Communications | Parks & Recreation Camps Campaign

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

In 2015, Miami-Dade County's Parks and Recreation Department approached the Communication's Department to rebrand its "Camps" public outreach campaign. The primary objective was to increase new camp registrants as well as to encourage renewals. The campaign consisted of email marketing, radio, social media, online, print, and street pole banner advertising. The campaign set to establish County-run camps as the “#1 option for fun activities focused on fitness, nutrition and wellness.” Furthermore, it emphasized that programming helps kids foster an appreciation of nature, science and the cultural arts in a safe, fully supervised environment. The Communications team conducted extensive research in the preparation of its strategy. Research revealed insight about the competition, including the presence of 90+ privately run camps within the market. It was also determined that certain County camps had an urgent need to increase registrations: Golf Camp at the Country Club of Miami, Girls Empowerment & Mentoring Program Summer Arts Camp, Junior Paralympics Summer Camp, and the Summer Program for West Little River. Secondary research from Scarborough/Nielsen gave communicators vital demographic details about the target audience – age of parents, race, employment stats, that were crucial in the campaign’s success. The team subsequently established important segments: early birds (usually working moms) and last minutes (often those uncertain about their family’s ability to afford camp). Noting that brands that have a consistent look and feel are worth 20% more than those that aren’t consistent, the Communications team created a singular, unique look and feel that unified camp messaging while showcasing the diverse offerings and activities. It sought to engage customers on an emotional, highly visual level by “selling” experiences and lifetime memories. The campaign was amerced success with the Parks and Recreation department confirming that the number of registrants had indeed increased.