It’s a lucky week when you get twoooooo pollinatrs! I’ve been working on this one for a while now because I really wanted to find some cool examples and research. I spend a good ~12-15 hrs on these deep dive posts because I want it to be the most insightful AND actionable it can possibly be. My filter is always: Can someone immediately apply this to their work? Just a little background in case you needed some extra motivation to become a paid subscriber (make it a work expense!) 😉
⛺️ If your brand was a summer camp, what would it be?
One of the first things people do in Texas when they have a baby is get their newborn on the summer camp waitlist. You might be wondering, why on earth would THAT be their first thought?
Because summer camps have some of the strongest brand devotion of any brands.
There are many influential things about the camp experience that develop a deep love for it: It’s where lifelong friends and memories are made. It’s where people have their first kiss. It’s where kids find independence and grow up.
But there’s also something deeper going on with camps. Camps have lore, rituals, traditions, and rites of passage. The camp you went to says something about you. It’s a badge of honor people wear even into adulthood (hence add your baby to the camp list thing).
Camps are identity.
I went to camp every summer for 7 years and still immediately transport to Tyler, TX when I catch the scent of pine trees. I was also a camp counselor the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college. Pics for proof :)
As a strategist, I can’t help to think about all of the lessons brands can learn from summer camps.
Think of today’s newsletter as a brand strategy prompt to help you shake up your thinking and identify if there are any missing, new, or dimensionalized pieces you can add to your brand world.
So without further ado, ✨ if your brand was a summer camp, what would it be? ✨
Below the paywall we’ll dive into:
The key components of camps that build brand identity: Traditions, Tribes, and Challenges. Plus some very cool research around social identity theory and the “IKEA effect” and how these contribute to more brand love and devotion.
I also interviewed a friend who is the Director (and 6th generation descendent) of a very popular summer camp in NC
Brand questions to ask yourself and examples to get your brain buzzing about what you could do!
A creative writing MAD LIBS exercise to describe your brand as a summer camp 🤩
