b'SUPPLIER INSIGHTS BY RON BARGERAGS Marks 30 Years Amid Continued Demand for Guest GuidesAGS for over 30 years has been serv- states, the numbers of campgrounds ting them every year after that. Thatsing the publishing and Internet needs of AGS services remained the same at the why the guides and our services are socampgrounds all across America. The beginning of 2019.important. company is a division of Texas Advertis- Some of our campgrounds had the AGS is also telling campground own-ing,publishersofstatecampground busiestyearstheyveeverhad,he ers that the guides are more importantlisting guidebooks and best known for added.than ever because it is a vehicle to com-the massive, award-winning Texas As- AGS has expanded from just site maps municate the changes brought on bysociationofCampgroundOwners and campground guest guides into print COVID-19. (TACO) publication featuring over 400 informationpagesandmarketing Youre going to need some updates,campgrounds.brochures, Internet website optimiza- he said. Whether youve got new rules,AGSstartedhandlingpromotions tion services and Internet advertising, a slightly different process now as far asand guides for TACO members and has andevenwebsitedevelopmentand check-ins go, or what campers can doexpanded over the years now working hosting under its TXADbrand.withinthepark.Therearealotofwith thousands of campgrounds across The agency is different than most in changes going on. We like to think thatNorth America. that ad representatives, many full-time we can help owners handle all this.We are the guest RVing couples out on the road, visit Beyond the guides and brochures,guide division of the eachcustomerwithahands-onap- our web design and web hosting sideequationforeach proach to sales.also offers a variety of services. Whethercampground,said We have at any time up to around 30 itsbloggingforcampgroundsoraMichaelMoore,a sales teams in the field, shared Moore. Google AdWordscampaign, we becomecertified tourism ex- They travel by RV and they scope out restaurants, RV service centers and even a one-source marketing firm, Mooreecutive(CTE)and the community and the local area for dog groomers to solicit advertising in added. Working with a company likegeneral manager of businesses that would be visited by an the campground guide on behalf of its ours, whos been around a while andAGS.RVer at that local campground. owners. certainly knows the industry inside andMichael Moore HesaidAGS Part of creating the guide and site In 2021 our message is going to be out, we are able to provide some guid-polleditsnumbersofcampground map for a campground is actually sell- Were ambassadors for you, we want ance on many aspects of different pro-clients recently and found that despite ing the advertising for the guide to area to tell the story of camping to your motions. the COVID crisis and shutdown in many firms. Moore said his reps go out to local community, explained Moore. Many And he concluded that the advertis-timesthecommunitydoesntevening in the guide could actually act asrealizethattheyhaveagiantpark payment for these services through thedowntheroadwithhundredsofAGS Loyalty Credit Program.customers ready to visit and patronize If we get enough support in a camp-their businesses. grounds guide, theyre actually able toMoore is optimistic about the next use credit from us on any product orfew years as the numbers of first-time service we provide, said Moore. ThatRV owners has grown significantly. He can be on the print side or it can be onthinks campers have a certain loyalty.the digital side. If a campground does aIf you get a first-time customer and guide and gets enough support, and letsyoushowthemagoodtime,they say the loyalty credit is $500 for this year,could come back three, four or five they could literally get $500 worth oftimes, he noted. Its not just about Google AdWords stuff with us for free. getting them this year; its about get- www.agspub.comWCMcampersAPP Continues GrowthTrend as it Improves ServicesHeatherand Travis Gereare two avidRVenthusiastswhoin2014decidedthere needed to be an Internet applica-tion to help road-weary families find justthe right campground with the perfectaccommodations.After two years of de-velopment, in 2016theyunveiledcampersApp.Theappallowscampground ownerstocreateanareawithin the camper-Heather Gere sApp framework that campsites.WehavesomeKamp-features a park map, highlights activities, grounds of America Inc.and Yogi Bearsthings campers need to know and more.JellystoneParkCamp-Resorts parks,The Geres saw a need in the camp- and we have private parks. ground app market that was the com- Weve consistently doubled our net-munication-based piece of the puzzle, work of campgrounds every year, shewhich enables campers on the road to added. actually get key information from a park Park owners can start using camper-in real-time and see what that park ex- sAPP for about $45 per month, accord-perience would be like.ing to Gere. WevebasicallybuiltcampersApp Our highest plan for campgroundaround what we desired as campers in owners is what we call the Full Hookupthis industry, Heather explained. We Plan, which includes the ability to listhave over 300 parks nationwide that are activities and an online store. That oneon the network. Its a network for every runs $129 per month. We also offer parkspark; its not for any particular type of that are closed a hibernation seasonalpark. We have everything from mega rate during the off season. parks to parks with just a handful of Supplier Insightscontinued on page 3014 -March 2021 Woodalls Campground Management'