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Go RVing Canada

2023 ANNUAL REPORT

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

In the report below, you’ll find a comprehensive overview of Go RVing Canada’s journey and a highlight of our efforts this past year.

As we monitored our performance over the course of 2023, patterns began to unfold through an upswing in our numbers and noticeable increases in our KPI’s. Despite the economic headwinds, it’s clear that the inspiration for RVing has taken root and is resonating with audiences across Canada. This not only bolstered our efforts but leaves our team feeling extremely optimistic about the future. 

The following report serves as a glimpse into the promising developments and impact we have made. Industry barriers like ‘not for people like me’ have been quashed and today’s audience has expanded exponentially. Our Ipsos results from early 2023 demonstrate a varied and captivated demographic, while our website data and ecosystem reviews indicate that multiple personas must be addressed.

As we turn our gaze to the future, our sights are set on even bigger targets for 2024, fuelled by the learnings and achievements of the past year. 

Chris Mahony, President Go RVing Canada

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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Throughout 2023, our marketing efforts not only sustained but elevated the relevance of RVing as the ultimate vacation choice for Canadians. Continue reading to learn about some of our highlights from this year and how we are continuously elevating the RV lifestyle through all our initiatives.

Man running through a green field National Ad Campaign
You Are Out There Ignited Conversations Across Canada

Awarded two international advertising honours, You Are Out There’s success and emotional impact led to an 11% rise in Buy an RV traffic and a 7% boost in overall site visits. Guiding consumers to the microsite deepened their consideration of the RV lifestyle.

Mother playing guitar around a campfire with two children at Go RVing Canada event Experiential Marketing
Creating Tangible Connections with RV's

In collaboration with dealers nationwide, we amplified exposure at experiential marketing activations throughout Canada, engaging an estimated 100,000 people and providing them with a firsthand experience of the RV lifestyle, fostering a tangible connection between consumers and RVs.

Jamar McNeil standing with diving instructor on a boat
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WATCH OUR CONTENT SIZZLE REEL
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CONTENT RECAP AND HIGHLIGHTS

Our strategic approach to our content creation is rooted in an understanding of audience values, which paves the way for compelling content that resonates and drives engagement. Our data-driven approach has not only elevated our brand but also inspired new audiences to embrace the RV lifestyle.  This sizzle reel offers a glimpse into some of the content we produced in 2023.

Bryan Baeumler and his son hitching a vehicle to their RV Bryan Baeumler and son hitching Jeep to RV Bryan Baeumler and his son hitching a vehicle to their RV
RV HOW-TO SERIES

BRYAN BAEUMLER'S ROADHOUSE

We created an RV how-to mini-series hosted by HGTV’s Bryan Baeumler, targeting Canadians exploring RV ownership and recent RV owners. This tactical content not only educates but also seamlessly converts into practical tools on our website, assisting users in reaching their RV ownership goals.

Watch the Series
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RECAP OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS IN 2023

Partnerships play a pivotal role in enhancing our marketing efforts on multiple fronts. Beyond our notable collaborations with individuals like Brett Kissell, Chuck Hughes, and Bryan Baeumler, we’ve strategically forged partnerships across the country with various brands and organizations that align with our audiences. These partnerships amplify our reach, foster community and brand trust, and allow us to tap into diverse audience segments.

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ADDITIONAL TACTICS FROM THE PAST YEAR

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Travel trailer parked under the stars Dealer Tie In
Strategic Dealer Collaborations

We partnered with our dealers who have generously provided RVs for content creator trips, helping us produce over 400 new lifestyle photos and 40 pieces of video content. This ongoing initiative not only enhances Go RVing Canada’s content and amplifies dealership exposure, but also augments our Dealer Tie In Program marketing assets for all dealers.

Family sitting in their RV playing cards and eating together Diverse Audiences
Introducing RV Lifestyle to New Markets

Through strategic partnerships, we have not just created a presence but a meaningful one across diverse markets. These collaborations have helped expand our reach and introduce the RV lifestyle to new audiences.

Québec
French Expansion

In 2023 the association focused on the expansion of our French social channels by partnering with a new French agency, Agence BHLA, to take our Liberté en VR social to the next level. We partnered with French publications such as La Presse to achieve premium digital placements and expand our reach in the French market.

Dealer Tools
Guiding Users to Dealer Tools

As the source for all things RVing, we’ve curated web content strategically designed to guide consumers through the marketing funnel. Our approach includes seamlessly connecting informative blogs to practical dealer tools, ensuring a cohesive and engaging journey for users exploring the RV lifestyle.

Expansive shot of the floor of the RV show in Calgary featuring a number of RV units RV Show Support
Elevating RV Shows Across Canada

In addition to strategic paid digital advertising campaigns, our PR efforts yielded 74 earned media hits across TV, radio, and digital platforms. This earned media coverage complements and extends beyond the independent efforts of RV shows, collectively amplifying the reach and impact of each show.

HOW WE MAKE AN IMPACT

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS

Our marketing campaign continues to provide exposure to millions of Canadians about the benefits of the RV lifestyle. Explore in depth and learn about the impact we made this year and how these results continue to strengthen our connection to our dealer network through consumer engagement.

'YOU ARE OUT THERE' CAMPAIGN STATS

Our ‘You Are Out There’ National advertising campaign resonated with consumers and saw over 125M impressions across the country. Moreover, it received 64% in additional bonus broadcast placements, which means that the networks offered us complimentary airings in response to the positive reception of our ad.

Throughout 2023 we further aligned our digital tactics to drive awareness of the new campaign and focused our efforts on driving leads to dealerships. We saw a 17% increase in efficiency with our cost per click (CPC) and served impressions at a 32% lower cost. Despite challenging market conditions, our retargeting approach saw 26% more conversions for the same spend.

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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU, THE RV DEALER?

Our focus is to promote awareness of benefits of purchase from local RV dealerships, and motivate consumers to progress down the funnel to purchase or trial. We allocated 15% more media budget to the Buy an RV and affordability sections to provide another direct way for interested consumers to learn about how affordable it can be to get into the lifestyle.

PUSH TO RV DEALER LISTINGS

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Consumer interest in RVs continues to show positive results for our core RV dealer metrics, with more and more Canadians interested in exploring the different RVs that fit their active, outdoor lifestyle. Our goal is to inform, educate and inspire consumers to visits RV dealers through a variety of touch points.

DEALER SEARCH METRICS
STRONG INTEREST IN LOCAL RV DEALERS

Over 400K visits to the section ‘Find an RV dealer/RV rental’, which includes hits on individual dealer listings pages on the website. One of the primary areas of focus for our website redesign project is an overhaul of the ‘FIND AN RV’ tool to help drive more traffic to RV dealer listings pages.

BUY AN RV SECTION
HOW WE PUSH DEALER LISTINGS TO CONSUMERS

The website features numerous ways to locate RV dealers through interactive mapping, searches by postal code and city, and an easy to use tool to have email listings sent directly to your inbox.

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INSIGHT INTO OUR RV DEALER SEARCH STRATEGY

All these results are optimized to drive traffic to our dealer network and motivate consumers to RV purchase or trial. Explore the ways consumers can discover their local RV dealers.

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WHAT OUR RESEARCH IS TELLING US

CONSUMER INSIGHTS

We conducted a national research study to better understand which target segments of the population had the highest growth potential. The results indicate interest in the RV lifestyle and awareness are at an all-time high.

READ THE REPORT
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MARKETING RESEARCH NOW AVAILABLE

In 2023, we worked with IPSOS on a study to gain insights into current consumer attitudes towards RVs and the RV lifestyle.

This study has not only provided a comprehensive understanding of the market landscape and consumer profiles but has also identified promising segments, revealing insights into consumer needs, motivations, and expectations. We are now able to leverage this data to tailor our marketing initiatives and refine our approach with Go RVing Canada positioned to influence consumer perception and promote the RV lifestyle.

We encourage our stakeholders to explore this data for your own marketing initiatives. The IPSOS study results are accessible on our Dealer Tie-In portal, or from your provincial RVDAs.

LEARN MORE
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WHAT'S AHEAD FOR 2024

Our strategy moving forward is to ensure we leverage this data and tailor our marketing tactics to ensure the RV lifestyle is a top of mind for each of these segments. In addition, we will aim to create new messaging and campaigns around our current barrier, affordability.

What’s next?

First, a new website and Go RVing Canada brand refresh. Leveraging the data from our Ipsos study and digital ecosystem review, we will reimagine and redesign an entirely new digital ecosystem in order to adapt to our evolving audience. As GRVC’s primary forward-facing asset, our website is the last and most important stop in out the conversion funnel. Simultaneously, we are reimagining our overall branding and brand guidelines. This combined with our new website will help us maintain our upward trajectory and strategically position us for the future. 

As our marketing efforts become more tactical, a key component of our work will focus on affordability. Our goal is to launch a campaign that is accessible and relevant to today’s consumer through updates to our digital tools, strategic messaging, and a national PR campaign.

In terms of content development, we have already begun to identify new creators that align with our updated persona structure. These creators play a crucial role and help expand our audience, provide authentic content for our website, and contribute valuable assets for our industry portal. 

And with that in mind, our Wildhood campaign, ‘You Are Out There’, will launch into its second year. This spring, we will expand and amplify the campaign so that resonates with an even wider range of audience personas, and continues to serve as the cornerstone for our marketing efforts.

The team at Go RVing Canada is committed to making this a memorable year with much of this just the very beginning. If you want to learn more or understand how you can engage better then please contact us at [email protected].

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