LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Go RVing campaign’s whole mission is to get new people into the RVing lifestyle.
Hiring a celebrity to do voiceover for the campaign lends relevancy and legitimacy to the program. Remember Tom Selleck of “Magnum P.I.” fame handling the RV duties until recently or even deep-voiced Sam Elliott handling the “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” campaign?
Well now, Jennie Garth of “Beverly Hills 90210” fame is the celebrity behind Go RVing, and by bringing her on board, the campaign not only has a well-known paid advocate, it has someone who lives the lifestyle in real life.
Garth, who has been popping up all over the first two days of the RV Industry Association’s National Trade Show, gave her own Power Talk presentation to about 35 interested dealers and industry partners Wednesday afternoon.
Garth said her family was into RVing when she was growing up, and she showed photos of her camping as a young child. She said memories of those trips are some of her fondest from her childhood.
And now, as a mother of three girls, she previously owned a Fleetwood Bounder motorhome and now owns a Winnebago Sunstar Class A motorhome and drives across the country.
“At first glance, I might seem like an odd fit,” she said. “I am a mother of three. I am a wife, three times over. I am a dog lover. I am a lifelong RVer. So essentially, I am your target buyer. That’s why I’m here.”
And as such, Garth had some ideas for RV manufacturers that would be sure to warm the hearts of many a Millennial who loves to go camping and would like to own an RV, but might have some different notions about what that should include.
She said manufacturers should consider building in more pet-specific features into their vehicles because those are great selling points to younger, and especially female, consumers.
She also said dealers can kick up the curb appeal for female shoppers by including more homey items in living rooms slide outs such as small cocktail tables and large, comfortable pillows. Adding a simple light fixture over the table can make it feel like a proper dinner table and make it a place for the family to hang out.
Garth said the bedroom can be made more attractive with better linens and blankets as well as “yummy pillows” that coordinate with the fabrics.
“There’s so much you can do to stage the bedroom, and to most women, that is our sanctuary,” she said. “It’s very important to help them see how beautiful and peaceful the bedroom area can be.”
As for the externals, Garth suggested dealers stage a small campsite to continue the emotional story that appeals to female shoppers.
The campsite can include fancier camping chairs, such as a pair Garth showed that she had bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
“Remember that women make the bulk of purchasing decisions in the home, so it pays to spend a little time on the emotional pull strings for RVing as well as beautiful staging to we can sell to them,” she said.
In closing, she brought up a topic that seems to have been on the rise among manufacturers lately – external colors.
“Don’t be afraid of color,” she said. “Women love color. Even a pop of color in the brown scheme of things would make a huge difference.”
