ParkLiner would Appreciate Advertising Advice - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-11-2012, 07:44 AM   #1
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ParkLiner would Appreciate Advertising Advice

Seasons Greetings to all fiberglass trailer affectionados! I know this is high season for exploring our beautiful nation, and I wish you all the best. I enjoyed the PA rally very much, and enjoyed meeting some of you folks for the first time.

Thank you all for your help, for this forum, and for your support through the starting phase of Park Liner; without all your sharing of ideas in a public place, our product wouldn't be as fine as it is.

On that note, we are to the stage where we would like to expand our operation to 4-5 trailers a month and beyond, so outreach is key; travelers need to know we are here, and advertising seems to be the way it is done.

This year, we have averaged selling 2 trailers a month without any advertising, and i know that the number will gradually grow as the ones that are out there are camped and enjoyed. Many of you are real fiberglass RV affectionados and probably collect the literature and ads that go with the trailers you enjoy. You know well how Scamp, Casita, Bigfoot, Escape, and others have gone about advertising their products. We would deeply appreciate any information you can give on how, when, where, and with what techniques our competitors have used in advertising. Your help will save a bundle in experimentation time and cost, and help keep our prices down.

I may be reached by email at runslinux@mac.com; sample ads, photos, xerographs, comments, and anything else on the advice front would be greatly appreciated. If you feel like talking, feel free to give ma a ring.

Best Regards, Chandler

ParkLiner, Inc
106 E. Railroad Ave, Suite G
Gibsonville, NC 27249
800-418-2120, ext 5
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Old 07-12-2012, 05:29 AM   #2
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The only ads I have ever seen for fiberglass campers is in the back of AARP publications. Both the magazine and the newspaper typically have ads for Casita and Scamp. Either it produces results or because one does it the other does. Produce a good product with satisfied owners and word of mouth seems to be the best. Fiberglass campers draw a crowd.

So, when is the smaller version that can be pulled by a Subaru due out? Raz
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Old 07-12-2012, 05:47 AM   #3
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Trailer Life has ads in the back for Casita and Egg Camper.
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Old 07-12-2012, 09:32 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by P. Raz View Post
The only ads I have ever seen for fiberglass campers is in the back of AARP publications. Both the magazine and the newspaper typically have ads for Casita and Scamp. Either it produces results or because one does it the other does. Produce a good product with satisfied owners and word of mouth seems to be the best. Fiberglass campers draw a crowd.

So, when is the smaller version that can be pulled by a Subaru due out? Raz

I agree with Raz. The product has to be worth every penny, and word of mouth is your best advertisement.
BTW....if your not advertising on this site, that would be a great start.
I know it's coming down to 5 campers when we make our decision, Escape, Snoozy, Bigfoot, Scamp, and Parkliner.
Regards,
Lew
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Old 07-12-2012, 10:17 AM   #5
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Also advertising on your Facebook page is helpful. List some prices and promotions.
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Old 07-12-2012, 10:31 AM   #6
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Thanks for your advice; I very much agree that word of mouth is the ticket, and fiberglass.com is word of mouth. It is also related to exposure; people need to know we are here for them, and that is the tough one as people see the trailers that have been made for decades in the thousands.

I would like to advertise on this site, and I would like a link in the manufactures list. Anyone want to help me with that? 800-814-2120, ext 5.

A local TV station ran this last night and this morning: Made in NC: Parkliner Campers | MyFOX8.com
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Old 07-12-2012, 10:51 AM   #7
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Had we'd known about Fiberglass originally we could have skipped the popup stage. I only happened on them by luck. Long story short we ended up purchasing a minivan due to my kids severe motion sickness in anything else (always had trucks/SUVs) and needed something light I could tow. I Googled "lightweight trailers towable by minivans" and a BLOG came up from a guy who posted an extensive list with descriptions of the lightest trailers available. Scamp was listed and sounded interesting so I looked it up in Google and found this site. The rest is history.
I wonder how many others have missed out b/c of not knowing about the wonderful world of Fiberglass?
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Old 07-12-2012, 11:03 AM   #8
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Great video, sounds more like a commercial than a news story..

Can you get it up on youTube and tag it with words like "small trailer" "fiberglass trailer" Parkliner" etc?

I didn't buy one but found out about them here at fiberglassrv.com before I made my purchase decision.

The other new FG trailer manufacturer has a big bill board on the freeway in front of his factory.
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Old 07-12-2012, 11:57 AM   #9
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A common small business option is to hire a marketing firm on retainer for a year. They will do the billboards, print material, place ads at your request. Rv.net AKA Affinity might be another idea for the largest grand total online RV presence for you, plus their 6 magazines. Plus their 3 Directory's and you can get in their Trailer Life/Woodall's RV Buyers Guide.
Best of luck.
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Old 07-12-2012, 10:01 PM   #10
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My experience is similar. I had no idea a minivan could tow a anything but a pop up. I think there is a good opportunity to market to families with children and minivans or SUVs. AARP is fine but if I was in charge of your marketing I would not ignore the younger demographic. I could easily own three or more campers in my life, so there is future business too. One shortcoming of Scamp and Casita websites today is they have poor optimization to be viewed on the iPad. In fact some pages, pictures and videos don't come up at all. This forum has an iPad app that works great. They get it! The future is not 1-800-SCAMP. Most people making large purchases will be using websites to do research. My advice:

1. Build a good website that is viewable by all major web browsers that has formatting to view on the iPad. You don't need an app, just make sure the website works on an iPad.
2. Focus on web advertising on forums like this. For the record I have no connection to this site beyond visiting it regularly. This website comes up very high in Google search results, so that drives people to the site.
3. Visit regional RV shows or fairs where you can let people walk through your camper. Connect it to a small vehicle at the shows. It will be a great attention getter. Imagine if you saw a camper hooked up to Subaru outback or a minivan. People would ask, "can you really tow that". You could attract a whole new customer base.
4. Word of mouth is best. Offer your current owners a referral program that compensates them if they help you make a sale.
5. Get some detailed video tours of your campers on YouTube ASAP. I watched every YouTube video I could find because there is no local show room to go see these campers.

Those are just some ideas to get you started. I am a Product Marketing Manager by day, so hopefully some of my advice is good.

As a final thought, I spent several weeks comparing brands and today is the first time I heard of yours. The good news is I found you, but not as quickly as your competitors. Good luck.
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Old 07-12-2012, 11:01 PM   #11
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Having worked over the years for a few large company's! One being the number one in the country at the time in its market place. I worked in the education dept but part of my job was marketing through education. One thing I learned early on, people like to touch and feel what they are buying .

So my suggestion would be to get your product to rv shows, outdoor, sportsman shows, car, boat etc shows, camping rally's and even campgrounds. Get out and camp in it! Show people what your selling............... Of course it's commitment to spend all your extra time out and about with the trailer. But honestly, that is what it takes.


Personally knowing what I know about marketing, I would say TV and Radio wouldn't be your best investment ( it's the Micky D, theory!) .

Print is probably the way to go. Educate your self on what publication will best suit the buyer your looking to capture. Then advertise with them.
But I would also invest in brochure's about your product. Lot's! Pass them out like candy. Get your product out there with professional pictures, website, contact info as well as your FB page on it. Give them lot's of avenues to see your product.



Make sure each and every person at your business knows the trailer/trailers inside and out.
If you have someone who answers phones, put them out in a trailer for a few days. Nothing worse than trying to speak with or get information from someone who has never camped!





Casita has incentive program for Casita owners to showing off their trailers to potential buyers.... Do a program like that with the buyers. They earn a bit for showing it off in their area. Not sure which other manufactures do a program like that. But if you think it will work then by all means try it.


We all love to talk about our lil trailers. I have spent more time in gas stations, rest stops, parking lot's etc because people have been interested in my Casita. Been stalked on the freeway for miles and miles in the middle of the night, cause they wanted to see my trailer. As you get more sold and out on the road you will definitely see the same with your product.


To every buyer of your product, give them a hat/jacket/tee/hoodie with your company name, logo etc on it. Because guess what? That/those hats/jackets/tee/hoodie (what ever you choose) are gonna get worn more than the trailer is gonna be pulled . So even when the weather is frightful and camping season is a few months away, someone will be wearing your company's jacket ( Advertising that keeps on advertising).........

What is the cost of a hat/jacket compared to sales? Good luck!





Please don't market your product to vehicles that aren't designed to tow it! I hate those ad's of yesteryear, that they can be towed with anything! It's so not true!
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Old 07-13-2012, 04:24 AM   #12
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hmm ,everyone really likes to see rv's first hand.so really the question is how do you get yours out in front of the most people for the fewest dollars?

clearly anytime theres a gathering of some sort, campers,,, music festival,,,county fair,, it would pay to have one there with someone to tell about it.

how about having a couple built up.. to rent out?

or higher a retired couple that would like to travel a little to take one around camping and showing it off?

if you have a sportsman show /fishing/hunting/ outdoorsman typ show in the area those would be good places too.
get a food venders permit and cook and sell hotdogs and soda out front to attract folks to come see the trailer,,, then have someone to show them the trailer....maybe an ex hooters waitress?lol just kidding there.
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Old 07-13-2012, 06:48 AM   #13
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Good morning, Chandler. Parkliner is already listed in our Manufacturers' list. We connected y'all up several months back, when we first heard from you... Alas, I'm sorry to say, it's at the bottom of the list - it's the most recent addition, and that's the way it plays. We have drop down menu limitations with this software/skin, so again, alas, Parkliner is under the "view more" choice.

Have you tried posting in our Commercial Products forum (in the For Sale section)? You're showing as a Commercial Member, so you should be able to post there - send me a PM if it's not working correctly.
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Old 07-13-2012, 06:53 AM   #14
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We also have a Document Center where there's a section for brochures and manuals for different trailers. It was originally intended as a resource for brands that are no longer in production (where getting a brochure or manual is nearly impossible), but I see no reason we can't put info on the Parkliner as well.
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Old 07-13-2012, 07:22 AM   #15
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The first thing you should do is fix your website. I tried last night and today to access parkliner.com and the website doesn't work. As a buyer I would question the reliability of your company based on that, or I wouldn't even consider you at all. Find a reliable web host. I work in the IT field. Feel free to PM me if you want recommendations.
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Old 07-13-2012, 07:36 AM   #16
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The amount of people that attend this show is unreal.

If your really wanting to sale some campers, and I'm certain you do, you NEED to attend this show. It's the largest in the country and it's a ton of fun.

I'll be there and you should too.

America's Largest RV Show - Public Info
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Old 07-13-2012, 07:45 AM   #17
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Here is a small bit of info concerning that show.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRVCA is proud to sponsor the #1 RV Trade/Retail Show in the nation, held annually at the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts® Company – Giant CenterSM, in Hershey, PA. Representatives from states east of the Mississippi attend the trade portion of the show and it ranks #11 out of the 200 largest tradeshows in the U.S. and Canada. 59 leading manufacturers and over 100 supplier vendors are represented. Industry Days bring over 4,500 people to the Hershey area. Public days paid attendance is over 32,000.
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Old 07-13-2012, 08:48 AM   #18
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Good advice BigLew and all those RV media outlets attend that one Showcasing what's new.
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Old 07-13-2012, 09:28 AM   #19
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Thanks KC! My wife and I will be just getting back from an Alaska cruise......I know it will be a great trip, but on the other hand I'm REALLY looking forward to the RV Show! Yeah, I know, I'm messed up! lol
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Old 07-13-2012, 09:45 AM   #20
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Chandler,

My wife and I had the opportunity to meet you and see your Parkliner in Pennsylvania. It's at the top of our list for next spring.

My story is that when I started thinking about a travel trailer I found blogs of Casita owners and eventually this forum and your site. We visited a couple of RV shows but were put off by the huge rigs and need for massive towing power. The only small trailers being shown were A-Liners and they just didn't work for us. Pop-ups looked like the only light weight option but even they are too heavy. I believe that if we saw a Parkliner and your Honda minivan we might have been sold on the spot. Plenty of people own minivans and if they knew they could tow your trailer (with the bunk beds for the kiddies) I think you would have a hard time keeping up with the demand. Be honest about the weight and towing capacity needed to pull it and I think young families as well as retired couples will be attracted to you.

Best wishes.

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