Campsite: The ultimate guide to the best camping gear

The marketing plan discussed in this paper will revolve around developing a product called 'Camps', which is an application targeted at campers and vehicle-dwellers. The Camps application's goal will be to provide locations for camping grounds across the country, with detailed information about each location provided. It is innovative as it is more camping-oriented than other map applications currently available, providing crucial information about the roads' condition, the facilities provided at the camp, booking fees, pictures, and activities to carry out in the area. 

The particular problem that this product addresses is the lack of detailed information about locating a campsite or planning a trip. Crucial information such as camp fees, nearby shopping centres, gas stations along the way, and campground facilities, are usually missing from currently available applications. This creates a tedious process for consumers that have to contact each campsite’s administrative offices personally. 

The customers for this product will be camping enthusiasts and full-time vehicle dwellers. In the United States, the number of full-time vehicle dwellers has increased in recent years, as rising property prices drive people to search for alternative housing solutions (Harris, 2016). These vehicle dwellers live a mobile lifestyle that creates a constant need for cheap and readily available campsites both within and away from the city (Harris, 2016). These individuals range in age from young adults to middle-aged individuals, coming from all across the country. However, in the recent past, the California area has seen the most rapid increase in van-dwellers (Glynn & Fox, 2019). Their primary interests and goals are to find safety and affordability in their travel activities. 

Regarding the 5 Ps, the product is Camps, and the pricing strategy will be a low-priced subscription fee, as the consumer base prefers affordability and will likely develop a reliance on the product to find safe places to park. The promotion activities will take place online, as most vehicle-dweller communities are based on the internet. Popular vehicle-dwelling influencers such as ‘Florb' will be a crucial part of growing awareness. The product will be distributed through Google's Play Store and the Apple Store for smartphone devices in terms of place. Regarding people, the customer service and brand image will revolve around sustainability and acceptance of alternative lifestyles. 

Annotated Bibliography 

Harris, H. (2016). The Road is My Home: Reflections on Vandwelling Culture in the United States. Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/16 

This source is an exploration on the viewpoints and perceptions of vehicle-dwellers. It will be useful in developing the psychographic data of the consumer base. 

Dickinson, J. E., Hibbert, J. F., & Filimonau, V. (2016). Mobile technology and the tourist experience:(Dis) connection at the campsite.  Tourism management ,  57 , 193-201. 

This source explores factors to consider when developing mobile technology products for use in camping. 

Glynn, C., & Fox, E. B. (2019). Dynamics of homelessness in urban America.  The Annals of Applied Statistics ,  13 (1), 573-605. 

This source explores the housing crisis that has led to increased vehicle-dwelling in the US, particularly in the state of California 

McCreary, A., Seekamp, E., Davenport, M., & Smith, J. W. (2020). Exploring qualitative applications of social media data for place-based assessments in destination planning.  Current Issues in Tourism ,  23 (1), 82-98. 

This source explores the factors to consider when assessing destinations for tourism planning. 

Mikulić, J., Prebežac, D., Šerić, M., & Krešić, D. (2017). Campsite choice and the camping tourism experience: Investigating decisive campsite attributes using relevance-determinance analysis.  Tourism Management ,  59 , 226-233. 

This source explores the types of information that tourists look for when choosing a campsite. It will be useful for product development. 

Pabel, A., & Prideaux, B. (2016). Social media use in pre-trip planning by tourists visiting a small regional leisure destination.  Journal of Vacation Marketing ,  22 (4), 335-348. 

This source explores the current use of social media in planning a trip. It will be useful in highlighting current gaps. 

Stavrakis, M., Koutsabasis, P., Gavalas, D., & Vosinakis, S. (2020, August). TouristHub: user experience and interaction design for supporting tourist trip planning. In  2020 IEEE 10th International Conference on Intelligent Systems (IS)  (pp. 370-379). IEEE. 

This source explores user-friendliness for online trip-planning activities and communities. 

Weaver, D. B., & Moyle, B. D. (2019). ‘Tourist stupidity’as a basic characteristic of ‘smart tourism’: challenges for destination planning and management.  Tourism Recreation Research ,  44 (3), 387-391. 

This source highlights the gaps that any smart tourism application should address when it comes to simplifying the process for tourists. 

Wu, M. Y. (2015). Driving an unfamiliar vehicle in an unfamiliar country: Exploring Chinese recreational vehicle tourists’ safety concerns and coping techniques in Australia.  Journal of Travel Research ,  54 (6), 801-813. 

This source explores the safety concerns of part-time vehicle dwellers, especially tourists. 

Yilmazer, T., Babiarz, P., & Liu, F. (2015). The impact of diminished housing wealth on health in the United States: Evidence from the Great Recession.  Social science & medicine ,  130 , 234-241. 

This source explores the current issues in American housing system. This will provide information on the characteristics of the consumer base. 

References 

Harris, H. (2016). The Road is My Home: Reflections on Vandwelling Culture in the United States. Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones . Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/16 

Glynn, C., & Fox, E. B. (2019). Dynamics of homelessness in urban America.  The Annals of Applied Statistics ,  13 (1), 573-605. 

Dickinson, J. E., Hibbert, J. F., & Filimonau, V. (2016). Mobile technology and the tourist experience:(Dis) connection at the campsite.  Tourism management ,  57 , 193-201. 

McCreary, A., Seekamp, E., Davenport, M., & Smith, J. W. (2020). Exploring qualitative applications of social media data for place-based assessments in destination planning.  Current Issues in Tourism ,  23 (1), 82-98. 

Mikulić, J., Prebežac, D., Šerić, M., & Krešić, D. (2017). Campsite choice and the camping tourism experience: Investigating decisive campsite attributes using relevance-determinance analysis.  Tourism Management ,  59 , 226-233. 

Pabel, A., & Prideaux, B. (2016). Social media use in pre-trip planning by tourists visiting a small regional leisure destination.  Journal of Vacation Marketing ,  22 (4), 335-348. 

Stavrakis, M., Koutsabasis, P., Gavalas, D., & Vosinakis, S. (2020, August). TouristHub: user experience and interaction design for supporting tourist trip planning. In  2020 IEEE 10th International Conference on Intelligent Systems (IS)  (pp. 370-379). IEEE. 

Weaver, D. B., & Moyle, B. D. (2019). ‘Tourist stupidity’as a basic characteristic of ‘smart tourism’: challenges for destination planning and management.  Tourism Recreation Research ,  44 (3), 387-391. 

Wu, M. Y. (2015). Driving an unfamiliar vehicle in an unfamiliar country: Exploring Chinese recreational vehicle tourists’ safety concerns and coping techniques in Australia.  Journal of Travel Research ,  54 (6), 801-813. 

Yilmazer, T., Babiarz, P., & Liu, F. (2015). The impact of diminished housing wealth on health in the United States: Evidence from the Great Recession.  Social science & medicine ,  130 , 234-241.