Purchasing an RV and hitting the road has been a panacea for many during the pandemic and that interest hasn’t waned according to the RV Industry Association. Total RV shipments for October increased 22.5% YOY and 18% more than the previous best October (2017). Plus, a fall 2021 survey found 11 million more Americans said they plan to take an RV trip during the next year.
Radio has the branding power to reach the prime market of RV buyers, Millennials and Gen Xers, according to data from five of The Media Audit’s 2021 consumer/market surveys. Collectively, Millennials and Gen Xers account for an average of 56.2% of households that own an RV. Although the average RV ownership in Gen Z households is just 12.3%, they represent a growing market segment and will only become more so during the future.
“Radio can first help RV dealers broadly build their brands with prospective buyers,” said Jeff Stein, East Coast Markets Manager, The Media Audit. “At another level, radio can make an emotional connection with the market when dealers use part of their ad messages to introduce customers’ RV stories and then direct consumers to social media for the complete stories.”
RVing has a strong affinity with campers. In its 2021 North American Camping Report, Kampgrounds of America (KOA) stated 25% of people who camped during 2020 chose an RV as their preferred camping accommodations. The same five representative 2021 consumer/market surveys from The Media Audit reveal Millennials and Gen Xers are also the prime camping audiences, accounting for 63.6% of all those who camped during the past four weeks. The other generations in some markets also over-indexed as campers who are heavily exposed to radio during an average day.
This correlation creates many opportunities for outdoor, sporting goods and other retail verticals to use radio to connect with campers, including those who are in the market for an RV.
People who enjoy RVing as well as camping and other outdoor activities have an on-the-go mindset and radio is the one brand-building ad medium that is as mobile as they are.