RV Weekly

I was searching through some of the “tweets” RV Trade Digest gets on Twitter and saw a posting that intrigued me.

A few fellow Twitter members had posted “tweets” about how the swine flu pandemic was one way to help promote the RV lifestyle because RVing allows consumers to travel without the being near crowds.

I think the national media exhausted the swine flu story. I am not saying swine flu isn’t a valid concern, but my question is should people be promoting the RV lifestyle based on fear of contamination?

What most people don’t realize is that 13,000 people in the U.S. die from the regular flu each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Despite the swine flu being a more immediate health concern, why is it necessary to use it as a promotional tool for RVing? Aren’t there more creative ways to promote RVing such as the opportunity for consumers to build family relationships and the fact that RVing is the least expensive way to travel?

The swine flu news obsession seems to be the most recent flash-in-the-pan disease epidemic like SARS and the bird flu once were.

What are your thoughts?

Editor’s Note: If you are feeling the symptoms of swine flu stay home, wash your hands frequently and consult your physician.

The staff of RV Trade Digest would like to thank those who have explored our recently launched Sourcebook. We have had over 60 companies update listings and/or submit products in two days!

To help companies post products and have them appear quicker, below is an example of how to submit the information needed for the Sourcebook and potential publication in the magazine. RV Trade Digest uses a bullet-point product feature style.

Here is the template of how product releases should be submitted.

Company name, corporate office location, presents its product name.

*Bullet-point about product

*Bullet-point about product

*Bullet-point about product

*Bullet-point about product

Web site

Example:

RV Trade Digest, Fort Atkinson, Wis., presents its Online Sourcebook.

*Comprehensive online RV company and product listing Web site.

*Company listings used for the RVTD June/July directory.

*Features hundreds of companies and products serving the RV industry.

*Manage or update your listing all year long.

www.rvtradedigest.com

Companies may submit multiple products and use as many bullet-points as desired. Please include a high resolution photo with all product releases.

Please refrain from using “biased” language in the listing. All products submissions may be edited for style and grammar.

Products can be submitted through the Sourcebook or e-mailed to the editorial staff at rvproducts@rvtradedigest.com.

RV Trade Digest is pleased to announce that we have updated and are launching our new ‘Online Sourcebook.’

The sourcebook, formerly called the RVTD “buyer’s guide,” is a comprehensive addition to www.rvtradedigest.com where companies can list their contact info, Web site links and even post new products.

This new portion of our site will allow buyers to search for companies and products in multiple ways. Users may search with the search box or by the numerous category listings located in the left hand column of the site. Keep in mind each category may have several sub-categories.

The online sourcebook offers several features such as: recently added products, premium “featured” listings which appear at the top of the pages of specific categories, and links on how to manage all postings.

The site was created not only to get more product and company information out but to help the editorial staff of RV Trade Digest collect the correct information for our June/July Sourcebook Directory print issue.

We are encouraging readers to visit the site and review the info currently listed and update if necessary for accurate publication in the June/July issue.

For additional information on how to manage your listing or sponsor a specific section for added exposure contact Nikki Becker by e-mailing nikki.becker@cygnuspub.com or calling 800-574-7377 ext. 1317.

To view the online sourcebook click here

In recent months national media outlets have put a spotlight on the RV industry. News organizations have reported as manufacturers have filed bankruptcy, plants or dealerships have closed and all the news in between.

However, not all news coverage has been bad.

For example, over the weekend RVIA President Richard Coon was featured on Fox News’ Fox & Friends television program highlighting new innovations within the RV industry. Coon displayed several products from companies such as Forest River and Damon and heavily promoted the RV lifestyle.

A few weeks ago, former Arkansas Governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee hosted a live special from Elkhart, Indiana to try and shed some light on what is happening in the ‘RV capital of the world.’

Additionally, MSNBC.com has created a section on its Web site entitled “The Elkhart Project” designed to tailor news coverage of the RV industry.

With media turning to more RV related stories, does this help the industry? Does national media coverage (either good or bad) help the industry’s image? What do you think is missing from the news coverage?

The country, as well as the industry, has seen a great advancement of green products entering the market.

Solar panels, lighter-weight trailers and eco-friendly products are appearing more frequently in the RV industry.

I am curious if RV consumers are asking for more green products or if it is just a trend dealers have to follow to remain competitive?

Are dealers altering sales training tactics or stocking levels to accommodate for green products? Or are green products too expensive in comparison to existing products?

I would like to get a discussion going about green products and their impact on the industry.