OSCEOLA, Ind. -- For BJ Thompson, the chairman of the RV Industry Association’s Public Relations Committee, the past 25 years have been a period of phenomenal change for the industry and the way it markets itself.
RV Daily Report had a chance to chat with Thompson, who is celebrating his silver anniversary the same year the RV industry celebrates its centennial.
The president of BJ Thompson Associates, an RV industry marketing and public relations firm, he is a strong advocate of the industry and the lifestyle it represents for millions of North Americans.
Thompson started his career in the RV industry in 1969 working on an assembly line at a Holiday Rambler plant in Nappanee, Ind. His job as quality control inspector required him to become acquainted with the manufacturing process as well as the company’s varied products.
From there, he moved into the sales department where Thompson took charge of the firm’s public relations activities, sales promotion and product merchandising. Between giving plant tours, he'd work on literature and help RV dealers better utilize Holiday Rambler's marketing materials.
After studying under some RV industry pioneers – like Dick Klinger, founder of Holiday Rambler, and Mahlon Miller, the product development director – Thompson left the company to work for MTK & Associates, Holiday Rambler's independent advertising agency.
During that time he became acquainted with Tom Faludy, who years later would be instrumental in forming the industry’s Go RVing Coalition, and then serving as its founding chairman. After 10 years of agency work, Thompson got the itch to venture out on his own.
"The principals of MTK wanted to go in a different direction than I wanted to move, so we went our separate ways and continued to remain friends," he explained. "It worked well for everyone and developed into a real win-win situation."
Jayco became one of Thompson's first clients as a solo PR practitioner. Although he quickly diversified into other industries like health care, banks and home construction, recreation vehicles remained his first love.
"A majority of our work has always been in the RV industry, and that continues today," said Thompson.
He became so involved in marketing RV companies that Thompson was asked to join the RV Industry Association's public relations committee in the early 1980s. A few years later, Gary LaBella, RVIA's marketing wizard, tapped Thompson to chair the committee.
At the time, the committee included such industry notables as Don Walter, who was with Holiday Rambler at the time; Jim Sheldon, who worked with Fleetwood; as well as Faludy and LaBella.
Starting out as a committee member was an eye-opening experience for Thompson, especially when it came to recognizing that the marketing sense executives demonstrated for their companies waned when it came to the association.
“One of my first near traumatic experiences came during a committee meeting in 1983," Thompson explained. "We were talking about industry publications in the meeting and I noted that RVIA did not have a publication to use to respond to a consumer inquiry.
"Back then, if someone called RVIA and asked for information about RVs or the lifestyle, we sent them a price list of books they could buy," he explained. "RVIA did publish one book, Living in Style the RV Way, which people could buy if they sent us $1.75 plus postage.
"But even that publication lacked pizzazz. Being young and green, I told the committee we needed something that had more firepower," Thompson said. "I made a formal motion that the association create a new publication that delved more strongly into the specific benefits of the RV lifestyle -- family togetherness, fun and excitement -- in order to attract more first-time buyers.
"The motion died due to the lack of a second," Thompson recalled.
The same association that now oversees a multimillion dollar annual advertising and public relations budget, apparently felt spending the $500 to $1,000 to develop a pamphlet to sell the RV sizzle was a bit too expensive, and certainly out of the ordinary, Thompson explained.
But, Thompson felt so strongly about the need for better communications that he spent his own money to prepare a layout and present it at the next meeting. With a copy in hand, the committee could see the benefit of being more proactive in marketing -- and the rest, as they say, is history.
"We've come a long way in 25 years to where we can see the benefit of marketing our products to a broader audience," said Thompson. "What we are capable of doing today is a striking contrast to where we came from."
Just two years ago, the association's marketing budget was $11.5 million, which included advertising on television, radio, magazines, billboards, sporting events and the Internet. In fact, more than a million free Go RVing DVDs were distributed last year alone.
Once the association started promoting the RVing lifestyle and products to the general population – not just retirees – the market started to rumble, Thompson said. It gained so much traction that RVIA developed its own market expansion program involving a cooperative effort between RV manufacturers, suppliers, dealers and campgrounds.
The program began on a shoestring budget with no agency and very little funding except that which was provided by voluntary donations. Making baby steps into the mainstream media at the time, the program is virtually in a sprint today to the point that hundreds of publications produce feature material on the RV lifestyle every year, and RVs have become staples on TV shows and in feature films.
"It's a genuine joy for me to have been a part of such a successful effort," said Thompson. "I like the industry and its people, and I really like what we sell. It's more than just products and components; we are selling family togetherness, memories, seeing America and making fun, happy memories."
Because of the success of the limited market expansion program, a decision was made in the 1990s to develop a system to raise money on an ongoing and consistent basis, and to apply that money to marketing and developing a strong message to consumers. It was determined the best way to fund such a comprehensive program was to attach marketing dollars to the sale of every RV.
Consequently, every time a manufacturer ships an RV to a dealer, the Go RVing Coalition collects money ranging from $46 per pop-up to $74 per motorhome.
The plan enabled even more money to be spent on marketing as the industry received a return on investment from earlier RV sales. The more units sold in one year meant there would be more money for marketing the next.
"Through Go RVing and the assessment program, we have developed a mechanism for funding that is the envy of other industries," said Thompson. "And we have a fantastic one-two punch in the forms of cost-effective and often free-media public relations and even more elaborate paid-media messages."
Thompson gives most of the credit for the success of the industry PR and marketing effort to LaBella, who has served as the staff liaison during Thompson’s entire tenure with the committee.
"If there ever was an individual who should be titled as RV industry marketing superman, it is Gary LaBella," he added. "Having had the pleasure of working for him for 25 years, I have seen him work behind the scenes to develop and push ideas and form strategies to move the industry forward."
The association's response during the recent recession is demonstrative of LaBella and his staff's ability to advance the industry despite a major financial setback to the marketing program.
"When RV sales dropped off, Go RVing funding dropped off just as dramatically," said Thompson. "But, Gary still needed to keep us out in the forefront in order to keep the industry and RVs from becoming labeled as 'non-essential' toys or gas guzzlers.
"Gary did it with very few dollars. He realigned spending and sharpened the association’s focus to get a huge bang out of the few dollars he had," said Thompson. "Gary marshaled a creative, professional team who worked diligently to get it done."
Years ago, the committee cheered when someone would hold up a clipping of an article that had appeared in a major publication. Now, it’s a weekly occurrence. So much so, the staff has trouble limiting a collection of video clips to just 20 minutes for showing at major industry events in what is now called RVTV.
Plus, the RV industry is all over the Internet with messages on Facebook and Twitter. RVs were even included in advertisements for other products, proving that RVing has truly entered the mainstream of America by representing a valued slice of life.
Over the past 25 years, the view of RVs has changed for the better, but it just didn't happen, Thompson said. It required the work of many people. But the industry can be proud of what it has accomplished by working together.
"The appeal of RVing hasn't diminished in the 25 years I have been involved in promoting the industry," said Thompson. "One hundred years ago, people sought RVs to pursue adventure and see what's around the next corner and to do it with the familiarity of their own pillow. Those ideals haven’t changed. In fact, as families become busier and more disconnected in their day-to-day lives, RVing remains the one thing that continues to bring them all together.”