by Steve Cony
Let's consider an important element of your total marketing
approach that has impact on current campers and their families as well
as prospects: your camp's basic identity program.
Marketing identity for a camp is defined as the consistent
use of a logo that communicates quality and professionalism of the camp
operation. When combined with a dynamic theme line, often referred to
as a slogan, these elements can go a long way to establish your camp's
image in the memories of both children and their parents - both pre- and
post-registration.
Think of Kodak and you automatically picture in your mind
a distinctive font in a distinctive color - and not just any color but
a particular shade of yellow. Think of Coca-Cola, Holiday Inn, McDonald's,
or Shell Oil, and you can easily see the value of a well-designed and
well-used logo for making a product memorable.
Camp is a purchase, and people purchase products. Some are
trivial products, such as the kinds of items lining supermarket shelves.
Others are serious products, like cars and life insurance policies. This
is why companies like Ford and General Motors, MetLife and Travelers are
as serious about their corporate identities as are the manufacturers of
those lesser products. Camp is a potentially life-altering experience
for a child - a serious purchase, but nonetheless a purchase. Your camp
deserves superior identity.
The logo and theme line are means by which campers and parents
build an affinity with your camp. They appear on shirts and hats, as well
as stationery and brochures. How many repeat McDonald's customers have
strode under the golden arches thinking, "I do deserve a break
today?" How many greeting card buyers have reinforced their decision
to send Hallmark by thinking that she or he does indeed "care enough
to sent the very best?"
A Look at Your Logo
First, do you have one? If you reproduce your camp name
in a variety of fonts - perhaps, font du jour - you likely do not
have a logo.
A logo is the very foundation of what you say when you make
a statement about your camp. Everything else you show and say depends
upon the communication that begins with your logo. You may refocus an
advertisement, rewrite a brochure, or redesign your home page, but your
logo endures. It is the single unifying element.
A strong logo has the following attributes:
-
original and distinctive
-
legible
-
simple
-
memorable
-
adaptable
The development of a logo is serious business. The results
will be for keeps, and the process should involve some level of professional
graphic design. It should be a true exploratory. Rather than looking at
just one or two designs, review a spectrum of options. When making what
is an admittedly subjective decision, seeing a significant number of candidates
helps you feel confident about your final decision.
When developing a logo for your camp, avoid the following:
-
use of thin lines
-
dependency on color to be successful
-
inappropriateness to the nature of the camp experience
-
unwieldy proportions for multiple uses
-
tendency toward overly busy layout
-
employment of a fad font
-
use of visual cliches
-
lack of imagination
Updating your logo
If you have been using your logo for a substantial period of time and
it has become dated, you may want to consider updating the design. In
many cases, this involves simplfying an original version that was drawn
in a more complex fashion than is currently in style. Over the years,
graphic design has become more streamlined. Your logo is the principal
communication tool, so make sure it looks intriguing and current.
Your Theme Line
To complement your logo, carefully consider the value of
a theme line. Some call this a slogan, but the title "theme line"
makes it seem all the more special - and it is. Just as the logo is the
visual way to make a statement of distinctiveness for your camp operation,
the theme line is its verbal complement. Since some people are more visually
oriented, the theme line can be as valuable a communication tool as the
the logo.
Attributes of a strong theme line are:
Ideally, a theme line should be seven words or less. That
is a number of words a driver can read as the car passes an outdoor advertisement
at 55 miles per hour. While this is not a direct application, it serves
as a reminder during the theme line development process.
Consistent Use Is a Must
Once you lock in on both logo and theme line, make a firm
commitment to the concept of continuity. Every piece of communication
from your camp should include the prominent use of both elements. You
cannot equivocate! If you use color in the logo - and you should - it
must be consistent in color as specified with a PMS (Pantone Matching
System) number. Even the font you use for your contact information (address,
phone, fax, Web site address, and e-mail), should be used consistently.
All these specifics - exact colors and fonts - should be recorded as specifications
to be easily passed on to printers. The net impression you leave when
you use your logo and theme line with perfect continuity is one of orderliness
and organization. Conversely, when you identify yourself with great variation,
you run the risk of communicating the opposite: carelessness that translates
into lack of trustworthiness.
For your prospects, a tight combination of logo and theme
line provides a clearly identifiable point of introduction to the total
message about your camp. For current campers and their families, these
elements provide memorable ways to think about camp throughout the year.
They contribute toward the pride-filled and loyal relationships that you
want with both campers and their parents.
Originally published in the 2000 July/August
issue of Camping Magazine. |
