A Strategic Approach to Monetizing the Camping Experience of Generation Z

Abstract

One of the largest trends among young adults concerning the camping industry is the vanlife movement. As ANWB requested research into targeting Gen Z with their camping portfolio, this project dives into an analysis of the current market trends, the company and its industry and the consumer and their behavior. The ultimate goal of the project is to answer the research question: What business strategy can be designed for ANWB to activate Generation Z to become members of the association through the camping portfolio of the company?
The process starts off with orientation, using variable research techniques to gain insight into the context of the problem. It became clear that ANWB is not currently targeting the selected demographic audience well, as both their offering and their branding does not suit the consumer’s demands. Using this as the problem source, an explorative search on trends and the consumer lead to various more insights that allows for the strategy to be detailed later on in the process.
After elaborating on the widespread initial research, this document discusses the design process that has been followed. Using the first ideation round to narrow down the scope towards vanlife, a deeper dive into the consumer behavior is derived from qualitative interview. Insights into vanlife enthusiasts identifies three value drivers linked to their experience: freedom through unrestrained travel, joy of building, and the expression of identity through creative decision-making. These drivers are used to further design a concept that enables the distinction of these drivers between its service offerings.
The concept is split into two services: the hosting of workshops to repurpose vans into RVs, and the renting of these RV-vans for private use. The workshops will eventually be held in a workspace environment that also facilitates a community of van builders and vanlife enthusiasts to meet and connect.Having this community can greatly boost the naturally occurring oral advertisement for the brand, in turn tackling the current negative brand image. The rental service offers the consumer a low-investment option for experiencing vanlife first-hand, ignoring the necessity for building the van themselves. Breaking apart the act of building and travelling allows for the consumer to choose to engage with the concept however they prefer: only building, only travelling, or both.
To help ANWB target the consumer, their innovative offering should be combined with a good branding strategy. This project therefore presents a product launch campaign, with several recommendations on styling and tone of voice. Focussing communication on the adventurous experience paired with vanlife instead of the current ‘parent’ aesthetic the brand is known for is proposed to shed new light on the brand, better suiting the target group in the process.
Taken together, the roadmap presented as the result of this project presents a full strategy that covers both portfolio innovation and the marketing strategy,, thus enabling the company to successfully target the predefined demographic audience.