The idea to think small did not only work for Volkswagen, in the famous 1959 advertising campaign by the Doyle Dane Bernbach advertising agency, cited by Advertising Age magazine as the best ad campaign of the twentieth century. Many people today are making a concerted effort to buy local and support small businesses. This new consciousness is behind the resurgence in family farming throughout much of the country. In a popular episode of the cult TV series Portlandia, a young couple played by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein want to be assured that the chicken being served in a restaurant comes from a local farm.

Portlandia loves to poke fun at our modern cultural obsessions, but the desire to get to know the people with whom you do business is a growing trend. Most campgrounds are family-owned small businesses that are perfectly poised to capitalize upon this popular desire, and there is no better way to introduce yourself to new markets than to tell your personal story.

It’s Story Time

Sort of like “show and tell” back in kindergarten, telling your story is the best way to introduce yourself to people. Guess what? If they like what they hear or read, you may have set the foundation for a very long-term relationship. To get started, it would probably be a productive exercise to take the time to put your story down on paper. What is the history of your campground, and what is your story as its owner? Tell people why you bought your park, and what you are seeking to accomplish. Are you a new owner, or are you the fifth generation of Smiths to run Peaceful Acres? We are not talking about a business plan or formal mission statement. We are talking about personalizing what might otherwise be an anonymous business … just like those of your less personal competitors.

Here are a few tips for what might be included in your story, but above all else, make it personal and from the heart:

• Why did you decide to buy (or build) your park? We are not talking about how you intend to amass a fortune as part of a 5-year plan. What is it that you are trying to offer your guests or that differentiates your park?
• What did you do in life that took you to this point in time? Did you work in customer service or perhaps in a big company that downsized or moved its production offshore? What lessons did you learn, and how would you like to do things differently? Many people will directly identify with your prior experience.
• Talk about your family and what it means to you. Are there family values that are now part of your business ethics? Is your park the kind of place where you want your own children to grow?
• What are your long-term goals for your park? It is amazing how people will be willing to help you to attain your dreams and will want to be a part of seeing them materialize, but they need to know what those goals might be.
• What are you doing – personally – that makes your park different from many others? If your life includes some sort of Eureka moment or epiphany, tell the story.

Buy from a Big Box or Shop Locally?

As I pointed out early on in this essay, many people feel an overwhelming desire to shop locally. Even if your park is part of a national franchise, you should still be personalizing your imprint upon the national brand. People choose name brands because they feel that they can expect a degree of reliability and consistency, and you want to build upon those qualities with your personal imprint. Even McDonald’s regionalizes its menu. You probably want to do your best to “localize” the national brand.

Wal-Mart is a perfect example of what can happen when a business loses sight of its origins. The chain grew because it was Sam Walton’s personal story and retailing concept. When he died, his personal story died along with him. Today, people shop at Wal-Mart for one reason – and one reason only: price. Even the trucks that are ever-present on the highways tell the story: Always Low Prices. Without price, the world’s largest retailer would be out of business.

Word Association

Ask a few of your campers for the first word that comes to their mind when they hear the name of your campground. Ask first-time arrivals why they chose your park. If the answers are price, a color or a mascot, you may need to be putting greater effort into telling your story. If the answer is a word that conveys an emotion or a concept – anything from enjoyment to security to a friendly environment – you are probably on target. Use those same words in your marketing, recognizing that the qualities that are drawing guests to your park are the same qualities that will allow you to widen your markets.

Tell your story, and try to personalize every aspect of a coordinated marketing campaign. Add a personalized “About Us” page to your website, put your photo (or a family photo) in your advertising, and try to write in the first person. Speak directly to your customers, in a friendly manner, telling them what “we” can do for “you”. Your message will strike a resounding chord, and your readers will respond.