Oregon 4-H Camp Marketing

Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to use this resource.

Virginia Bourdeau

Marketing 4-H Camp• The information in this PowerPoint is presented

on the slides and also in the notes block below the slides. For some slides there will be more information than you can read at one time in the notes block. You will need to do one of the following:

(1) You can move your cursor down through the notes block.

(2) Click on the bar between this screen and the notes screen to drag the notes screen up.

(3) Go to the Print task box, in the “Print what:” dropdown menu select “Notes Pages,” then click print.

We KNOW Oregon 4-H Camps… …promote positive youth development.

Overnight camps involve at least one overnight stay engaging youth in a group living experience.

Day camps are multiple-day experiences where youth return home each evening.

Overnight camps 1,317Day camps 499Total 1,816

Marketing 4-H Camp1) Do you have a camp marketing plan?

63.6% Yes 36.4% No

2) Do you tell parents about the benefits of kids attending camp in your newsletter or other sources?

100% Yes

3) Do you include a story about your activities at camp in your newsletter after camp?

63.6% Yes 36.4% No

Marketing 4-H Camp4) Do you provide incentive for returning

campers who sign up by a given date? 27.3 % Yes 72.7% No

5) Do you provide incentives to 4-H members who bring a friend to camp?

13.6% Yes 86.4% No

Do you have a camp mission statement?

When do you begin Marketing?

36%

9%9%

14%

18%

14%

MarketingYear 'round January FebruaryMarch April May

What percentage of your campers are 4-H club members?

5%10%

5%

35%10%

35%

4-H Member Campers<10% 10-25% 26-40% 41-50% 51-75% >75%

What percentage of your campers are returning campers each year?

10%

15%

35%

40%

Return Campers10- 25% 26-40% 41-50% 51-75%

What information is gathered in the camp evaluation?

• Satisfaction with:• Facilities 83%• Food 72%• Counselors 89%• Adult staff 83%• Activities 94%

What information is gathered in the camp evaluation?

1. Skills gained 88%

2. Knowledge gained 83%

3. Attitudes changed 76%

4. Behavior change 76%

5. Positive youth development 82%

6. We send a follow-up evaluation after camp: 47%

Do you share the results of an annual evaluation with internal publics?

• Counselors and adult staff –

89% yes

• Parents and stakeholders –

56% yes

Why you should broadcast your Positive Youth Outcomes that happen at camp:

“Each person who could be described as an “internal public” is a potentially significant public relations asset…”

This is PR/ Realities of Public Relations, Doug Newsom, Alan Scott

Resources• This logo was sent

out in September 2010 and is included on the CD with this presentation.

• Notice the background on this presentation? This is marketing too! This template and other resources are found on the OSU website.

http://oregonstate.edu/marketing/

http://poweredbyorange.com/participate/

Resources: http://www.acacamps.org

Click here

Camp Market Research• The September/October 2010 issue of ACA’s

CAMPING magazine included an article called Tomorrow’s Camps, Today’s Realities by Diane Tyrrell. Tyrrell writes, “Camps are not just competing with other camps, but with everything out there that is also offered for the same clientele you want to serve."

• What summer programs are other organizations in your community offering?

• Your camp program should offer an exciting alternative to these programs.

Camp Market Research

• What types of programs are other camps in Oregon offering?

• How are they marketing them?• Who are they marketing to?

Let’s find out!

http://www.acacamps.org – Click on the Find a Camp link, then search Oregon, then Big Lake Youth camp, then click the link to their web site.

Big Lake Youth Camp http://www.biglake.org/

Click 1

In this video the Director states the camp’s mission: “God, friends and fun” in the introduction. The closing slide of the video says, “How many years would you like to stay at Big Lake Youth Camp?” They know bringing back existing campers is cheaper than finding new ones.

From the home page click Big Lake Summer

Check out the resources for parents at these links in the top task bar. Notice how they describe their activity programs.

Big Lake Youth Camp• Sunday – Sunday week long sessions• $400 for regular camp• $450 for RAD camp – with additional activities• $30 transportation fee each way *• $200 minimum deposit of which $75 is non-

refundable

• Who are they serving? * Busses run from Portland,

Salem, Eugene/Springfield and Roseburg.

YWCA Camp Westwind WebSite

Go to www.ywca-pdx.orgPoint to Services in the header task barSelect from the drop down menu > Youth/Camp ProgramsCamp Westwind Resident CampIn addition to information on camp

programs, parents can “Meet Our Summer Staff” – This might be a great project for one of your older youth.

How are 4-H camps in other states marketing on the web? Let’s find out:

http://www.acacamps.org – Click on the Find a Camp link, click on Camp Name, enter 4-H in the text box. Here is a list of the 52 4-H Camps across the nation who are currently accredited by the American Camp Association.

Here is a great example to check out! http://www.camphowe.com/index.htm

Click on the Dates and Rates link

Interesting web site applicationAt the time of this screen copy the website showed the status of registrations in each camp session. Many were “waitlisted.”

Mining for program ideas-Another way to use the ACA’s links to camps is to search for unique program ideas and names. One thing you will quickly see is that the majority of 4-H camps are in the east, south and mid-west.

Unique Idea Examples: Texas 4-H Conference Center Summer Camp SessionBits, Bytes and Bots – A camp program of Robotics, Movie Making and Gaming, along with traditional camp activities.4-H M.A.S.H. Camp - Take vital signs, learn wound care, healthy eating, exercise, surgical & emergency room procedures, dental care.

Mining for program ideas-

• The Journal of Extension is another great source of camp program management ideas and “sound bites” for marketing.

• Use the Search JOE feature and type in 4-H Camp.

Mining for program ideas-• In her 2005 JOE article Fun and Friendship in the

Natural World Mary Arnold reported on Oregon camp outcomes:

• The results of the evaluation suggest that 4-H summer camp plays an important role in the development of young campers. The results show that camp provides an experience for youth to grow socially, to develop important life skills, and experience nature--all in a fun, hands-on setting. At the end of camp, campers reported that camp helped them to feel good about themselves, learn new things, to make friends, and work together in a spirit of cooperation. Perhaps most important, the natural setting of camp allowed campers to enjoy learning about the natural world.

Developing an evaluation

This book from the American Camp Association includes a resource CD that contains camper survey questions you can incorporate into your existing evaluation to target additional information for program improvement and marketing.

Developing an evaluation

• If you missed the webinar it is posted at

http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/professional-development-webinars

• If you need a copy of the book you can order it from the American Camp Association “ACA” Bookstore www.cart-acabookstore.com

How much, if any, has your experience as a camper in this camp changed you in each of the following ways?

• 1. Needing less help from adults• 2. Taking care of myself• 3. Being less dependent on my family• 4. Making good decisions even when

members of my family are not around to help me• 5. Making decisions without adults helping

me• 6. Making decisions by myself

Basic Camper Outcomes Questionnaires — Independence (I); © 2007 American Camping Association, Inc. www.ACAcamps.org

Open ended questions can provide a wealth of information about what is really on camper’s minds. Please tell us the BEST thing about the

Summer Science camp:• Playing with my friends and learning more about

science then I can at school.• How they treat you. They treat you the best was

you can be treated.• We did MUCH more science projects and spent

more time in science related classes than I did in my entire 6th grade year! I LOVE this camp! I wish I could go to it again.

These types of quotes can enrich your web site or brochure.Please tell us the WORST thing about the

Summer Science camp:• We have to leave• I’m not sure what that would be.• For me everything was good.• There was never a bad thing at this camp or worst.• Waking up in the morning.• Nothing.• It is only two weeks.• It is too short.• None

Using Creating Positive Youth Outcomes, you will start with the end in mind:

1. Campers will experience high quality interactions and social

environments.

2. If councilors coach campers to resolve conflict with peers.

3. Counselors learn what they need to know, do

and say to help campers resolve conflicts.

4. Adult leadership select lessons that build these

specific skills in staff.

5. Performance Measures show campers reach

planned short- and long-term outcomes.

Camp Marketing Planning Timeline

A sample Camp Marketing Timeline is on the state 4-H website with this presentation. Use this to get started in planning your camp marketing program.

Remember to plan time into your Plan of Work for all things related to camp. Great staff training programs and great youth development program take a lot of work.