustworthy. I want reality when I'm seeing campaigns out there. And so creators especially let consumers see how their family could travel, where their dog can sleep, how they can cook either inside or outside the RV, enjoy the campfire, just all the amazing things that you can do and show your kids. For myself, as someone who buys media and creates ads, it's a bit weird to say I'm not ever excited to watch an advertisement. I'm just looking for inspiration. And so I think that's where we really lean on the creator economy. And I think we'll continue to lean on influencer partnerships and make sure that the content that we're delivering out there again to those audiences who haven't experienced RVing, it allows us to avoid interrupting their day with an ad and more just be a part of what they're already enjoying.

(31:10):

And so that I think will continue to be... It's already become such a focus of brands and categories, but for RVing especially experientials, influencers, creators allows us to put you into the experience that we want to deliver for you.

Kyler Mason (31:26):

Some of that's probably got to be hard though too, because if I'm thinking about this on the creator side of things, the job is to grow the category. You can't just go have these partnerships where their audience already a bunch of people that are RVing. Maybe that helps to reinforce, but where's that Venn diagram overlap of this is related to the category, but it's a creator that should be creating content about RVing and would help us get new audiences? Is that a challenge to find the right people or am I out of my mind right now?

Jeremy Greene (31:59):

Well, I mean, I think what you mentioned, that Venn diagram, it doesn't cross for us. So we don't use RV influencers at all. We don't target people who have audiences who are RVers. I mean, they may be in there and we just don't know about it, but that's not the reason why we form a partnership. We're looking at who are family content creators who are creators around different sports or tailgating or even food, lifestyle creators. Because how we look at go RVing is really, it's an extension of what you are already doing and it just improves all of the things that you already do. If you hunt, fish, backpack, ski, snowboard, whatever, being in an RV is the best way to do all of those things. And so that's really, it's almost like an overwhelming number of creators that we could work with because of that.

(32:53):

And so that's more of the challenge is finding the right ones that deliver the message in the right way and have the audiences that we feel are more ripe for the future buyers.

John Gough (33:06):

I think that's great. Is there a segment in your mind that is useful to consider in terms of are we looking to reactivate people who could be in the consideration set or though maybe I would be an RVer versus people who would say, I never imagined myself as an RVer and now I love it. Is there a difference or any value in that distinction for you?

Jeremy Greene (33:30):

I think it's more the latter as we're focused on is really generating awareness for the category from people who maybe wouldn't have considered RVing itself. Once there's more consideration around the category, I mean we've got again, amazing brands and dealers that can build on that. There's 16.9 million people in our last demographic study who said that in the next five years they want to buy an RV. I mean, that's an amazing pond to fish in. And I look at GoRVing's job is continuing to grow that to 20 million to 25 million. And if we're scaling that number, then we're being effective and the industry can then capitalize on buyers who are now somewhat engaged and interested.

John Gough (34:21):

Yeah. Let the industry hit what is traditionally the top of the funnel and you all are playing one row above that.

Jeremy Greene (34:28):

Our campaign that we're running right now is called Just Beyond Your Door. And one of the inspirations came from hotels where you open your hotel door and what do you see? Just another door across the hall and that goes for cruises as well. And you open the door to your RV and every time it could be an amazing different location. And so it's just a great visual for that. And on the other side, you open the RV door back the other way and it's all these places. It's the table where you're playing games with your kids at night or the couch where you're watching a movie at night with them. So yeah, I think our distinction there is so visual and so it's a great campaign that we're going to continue to build off of.

Kyler Mason (35:14):

That's really cool. As a marketing firm, you guys sit on a gold mine of opportunity. How do you even decide the concept you're going to go with?

Jeremy Greene (35:23):

That's the biggest challenge I think is we have to stay disciplined. There's so many ideas that our team internally floats around and how do we make sure that we stay disciplined and stay on brand, on the campaign because doing that helps with the scale of the message. But yeah, it's an overwhelming number of ideas. I think that's what's so great about the category.

Kyler Mason (35:45):

Well, when you want to weave the moon in, you know who to call.

Jeremy Greene (35:47):

There you go.

Kyler Mason (35:50):

Oh, Jeremy, this has been good. Is there anything that we should hit on that we've forgotten?

Jeremy Greene (35:54):

I don't think so. Yeah, just really appreciate it. This has been fun.

Kyler Mason (35:58):

Yeah, this is great. Appreciate you coming on, man.

John Gough (36:00):

Why You Win is presented by Element Three, a marketing firm focused on modernizing go - to-market strategies for manufacturers that sell through complex distribution channels. We help leaders solve problems across demand generation, sales channel support, and brand development.

Kyler Mason (36:16):

If you'd like more from myself or John, connect with us on LinkedIn. And for more from Element Three, visit elementthree.com. That's elementthree.com.