Articles
A True Brand Fan
It takes a lot of effort and planning to stand out in today’s world full of people constantly being treated as potential customers. Studies show the average person is exposed to roughly 4,000 marketing messages every day, and the number is growing.
A Visual Identity Refresh
Since 2020, state parks have seen massive upticks in visitors. The pandemic forced people to self-reflect and find new ways and places to interact.
Make 2023 Your Best Registration Year Yet With Technology
Registrations have a huge impact on the success of your parks and rec agency. But the same challenges always seem to come up! Discover five ways technology can solve the most common challenges and make sure 2023 is your best registration year yet.
The Marketing Mission
Editor’s Note: This column, “LBWA” (Leadership By Wandering Around), is based on the premise that, in order to find out what’s going on in the field, a parks and rec leader has to leave his or her des
Find Your Niche
It’s an easy rut to fall into--someone pulls the file from a drawer, changes the dates and times, and the same programs run year after year or season after season without much thought.
Marketing For "Guerillas"
The “LBWA” column in the April issue touched on the marketing mission that all recreation departments must adopt to remain competitive in today’s environment. The article prompted one Florida recreation
Make Partnerships Possible
It's 9:00 a.m. on a Monday. You have just returned from vacation and haven't touched your day-planner in a week. Your voice mail reports 18 new messages, and the inbox on your desk is stacked so high
Useful Advice
I am going to stay on the marketing topic for at least another column or two because it has generated a lot of response, both from people needing help and those offering it.
Develop A “Secret Sauce”
If your community is in a major city such as Seattle, Austin, or Washington, D.C., it’s easy to attract tourists to parks and special events. Who wouldn’t want to visit the Space Needle or tour the White House holiday
Marketing Parks
A few years ago, we at the Genesee County Parks in Flint, Mich., realized that the citizens didn't know nearly as much about the parks as we thought they did, and some of what they said they knew wasn
Creating A Monster!
Located halfway between Denver and Boulder, the city of Westminster, Colo., has garnered a national reputation for wildly creative programming and special events. For example, some of the more recent
Marketing Matters
The growing number of park and recreation agencies with dedicated marketing departments bodes well for the industry because it is vital that agencies make their communities aware of
Defining An Audience
Who is your audience? Before we begin, the answer is not, “Everyone.” While this may seem like the obvious answer for agencies that provide services to demographically diverse
Something To Smile About
Amazon.com has become a staple in online shopping. The company saw record-breaking sales in 2016, bringing in $43.7 billion in the fourth quarter alone. And now your park foundation or
Get Something For Nothing (Or Very Little)
No matter what types of programs you offer for youth, parents are the best marketing tools. Whether at the grocery store, on the sidelines, or on social media, parents listen to other parents
Marketing Begins Within
Parks and recreation has been a dream career choice for me. What other field would allow me to program activities that make a difference in so many lives while also allowing me to interact and participate with my community?
Developing A Strategic Marketing Plan
If your agency is looking to enhance its marketing efforts, start by developing an overall strategy. Like a systems plan, a marketing one should not and cannot happen through a patchwork approach.
Revenue Builders--Part 1
As more parks and recreation departments are forced to rely less on the general fund, the need to develop and utilize different revenue-building strategies has become important.
DIY Graphic Design
How to create marketing materials in-house with an off-the-shelf software program.
The Path To Profitability
Like many disciplines within the design and planning realm, landscape architecture is starting to rebound after several stagnant years. Green roofs are attractive, ecologically friendly, and can