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The Greater Somerset County YMCA summer camp promotional video shoots prior to 2019 production yielded one comprehensive video showcasing multiple camp locations. This approach denied the smaller camps the opportunity to showcase their close-knit camp culture, and conversely, denied larger camps the chance to highlight their impressive lineup of expert-led specialty camp experiences—all ultimately hindering the marketing performance for all camps. Seeking to produce and distribute more targeted summer camp content to increase content relevance and local interest, a different approach to the video aspect of this effort was undertaken in preparation for the following year.

APPROACH & OUTCOME

After engaging each camp director individually through deep-dive discussions, unique and highly marketable points of differentiation for each location emerged. As a result, testimonial-style interview questions to be read to campers and staff were thoroughly revised—and individualized for each camp’s culture—to elicit responses that brought these points of pride to vivid life. The post-production time-coded transcript review process yielded a high number of quality soundbites that were organically spot-on and aligned with each camp’s key differentiators. Soundbites for each camp were selected and ordered accordingly for final editing, along with notes for incorporation of b-roll captured during the shoots.

Final deliverables included longer-form :30 and :60 videos featuring all camp locations as well as a set of all-new :15 videos featuring camp location-specific testimonial content and footage—20 videos in total. This extensive library of summer camp promotional video content enabled greater targeting of camp promotions across owned, earned, and paid media. Content was distributed to branch-specific Facebook accounts alongside association-wide social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube, and Google SEM paid search.

Leveraging this refreshed suite of summer camp promotional video content, in conjunction with updated messaging and summer camp marketing strategy, helped contribute to a 120% increase in summer camp open house event attendance in 2020 (before COVID lockdown) and a significant sustained lift in summer camp registration week-over-week pacing compared to the previous year. Furthermore, by utilizing time-coded transcripts to identify additional uses and expedite third-party editing, the volume of original content was able to be increased by a factor of 10, with just a 20–30% increase in annual production cost compared to the previous year.

MY ROLE

Project Lead

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & TOOLS

• Strategy: Audience Segmentation | Brand Differentiation | Brand Stewardship | Brand Storytelling | Competitive Analysis | Content Marketing | Customer-Centric Mindset | Data-Driven Decision Making | Integrated Marketing Communications | Market Research | Multi-channel Marketing | Nonprofit Marketing | Project Management | Stakeholder Management | Strategic Marketing & Planning | Word-of-Mouth Influence
• Creative & Production: Budget Management | Creative Development | Creative Services Management | Creative Team Leadership | Social Media Content | Vendor Management | Video Shoots
• Tools: Microsoft Word | Scribie Audio/Video Transcription | You