Clothing Optional Park

I need some help in marketing a clothing optional park. We have been in
business for 13 years but have failed to market to enough people to pay all
the bills. How can we sucessfully market to more people?

Buckridge Park
www.Buckridge-Park.com
Candor, NY

"Carol Preston " <cjpreston@usadatanet.net> wrote:
> I need some help in marketing a clothing optional park.
> We have been in business for 13 years but have failed
> to market to enough people to pay all the bills. How
> can we sucessfully market to more people?

Hmmm. You posted this same question less than a month ago.

First, I would suggest you follow the advice I gave you last month. If
you're not willing to follow that, I doubt your determination to make your
park a success.

Second, I would recommend you read the regularly posted "How to get good
advice from m.b.m.m. v.1.01" and follow its guidelines. A big one is to reply
to those that give you a reply. The more you interact with us in this
newsgroup, the more advice you'll receive from people here. In fact, some
regularly don't comment until after you reply at least once in your own
thread.

Third, glancing over your website...

A) Do not have the first non-homepage tab on your website be "Etiquette".
Etiquette is a damper. A negative. "I want you to come and eat at my
restaurant, but before I tell you anything more about it, let me first tell
you the table manners you'll be expected to exhibit. If you don't follow
them, I'll throw you out of my restaurant. And only after you get that
straight in your head, wiil I tell you the good points about my
establishment of fine cuisines." Instead, have "Etiquette" be the last tab
and the first post-homepage tab be "Testimonials". Try to have testimonials
that will pull in different segments of the nudist community. Not one big
one, but several brief and concise ones that target different segments. For
example...

"I just feel like I'm home here. Everyone is so friendly, polite,
considerate, and helpful. No one is hiding behind a mask here. Every visit
to Buckridge recharges my energy to face the outside world again ... and
restores my faith in humanity." Jane Holloway, 32-year-old married mother
of 11-year-old twins [her smiling mug shot]

"A good safe environment to bring one's children to and teach the virtues of
naturalism." Eric Tollmen, 44-year-old married father of three kids [his
smiling mug]

"This is as close to Eden as the State of New York will ever get." Jack
Hunt, 68-year-old widow [his smiling mug shot]

"The wild orgies after midnight are mind-blowing. Kidding. I'm just
kidding. However, the single scene here is much more friendly than you'll
experience at any nightclub." Tom Brooklocker, 24-year-old male graduate
student [his smiling mug shot]

"I second the above." Susan Hart, 21-year-old female undergraduate student
[shot of her dancing with Tom]

"My entire sorority comes down from Syracuse each month. Is there better way to
study for an exam than sunbathing in the nude by the lake? The answer is
"nope"!" Terry McCloud, 20-year-old biology major at Syracuse University [shot
of her standing naked in the sand volleyball court, ball resting on her hip,
and her smiling]

"I'm learning that my body is not something to be ashamed of. That if it is
warm enough outside, that it is OK ... here ... to go without clothes and it
feels great." Timmy [last name withheld], 9-year-old boy and member of a
family group at park [no photo]

"When people fart, their butt cheeks clap." laughs a Kelly [last name
withheld], 6-year-old girl and member of a family group at park [no photo]

"Sure people look here. I look here. But no one stares here. That's a big
difference and the reason I come here to get my no-tanline suntan every
summer." Holly Wood, 25-year-old female supermodel and major movie star
[her laying naked on a beach towel smiling up at the camera]

B) What does is "family-oriented" mean? You need to be more clear about
this. Does it mean that singles have to tolerate youngsters running around
screaming their heads off day and night? Babies wailing all through the
night? All events geared only to families? Or does it mean that singles
are not really welcomed? Or, as is the case with a lot of nude clubs, just
single men are not really welcomed?

C) Let them come to the park the first time for FREE. Yes, FREE. It is an
unknown to them. For some, it will cost lot of mental capital just to get
up the nerve to give it a try. $24 for first-time couples is probably
scaring away a lot of potential guests. If your park is any good, they'll
come back and be willing to pay for it from then on. And what the heck is
"No Mail Option"? You need to explain that. Also, consider giving them the
option to buy a yearly membership fee by way of monthly automatic deductions
from their checking accounts. Monthly automatic deductions sell more
memberships than all-at-once yearly fees.

D) Could you make the photographs of your park smaller on your website. I
can almost make out what they're trying to show. For example, I like the
"What *** is the canoeist?" game on your front page. I'm guessing it's a
guy. Did I win?

E) The gray backgrounds give a nice depressing feeling to your website. I'd
suggest making the gray even darker so people also have a harder time
reading the text. And don't you be foolish and change it to a fresh light
green. Fresh light green would give a lively, fresh, and youthful look to your
website and that's the last thing I'm sure you'd want conveyed on yours.

F) I like the audaciousness of your salesmanship. How you go for the close
of the sale right from the start by having the first line under your banner
be: "Click here to make a reservation." And just to drive the point home
that sales pitches aren't really that important ... as we all know ... you
follow the sales close with "Thank you for visiting the Buckridge Web Site"
sign-off. If others follow your fine example, we can finally fire those
long-copy ad men ... *cough* George Demmer *cough* ... and spend less time on
ads and more time buying what they tell us to buy. Heck, you'll even put us
short-copy ad men out of work too. Long live the Revolution!!!

G) I'm also glad to see that you don't show any attractive women on your
website. As ad firm after ad firm knows on Madison Avenue, attractive women
in an ad does nothing to catch the eye and pull the reader in ...
especially for something like a nudist club. Nope, what people want to see
at a nude club's website is nothing with groups of attractive people in it.
After all, nudism is a solitary activity and not a group activity. Your
lone canoeist on your homepage is a perfect example of this.

H) Change your park's name from "Buckridge Park" to "Bucknaked Park"? Now the
really funny thing is ... I'm serious. It would instantly tell what your
business is all about. It conveys a sense of humor. It will gain attention.
It will raise people's eyebrows. News crews will want to film it just to be
able to say the name on their nightly newscast. You'll sell a LOT of t-shirts,
bumper stickers, and so forth ... and very likely most of it will be sold
online through your website.

I) I just love your calendar. Most would try to be exciting and give
descriptions and photographs of last year's events that would attempt to
pitch this year's events. Yours goes for simplicity and that time-honored
zinger of guaranteed boredom, such as "8/28 Explore our bountiful diversity
of plants along the trails." Beautiful. Just beautiful. The only thing
I'd add is "..., because plants are only displayed along the trails on this
date." And to top even that, you go for that sure-fire up-beat event: "9/11
Farewell Dinner". Hmmm. 9/11??? You're giving a farewell dinner in honor
of those killed in the World Trade Center??? That's so nice and depressing.
Much better than "9/11 Celebration of Life dinner" would have been. And,
again, another nice closer with "9/16 Post season - members use only." If
that isn't a warm open hug to visitors, I don't know what is. [Hint: Your
website should be designed to pull potential members.]

On a more serious note, what I would suggest is that you offer to put up any
marketing consultant (such as those on this newsgroup whose advice you think
is good) and their family at your resort for a weekend or even a week (all
meals and equipment fees included) in exchange for their evaluation and
recommendations they'll give you a week after they leave. They'll need a
week afterwards to properly percolate the park in their minds. Ask for a
"total image" evaluation and recommendations. Also, due to most marketing
consultants in this newsgroup being not in the State of New York, reach into
the cookie jar and offer to fly them there and pick them up at the airport.
As for getting them, wait for them to reply to this thread and others you
start up here then simply send them an email with the offer. Don't expect
most to bite due to you being a nude park (afterall, we're not all crazy
streakers like Jim Logajan and Mike Turco), but it's worth a shot.

I'd also start off the outdoor season with a nude marathon. Surely you have
at least five miles of trails they can run. Offer a $500 college
scholarship to the first woman across the finish line and that will
guarantee college-age women runners and a lots of male runners. Have
non-members pay a small fee to enter the race (say $5) and soak them on
bottle water sales. ;-) This will get you a lot of local publicity and
lots of potential members checking out your park at the beginning of its
outdoor season.

Last but not least, look into creating a huge indoor water park for your
park. That way your park can bring in customers year round. Here's a good
example of one: http://www.kalahariresort.com/waterparks/ You do not have
to start HUGE, but you do need to hire a good architect that designs a water
park that can be easily expanded each summer. This way you have a reason to
close the indoor water park during each summer thus making it special during
what used to be your off-season and forcing everyone to enjoy the outdoors
during the summer. Raise money from your more affluent patrons by offering
to name slides, pools, whirlpools, lazy rivers, benches, and so forth after
them.

Good luck!

Scott Jensen
--
Peer-to-peer networking (a.k.a. file-sharing) is entertainment's future.
If you'd like to know why, read the white paper at the link below.
http://www.scottjensenshow.com/P2PRevolution.pdf

"Scott T. Jensen" <stj@charter.net> wrote:
> H) Change your park's name from "Buckridge Park" to
> "Bucknaked Park". Now the really funny thing is ... I'm
> serious. It would instantly tell what your business is all
> about. It conveys a sense of humor. It will gain attention.
> It will raise people's eyebrows. News crews will want to
> film it just to be able to say the name on their nightly
> newscast. You'll sell a LOT of t-shirts, bumper stickers,
> and so forth ... and very likely most of it will be sold
> online through your website.

Then again, if your current name is sacred for some reason or other, I'd
then have your park slogan be:

Get bucknaked at Buckridge!

;-)

Scott Jensen
--
Peer-to-peer networking (a.k.a. file-sharing) is entertainment's future.
If you'd like to know why, read the white paper at the link below.
http://www.scottjensenshow.com/P2PRevolution.pdf

"Carol Preston " <cjpreston@usadatanet.net> wrote in message
news:cfc5vp0583@enews3.newsguy.com...
>
> I need some help in marketing a clothing optional park. We have been in
> business for 13 years but have failed to market to enough people to pay
all
> the bills. How can we sucessfully market to more people?


Have a clergyman come in to do sunday school and church services on Sundays.
Advertise nude church services, and folks will spread the word after that.
Probably get lots of Babtists . . . There's a saying here in Texas--Babtists
don't recognize the Pope in Rome, Mormons in Utah, or each other in liquor
stores. They won't recognize each other at your park, either.

And do more than just Christian services; Wiccans go "skyclad" all the time,
and have ceremonies several times a year. Ya, find some appropriate New Age
type mags, and offer a secluded area for them for their sabbaths. Probably
get a lot of solitary practitioners to show up for a safe place for outdoor
nude stuff. You'll probably find ads in those magazines where groups of 'em
congregate; put ads in their publications, too. You'll be overrun with
happy nature-worshippers.

You might consider sponsoring the Nude Olympics. Have a variety of nude
sports the way the Greeks did way back when, not the way they do now.
Offer natural wreaths for prizes, maybe laced with gold or silver bracelets
for prizes. Advertise this in various sports magazines, you'll connect
with similarly minded athletes.

Offer a sun-tanning booth; the type that sprays on a tan instead of UV rays.
I'll bet that lots of people will figure that while they've got their
clothes off, they may as well . . .

Have a nurse or doctor come once a month to do a complimentary skin cancer
checks. Let the doctor refer prospective patients to his pals around the
state.

What else can you sell them once they're nude? Maybe tattoos, temporary or
permanent, full-body shaves or waxing, haircuts and hairdoos, manicures
(have a nude cosmetologist come in and set up shop) . . . that's all that
comes to mind right now.

But for sure, I'd market to New Agers (Wiccans and others into nude
rituals), and the Church Crowd. A skin cancer screening would have folks
coming for regular checkups (even if it was once or twice a year), and other
services might give 'em more reasons to return. Just gotta ask your
customers what they want, then give it to them.

Hope this helps,
-Tock

Very good advice. Zen of business: Be your target audience. Know your target
audience inside out and find groups that share similar interests.

Oh, do yourself a favor...track your results. There are many ways to do this,
just pick one...and track your results. Always try to find a way to track the
success of your marketing scheme. It will help you to determine where to spend
future marketing budget. For example, if you find success by advertising in a
certain publication you'll eventually reach a saturation point for that given
publication and find better outlets for your marketing dollars.

Cheers,
K-

tock@sbcglobal.net wrote:

> "Carol Preston " <cjpreston@usadatanet.net> wrote in message
> news:cfc5vp0583@enews3.newsguy.com...
> >
> > I need some help in marketing a clothing optional park. We have been in
> > business for 13 years but have failed to market to enough people to pay
> all
> > the bills. How can we sucessfully market to more people?
>
> Have a clergyman come in to do sunday school and church services on Sundays.
> Advertise nude church services, and folks will spread the word after that.
> Probably get lots of Babtists . . . There's a saying here in Texas--Babtists
> don't recognize the Pope in Rome, Mormons in Utah, or each other in liquor
> stores. They won't recognize each other at your park, either.
>
> And do more than just Christian services; Wiccans go "skyclad" all the time,
> and have ceremonies several times a year. Ya, find some appropriate New Age
> type mags, and offer a secluded area for them for their sabbaths. Probably
> get a lot of solitary practitioners to show up for a safe place for outdoor
> nude stuff. You'll probably find ads in those magazines where groups of 'em
> congregate; put ads in their publications, too. You'll be overrun with
> happy nature-worshippers.
>
> You might consider sponsoring the Nude Olympics. Have a variety of nude
> sports the way the Greeks did way back when, not the way they do now.
> Offer natural wreaths for prizes, maybe laced with gold or silver bracelets
> for prizes. Advertise this in various sports magazines, you'll connect
> with similarly minded athletes.
>
> Offer a sun-tanning booth; the type that sprays on a tan instead of UV rays.
> I'll bet that lots of people will figure that while they've got their
> clothes off, they may as well . . .
>
> Have a nurse or doctor come once a month to do a complimentary skin cancer
> checks. Let the doctor refer prospective patients to his pals around the
> state.
>
> What else can you sell them once they're nude? Maybe tattoos, temporary or
> permanent, full-body shaves or waxing, haircuts and hairdoos, manicures
> (have a nude cosmetologist come in and set up shop) . . . that's all that
> comes to mind right now.
>
> But for sure, I'd market to New Agers (Wiccans and others into nude
> rituals), and the Church Crowd. A skin cancer screening would have folks
> coming for regular checkups (even if it was once or twice a year), and other
> services might give 'em more reasons to return. Just gotta ask your
> customers what they want, then give it to them.
>
> Hope this helps,
> -Tock

We do try to track our results. One problem is that it sometimes takes
years between when someone learns of us and comes in to visit. We also have
a report on our members that gives us what groups they come from. So far I
have not figgured out the best media to advertise in.

Carol
"Kringle" <mtngnome@rev.net> wrote in message
news:cflgu50d8m@enews3.newsguy.com...
>
> Very good advice. Zen of business: Be your target audience. Know your
target
> audience inside out and find groups that share similar interests.
>
> Oh, do yourself a favor...track your results. There are many ways to do
this,
> just pick one...and track your results. Always try to find a way to track
the
> success of your marketing scheme. It will help you to determine where to
spend
> future marketing budget. For example, if you find success by advertising
in a
> certain publication you'll eventually reach a saturation point for that
given
> publication and find better outlets for your marketing dollars.
>
> Cheers,
> K-
>
> tock@sbcglobal.net wrote:
>
> > "Carol Preston " <cjpreston@usadatanet.net> wrote in message
> > news:cfc5vp0583@enews3.newsguy.com...
> > >
> > > I need some help in marketing a clothing optional park. We have been
in
> > > business for 13 years but have failed to market to enough people to
pay
> > all
> > > the bills. How can we sucessfully market to more people?
> >
> > Have a clergyman come in to do sunday school and church services on
Sundays.
> > Advertise nude church services, and folks will spread the word after
that.
> > Probably get lots of Babtists . . . There's a saying here in
Texas--Babtists
> > don't recognize the Pope in Rome, Mormons in Utah, or each other in
liquor
> > stores. They won't recognize each other at your park, either.
> >
> > And do more than just Christian services; Wiccans go "skyclad" all the
time,
> > and have ceremonies several times a year. Ya, find some appropriate New
Age
> > type mags, and offer a secluded area for them for their sabbaths.
Probably
> > get a lot of solitary practitioners to show up for a safe place for
outdoor
> > nude stuff. You'll probably find ads in those magazines where groups of
'em
> > congregate; put ads in their publications, too. You'll be overrun with
> > happy nature-worshippers.
> >
> > You might consider sponsoring the Nude Olympics. Have a variety of
nude
> > sports the way the Greeks did way back when, not the way they do now.
> > Offer natural wreaths for prizes, maybe laced with gold or silver
bracelets
> > for prizes. Advertise this in various sports magazines, you'll connect
> > with similarly minded athletes.
> >
> > Offer a sun-tanning booth; the type that sprays on a tan instead of UV
rays.
> > I'll bet that lots of people will figure that while they've got their
> > clothes off, they may as well . . .
> >
> > Have a nurse or doctor come once a month to do a complimentary skin
cancer
> > checks. Let the doctor refer prospective patients to his pals around
the
> > state.
> >
> > What else can you sell them once they're nude? Maybe tattoos,
temporary or
> > permanent, full-body shaves or waxing, haircuts and hairdoos, manicures
> > (have a nude cosmetologist come in and set up shop) . . . that's all
that
> > comes to mind right now.
> >
> > But for sure, I'd market to New Agers (Wiccans and others into nude
> > rituals), and the Church Crowd. A skin cancer screening would have
folks
> > coming for regular checkups (even if it was once or twice a year), and
other
> > services might give 'em more reasons to return. Just gotta ask your
> > customers what they want, then give it to them.
> >
> > Hope this helps,
> > -Tock
>
>

Perhaps offer different incentive packages for each marketing scheme. You can
limit the span of the offer to encourage them to visit sooner. When they
finally come to redeem their incentive package, you'll know where they're coming
from. Also, keeping the response time metrics is important as well. Through
experimentation, you'll find faster response times.

Cheers,
K-

Carol Preston wrote:

> We do try to track our results. One problem is that it sometimes takes
> years between when someone learns of us and comes in to visit. We also have
> a report on our members that gives us what groups they come from. So far I
> have not figgured out the best media to advertise in.
>
> Carol
> "Kringle" <mtngnome@rev.net> wrote in message
> news:cflgu50d8m@enews3.newsguy.com...
> >
> > Very good advice. Zen of business: Be your target audience. Know your
> target
> > audience inside out and find groups that share similar interests.
> >
> > Oh, do yourself a favor...track your results. There are many ways to do
> this,
> > just pick one...and track your results. Always try to find a way to track
> the
> > success of your marketing scheme. It will help you to determine where to
> spend
> > future marketing budget. For example, if you find success by advertising
> in a
> > certain publication you'll eventually reach a saturation point for that
> given
> > publication and find better outlets for your marketing dollars.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > K-
> >
> > tock@sbcglobal.net wrote:
> >
> > > "Carol Preston " <cjpreston@usadatanet.net> wrote in message
> > > news:cfc5vp0583@enews3.newsguy.com...
> > > >
> > > > I need some help in marketing a clothing optional park. We have been
> in
> > > > business for 13 years but have failed to market to enough people to
> pay
> > > all
> > > > the bills. How can we sucessfully market to more people?
> > >
> > > Have a clergyman come in to do sunday school and church services on
> Sundays.
> > > Advertise nude church services, and folks will spread the word after
> that.
> > > Probably get lots of Babtists . . . There's a saying here in
> Texas--Babtists
> > > don't recognize the Pope in Rome, Mormons in Utah, or each other in
> liquor
> > > stores. They won't recognize each other at your park, either.
> > >
> > > And do more than just Christian services; Wiccans go "skyclad" all the
> time,
> > > and have ceremonies several times a year. Ya, find some appropriate New
> Age
> > > type mags, and offer a secluded area for them for their sabbaths.
> Probably
> > > get a lot of solitary practitioners to show up for a safe place for
> outdoor
> > > nude stuff. You'll probably find ads in those magazines where groups of
> 'em
> > > congregate; put ads in their publications, too. You'll be overrun with
> > > happy nature-worshippers.
> > >
> > > You might consider sponsoring the Nude Olympics. root 6824 Re:
Clothing Have a variety of
> nude
> > > sports the way the Greeks did way back when, not the way they do now.
> > > Offer natural wreaths for prizes, maybe laced with gold or silver
> bracelets
> > > for prizes. Advertise this in various sports magazines, you'll connect
> > > with similarly minded athletes.
> > >
> > > Offer a sun-tanning booth; the type that sprays on a tan instead of UV
> rays.
> > > I'll bet that lots of people will figure that while they've got their
> > > clothes off, they may as well . . .
> > >
> > > Have a nurse or doctor come once a month to do a complimentary skin
> cancer
> > > checks. Let the doctor refer prospective patients to his pals around
> the
> > > state.
> > >
> > > What else can you sell them once they're nude? Maybe tattoos,
> temporary or
> > > permanent, full-body shaves or waxing, haircuts and hairdoos, manicures
> > > (have a nude cosmetologist come in and set up shop) . . . that's all
> that
> > > comes to mind right now.
> > >
> > > But for sure, I'd market to New Agers (Wiccans and others into nude
> > > rituals), and the Church Crowd. A skin cancer screening would have
> folks
> > > coming for regular checkups (even if it was once or twice a year), and
> other
> > > services might give 'em more reasons to return. Just gotta ask your
> > > customers what they want, then give it to them.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps,
> > > -Tock
> >
> >

"Carol Preston " <cjpreston@usadatanet.net> wrote:
> We do try to track our results. One problem is that it
> sometimes takes years between when someone learns
> of us and comes in to visit. We also have a report on
> our members that gives us what groups they come from.
> So far I have not figgured out the best media to advertise
> in.

How many active members do you have right now? How many do you feel you
need to cover your expenses? How much of an advertising budget do you have?
Have you thought of just increasing your membership fees to get your bills
covered? What is all the information that report on your members gives?
What demographics and psychographics make up the typical nudist? What do
they all seem to share? What percentage of the local members of local,
regional, national, and international nudist organizations does your park
bring in? Do you know the numbers of local members to these organizations?
Have you contacted them about getting their mailing lists?

Answer those questions and we'll be better able to help you.

Scott Jensen
--
Peer-to-peer networking (a.k.a. file-sharing) is entertainment's future.
If you'd like to know why, read the white paper at the link below.
http://www.scottjensenshow.com/P2PRevolution.pdf

"Carol Preston " <cjpreston@usadatanet.net> wrote in message
news:cfo7h50b82@enews4.newsguy.com...
>
> We do try to track our results. One problem is that it sometimes takes
> years between when someone learns of us and comes in to visit. We also
have
> a report on our members that gives us what groups they come from. So far
I
> have not figgured out the best media to advertise in.


If it was me, I'd pay a friendly visit to the biggest magazine stand in your
state, and check out what people were reading in the
ecology-metaphysical-wicca-magick topics, browse through the back pages and
see which ones had ads that would blend in with an ad for a
clothing-optional resort, then investigate ad rates, readership
demographics, bang for the buck, etc.

Here's a few to consider:
http://www.allyoucanread.com/index.asp?idCat=213
http://www.bodyandsoulmag.com/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/HTDoc...Ohome/home.asp
http://www.fatemag.com/


... . . and you could write a book extolling the virtues of clothing optional
parks (include a metaphysical angle) and have these folks publish and
distribute it:
www.llewellyn.com/
... . . maybe co-write it with a wiccan practitioner to talk up something
unusual about your place, its history, local spirits, whatever. Sell 'em,
and then you could get a royalty for every potential client that reads your
promotion. "Advantages of Skyclad Ritual, or How to Contact the Spirits at
Camp Whatever."

Maybe you could do late-night talk radio phone interviews around your state.
It would be free advertising, and would encourage folks to look for more
info about you.

I dunno what would grow in your area, but you might consider planting some
sort of low-maintenance herbs and let your guests pick their own . . . maybe
"under a full moon" or whatever. Some of this stuff may sound far-fetched,
but there are people out there willing to spend money on the craziest stuff
... . . One of these magazines ran ads for what was essentially a plastic
football helmet wrapped with tin foil. They sold it for $600, and it was
guaranteed to keep space aliens from controlling your mind. No kidding.
So, just use your imagination, figure out what nude people might like to do
in the woods, and then sell it to 'em.
Best,
--Tock

Good suggestion, Thanks

"Kringle" <mtngnome@rev.net> wrote in message
news:cfpj5902lje@enews1.newsguy.com...
>
> Perhaps offer different incentive packages for each marketing scheme.
[ Moderator's note: Our quote-measurement software indicated quoted material
at ~96%. So I've elided the excess since Carol's objective was only to thank
Kringle. -JimL ]