The Italian Open Air Next Step initiative: “when unity is strength” also in communication

2020 was a unique year, not only for the pandemic situation that changed everyone’s habits and profoundly affected our lives, but also because, as a result of this, so many new collaborations were born that never could have been. Today we want to talk to you about an Italian marketing initiative called Open Air Next Step, which was told by Loek Van de Loo, the official spokesperson, during the 14th Congress of Croatian Camping, organized by the Croatian Camping Union (KUH).

The idea was born to promote, with a more modern key, the campsite image. The protagonists are the five most important groups in the sector: Baia Holiday, Club del Sole, Human Company, Vacanze col cuore and Vacanze di Charme, together with CrippaConcept, leader in the supply of mobile homes and lodge tents.

A project conceived in 2019, realized in 2020

Open Air Next Step already came to life at the end of 2019, but took shape in 2020 with the aim of promoting premium-level open-air holidays in camping villages with a new image that deviates from the traditional concept, often associated with idea of low costs, modest services, spartan environments. With these preconceptions, it is clear that camping cannot find the favor of a large public, but remains the prerogative of only a few, a niche of vacationers.

First of all, it should be emphasized that despite having started from the aforementioned realities, the Open Air Next Step activity has received support from 3 associations in the camping sector (Faita – Federcamping, Assocamping and Assitai), as well as from 29 stakeholders, mainly Italian campsites. A great support for a project that has developed over 3 stages: a press conference, a press/media office activity and a social/TV campaign.

The press conference entitled “Let’s re-start together: synergies and solutions for open-air holidays in Italy. The possible tourism for summer 2020 between opportunities, safety and the pleasure of a new way of experiencing the Made in Italy holiday” was held on May 14th. This was followed online by 784 users, including 56 media. Following press office activities and direct contact with journalists who in some cases were able to have a direct experience in a structure, 68 stories were recorded in online and print magazines with an estimated 12.4 million “reach” and 106,000 euros of value .

The message conveyed was: “In response to the Covid-19 emergency and the security measures imposed by the government, outdoor tourism is the intrinsically safest type of vacation“. This made it possible to describe camping under new facets and make it interesting and attractive even for vacationers who had never taken it into consideration until then.

The digital campaign

A digital campaign was activated on the main social networks: YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, conveying the message “Live New Dreams, Live them Open Air” through a video that referred to the site nuovisogni.it, a platform created to collect the main Italian camping villages by classifying them also by type of accommodation and experience. The same video was shown on TV, on the Mediaset network, to highlight the message also towards a mainstream audience.

Campaign data:

• Target: 70% lifestyle traveler + 30% mainstream // M/F 25-45 Italy
• Budget Adv: € 25K social + € 15K tv
• Activity period: 8 weeks (from June 15th to August 9th)

Results:

• All objectives were achieved at least at 100% of the minimums (with 62.5% of the available budget)
• Performance was excellent on video (+ 10% of maximum) and clicks (+ 83% of maximum)
• Furthermore, the purchase of a traffic package allowed to push and obtain “performing” campaigns.

Surely the work of Open Air Next Step will remain as an example of structured activity that has allowed, thanks to the contribution of all supporters, to reach an audience never reached before and to measure all results in a concrete way. An action that subsequently also led to the awareness of the institutions.

The saying “unity is strength” has never been as true as it is now and we hope that in the future, once again, all the souls of the open air in Italy will be able to work together to achieve ever more ambitious goals, together.