Eagle's Nest -- here I come! After months of anticipation, I'm off to three weeks of camp in beautiful North Carolina. "Is it a family camp," you ask? Nope. "Is it a camp for overworked baby boomer women looking to connect with nature?" you guess again. Nope, not that either! The truth is that in honor of all good helicopter parents, I plan to stow away in my eight-year-old's foot locker as he embarks on his first residential camp experience. Well, not exactly.
Here's the whole story... As a marketer committed to helping camps promote their programs and attract greater awareness and participation, I wanted to get a more intimate look at my "product." I know the value of experiencing a product for myself and it's been more than 30 years since I went to summer camp as a "customer." I know that to really develop compelling promotional ideas it's critical to know how the product
feels, smells, sounds, looks and even tastes. So, while I've written one marketing book aimed at the camp community; I wanted to get a fresh, first person perspective as I get ready to write my next. After some creative conversations I struck a win-win-win deal with Eagle's Nest Camp Director Paige Lester Niles. That's her on the right.
Here's the deal...
Spencer gets to go to a top notch camp in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains; I get to accompany him and learn, firsthand, about the camp experience. Not to mention, that I've never taken time to explore the region or the Blue Ridge Mountains. Paige and the Eagle's Nest Foundation get a professionally written marketing plan by me -- the Little Redhead with the Big Ideas. As an extra added bonus I also will be writing a children's book while at camp. It's going to be called The Camp Dog's Blog and beginning Saturday, July 14 you can follow the escapades at www.campdogblog.typepad.com. I have no idea where Dog's adventures will take him but I'm sure he's in for the time of his life.
I'm sure Spencer and I are, too!
