The RV Industry’s Very Own 007
BY DANA NELSEN
James Bond has nothing on the RV Industry. It’s true, he has a never-ending list of cool gadgets, but the RV industry has the “full-wall slide,” which in my opinion matches some of the coolest things “Q” ever came up with for Bond. Okay, so maybe Q came up with an invisible car in “Die Another Day,” but that is probably only because the R & D boys at Jayco decided an “invisible RV” was just too dangerous for America’s highways.
International men of mystery? Sure, Bond tops the list, but only because many have never heard of Bill and Ed, the RV spy guys. That’s right, thanks to Monaco Coach Corp., the RV industry now has its very own “go-to guys” for exploits in espionage.
Check out Monaco’s newest Website at www.rvspyguys.com, where for three minutes and, twenty seconds, a video highlights Bill and Ed’s most recent adventure.
At a time when many companies are cutting staff and advertising, Monaco seized on the You Tube craze to produce a low-cost promotional video for their products in a fun and interesting (and yes, kind of cheesy) way. I have to applaud them for stepping out and supporting their dealers like this. While the video may not be on par with “Casino Royale,” and maybe the script writer is no Ian Fleming, it is still a very positive step forward.
In an interview with The Register Guard, a Eugene, Ore., newspaper, Monaco’s web developer Steve Barth said the project was really just an experiment to use some viral marketing and see how far the video would travel for free on the web.
This just goes to show that it doesn’t always take a huge budget to build brand awareness. A little creativity and the latest technology can take you world-wide, even if you are no James Bond.
February 22nd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Lots of great points here. Bob’s message is especially resonating. If anyone follows Dan Kennedy, he always preaches the order of things should be Market > Message > Media. I think a lot can be learned by breaking this down and really studying how this should be applied to our industry, assuming we are all in this game for the right reasons, and I still believe the majority of us are.
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Neat idea but just make the “junk” better. What happened to quality control?
February 22nd, 2008 at 5:45 am
I commend Monaco for a great little skit, it breaks the ice especially when RV Business arena is so tense. It sure drew a lot of attention, didn’t it?
Some of you guys your way off base, don’t be so sinical, it’s not what this forum is about. Your just jealous you didn’t think of doing it.
Hey Monaco, great job, keep up the good work!
February 20th, 2008 at 9:50 am
While there appears to be some general agreement that Monaco has attracted some attention, one really needs to know something about the RV Industry to understand the “heart” of this advertisement. The real thrust in building a new layer of RVers is to promote the lifestyle and its benefits. Bob’s comment is right on and should be considered.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
another marketing ploy by Monaco… You can bet if John Q
Public follows along, He will come to believe that Monaco
is the only motorhome to buy. I think it should be spelled
out that this is a attempt to deceive by Monaco. Not a general takeoff on the entire industry and should not be considered open and Balanced.
February 19th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I agree it was kind of korny, however it made me think about things we could do to our own website to build awareness. I also agree with Chris on the point of out dated websites and am currently updating my own. With the internet and todays Hi-Tech computers what better a way for people to see what the industry is all about. Remember they are using the computer to shop for a better price on a part you may have just ordered for them so that means they would likely see other information when they visit your website.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
The problem here is that the industry is still trying to sell “products” and can’t seem to grasp that people need to see the benefits of the RV lifestyle and our advertising should be showing people how to enjoy the benefits of RVing, and then - and only then - will they start buying more products and you will see new prospects and customers adopting the RV lifestyle. Marketing in the RV industry is ten years behind what the rest of the world is doing with web-based programs, viral marketing, and social networking. Let’s stop talking features and benefits (that went out of style years ago) and start talking about feelings and enjoyment one can realize by investing in an RV. Don’t forget, many of the people seeing the Go RVing ads and other manufacturer advertising messages don’t have a clue as to what this industry is all about and what enjoyment they can get from it by being part of it.
February 19th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Steven said:
[i]That said, if RV manufacturers want to have a better web presence why not spend some effort keeping the ‘news/press’ section of their websites up to date.[/i]
I agree 100%- the number of really bad websites out there- out of date, badly broken, badly designed, etc. is appalling.
Good for Monaco for trying something different.
February 19th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I applaud Monaco for stepping out of the box. It shows leadership and innovation even if only on the cheesy side. A company willing to step out in one area, like the video, will be more likely to lead in another area.
February 19th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Cheesy? Yeper! But hey, it was just for fun right? I give Monaco credit for trying.
That said, if RV manufacturers want to have a better web presence why not spend some effort keeping the ‘news/press’ section of their websites up to date.
February 19th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I agree, Gene, but why not explore all the possibilities in using social media as a powerful marketing tool, especially for the Gen-Xers and younger? Monaco’s onto something here.
February 19th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Yes, it may be a “unique” approach but there are more important things to do than watch a pair of clowns do their show.