Branding recreation
According to a recent Recreational Trends Study, the baby boomer generation of retirees want activities that are energetic and that don’t sound old or tired – activities like bingo, bridge, dances simply aren’t ‘hip’ or healthy enough. This Study also suggests that baby boomers want an upscale or clubby atmosphere in their recreation facilities.
What does this mean for brands in the recreation industry?
These findings suggest that baby boomers value the social aspect, relaxation benefits, and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle in addition to the core benefit which is having 'fun'.
With so much competition it means that getting the branded market positioning right is essential to ensure that consumers, specifically baby boomers, believe they are able to fulfill these core needs.
The experience is also very important to the recreation consumer. Removing pain points and taking a service-oriented branding stance will improve the consumer interaction and help elevate the experience from ‘positive’ to ‘memorable’.
Unique to the recreation industry, is that the vast majority of consumers start their experience in a ‘pleasant’ mindset. This creates a tendency for consumer satisfaction to be skewed in the positive direction. Since there are so many recreational solutions in today’s marketplace, it is important that brands do not settle for a ‘positive’ customer experience but instead strive for a ‘memorable and positive’ customer experience.
In terms of branding a ‘memorable’ customer experience, a trustworthy, inspiring, and fun brand personality comes to mind when thinking of impactful brand characteristics targeting baby boomers with a recreation lifestyle.
What brand characteristics come to mind for you? Has anyone had a memorable brand experience with a recreation brand?
