Van life and the future

[RyanK]

Hi again everyone,

I'd like to quickly thank those who responded to my last post, much appreciated. My team and I have made progress in developing cookware for use outdoors and have implemented the values and needs of our 60 or so interviewees into the design. That being said, we are now working to learn about marketing strategies and how to get the word out when the product is finished.

What I'd really like to know is how you do research to find the right product and where you ultimately purchase your gear! Do you read magazines or online articles to learn more about potential products? Are there specific stores you explore when looking for outdoor gear or items for your van? Do you prefer shopping online or in physical stores?

Does social media ever influence your purchase decision, and if so, what platform(s) do you use? Are there specific pages or influencers you're drawn to?

If you have the time, answer all the questions you can! Feel free to add any additional details as well such as price ranges or disappointing purchases. The more information I collect, the better the end product will become so I appreciate any responses.

Thank you for your time.

 

[user 423]

What last post? You may want to link to it.

My 'gear' is very basic. WW2 mess kit +utensils. 2qt. sauce pan w/lid (Revere Ware). A small frying pan.

Single-burner LP stove. Filter basket from a 4-cup coffee maker. Insulated cup with cover.

Rubbermaid containers of various sizes.

Couple of medium-size melamine plates.

Most bought from Goodwill, Salv.Army,etc.

 

[RyanK]

Thank you for the suggestion, that's a good idea
Here's the link to my last post: 
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=39276&pid=481991#pid481991

 

[jacqueg]

When I'm looking for van life ideas and inspiration, I look

1) on this site

2) on youtube

3) for some types of questions, escapees.com

4) occasionally, I look on doityourselfrv.com

I am very much oriented toward the idea of my van being a tent, rather than an apartment.

 

[maki2]

one way to do it is send out one of the units to a youtube channel in the hopes of getting it reviewed by them. Be sure it is someone that inspires you to watch them so that you have a strong personal connection to their channel. No strings attached, if they like it great, if not then you take that as constructive criticism. Of course at present the van dwellers might actually be in need of some fun equipment to reviews as many of them can't be on the road and filming their travels.

Marketing takes time. But one essential is getting the right list of keywords to use in the marketing that will give you the best return for your efforts. So that will be something you can start working on for your marketing plans that involves a zero outlay of funds.

 

[eDJ_]

In my experience,  campgrounds at State Parks provided a show and tell of people's home built rigs.  Of course this was in nice weather.  If in winter Youtube videos would be a next best source.

As for gear, (new stuff being offered)  the big box stores in the spring offered samples of various things that may or may not offer solutions.

Catalog/websites that target campers/sportsmen RV'ers etc  were beneficial.  campmor.com  was a good source.

Today,  social media such as Facebook is major. (and remember....there is also a "Business Facebook"  those in small business need to become familiar with for their marketing effort.  

When you get this info you seek, you may consider publishing a free magazine with it using "issuu.com" (or others like it.  Then as you review each item allow for feed back post (like you would see at youtube.  This could broaden your feedback range and it's free. 

One of the many "categories" here is "Seen on the Road".  It's where snapshots of interesting things or ideas are presented for the rest of us.

Finally, you may want to become familiar with the people at SCORE.org.  They are 100% free and specialize in all phases of business counseling. 
When you look at their website visit the "browse the library" link.   When you enter that page, there is a dark gray nav bar "Narrow By".   Figure what suits your needs best and start there.  You can always make other selections.  It's all free. 

Good luck.

 

[DannyB1954]

I never volunteer information to marketers. You want us to help you sell items for a profit. That is not what this forum is for.
Van life and the future has nothing to do with your marketing ploy.

 

[nature lover]

AMEN Danny B - besides this is the wrong forum for that. Go to the people who want fancy, expensive things like those who use half naked women to get clicks on their van life videos. Most of our folks are a bit less fancy. Some of us can afford the best but aren't stupid enough to spend it if you can find something that works in a thrift store. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

 

[DannyB1954]

The reason that they can not post under a previous name is they may have got the boot for marketing research.

 

[RyanK]

I never volunteer information to marketers. You want us to help you sell items for a profit. That is not what this forum is for.
Van life and the future has nothing to do with your marketing ploy.

Thank you for you answer Danny, it has given me a lot to think about. I completely understand where you're coming from and I apologize if my post seemed invasive. That being said, this is for my senior project in college at Cal Poly. I'm trying to gain experience in information gathering and entrepreneurship so that I can provide you with a product that can actually make your life better/easier and at a cheaper cost. It has become increasingly difficult in the last few months to find interviews with people in person, especially in such a niche market as van camping, so, I have ultimately turned to many forums for the help I need. Again, I'd like to apologize for my methods of collecting information, but, any additional information you have on this subject would be appreciated, even if its to another forum or site specifically for marketing information. Thank you for you time and thoughts.

 

[vanbrat]

One of the problems might be that, for security, we the public have learned there is never a good time to give ANYONE very much private information, even my mom knows better then to post anything on line or to expect to get anything on line, there are to many hackers. And while I tried to answer your questions when you asked there is NO WAY I would ever give anyone any personal info. no name, no Email, no address, nope not happening. I don't mind answering questions about how I cook, but if that won't help you without the other information you may need to find a different way to get your information. You may well be the most honest person and not after trouble but..... sorry we got really burned a few years back, toasted my computer and hubby had to deal with some credit issues. I hope you do figure things out this lifestyle is getting more common as time goes on

 

[trailer-t]

Ryan K, So is the data you are seeking for an academic project or is it for an actual commercial product development? see post#1 above vs post#10.
My kid is presently doing a masters thesis that requires him to gather data for an academic presentation, but there is no "team" working on it or
developing a product for any commercial gain --it is simply research for a masters presentation. Post 1 above indicates this is for developing
a product--that may be why there is some difficulty in getting more responses.

 

[crofter]

....you can find something that works in a thrift store.  "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

I agree, nature, but I did get a couple of awesome stainless steel stock pots at the grocery store. They were $10 each, and I kept one and donated the other at the free table at RTR. I use it all the time. 

The rest of my stuff is the standard kitchen kit.
-crofter

 

[maki2]

I am sure as a student you have lots of access to books on how to create a marketing campaign using a grass roots, social media approach. But when you run into public resistance such as you are getting right now then you need to realize your approach is simply not working. That is the signal to stop and figure out a new venue that will produce the results you are seeking.

For instance if you want to understand the camping cookware market contact someone at places such as REI or Cabellas. Approach them as a design student but do not do a sales pitch for what you are designing. Sure you can show your portfolio if you are asked for it. But the focus should be to obtain an education in the subject. They know their market, they know the types of things that are in demand.

Right now any interviews will of course be done via the internet as you can't go do those things face to face. So the timing could work nicely to your advantage.

 

[RyanK]

Ryan K,  So is the data you are seeking for an academic project or is it for an actual commercial product development?  see post#1 above vs post#10. 
My kid is presently doing a masters thesis that requires him to gather data for an academic presentation, but there is no "team" working on it or
developing a product for any commercial gain --it is simply research for a masters presentation.  Post 1 above indicates this is for developing
a product--that may be why there is some difficulty in getting more responses.

Technically the data I'm seeking is for both academic and commercial purposes. For my senior project, we have joined with many other majors, such as engineering and manufacturing, in order to create a product in a problem space of our choosing. After doing many face-to-face interviews, I have found the product we have designed could be very helpful to Van campers and solve many problems you may be facing currently such as with space, speed, or clean up. That being said, I understand that not everyone has the best intention, but I would never ask for any personal information here. Being an entrepreneurship major has me more excited than most about the potential market for the product but that is mainly because we've found areas for improvement we think could makes people lives better/easier. Still learning how to use the forum fully so sorry if the format is off.

 

[Dingfelder]

It appears that you have your answers, RyanK. Whether you accept them or not is up to you.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

I prefer to shop in physical stores if at all possible. This is because it is too easy (and far too prevalent) for manufacturers to make their products seem better than they really are in online marketing. If I can hold something in my hand and fiddle with it, then I can tell whether it is of good quality and will last.

If I see that a lot of YouTubers are suddenly singing the praises of a new product, then I pretty much know that product is probably crap. All these people talk about how wonderful something is after having had it in their hands for all of a week.

 

[trailer-t]

Ryan K, I buy 90% online from Amazon vs Walmart or possibly from goggle search results for a specialized item.
My stuff is basically camping gear that I stick in a vehicle or trailer.
If I buy some gear in a store it is usually from Walmart vs Target. Most of the information I review in buying is on either this forum
or various you-tube video channels put out by van dwellers ( I am not a vandweller, but have similar vehicles for camping).
Manufacturers/marketers also give or loan complementary products to video channel owners to use and review for followers.
I like to view these (but with a grain of salt). Also the videos of people showing around inside their rigs gives lots of info that I look at even though it is not marketing per se.
I have bought a number of products recommended in ebooks found on Amazon Prime (kindle).

Camping World and Harbor Freight are the only relevant paper catalogues I get via mail---I look at these and may get something there if it catches my eye.

 

[MrNoodly]

I got most of my product recommendations from veteran vandwellers. Then some of those products got ditched when they didn't fit my particular needs. They were replaced (and maybe replaced again) based on my growing experience. Some of the things I use come from outside the camping/RV/travel/adventure world -- like from the hardware store or thrift shop.

I worked in marketing for 40 years, so I pretty much ignore advertising. It's going to hype the benefits and ignore the shortcomings/faults. It's the nature of the beast. And some percentage of it is total fraud.

 

[XERTYX]

The bulk of my online purchases of gear lately are from amazon. Before I purchase a product of any significant price point (significant is a smaller threshold on my budget) I take a notebook and record as much data as I can about the specs and compare it to other products of differing, similar, and cheaper prices.

I dont pay much attention to advertising gimmicks or flashy banners. I also plan on the product being a flop. Planned obsolescence in today's market is seen everywhere.

What I tend to do is to shop in thrift stores for stuff made a long time ago that's still holding together. For instance the lid i use on my small frying pan and sauce pan is a circa 1980s enameled lid from a camping pot (which i also use) from goodwill for about 2 bucks.

The only advice I would give to a product manufacturer in today's climate is to make a product that lasts a lifetime at a reasonable price point. Not to make a product that is disposable and WILL fail shortly and need to be replaced.

"They dont make em like they used to" is often over used but it's true. Back then the idea was to sell 1 to 100 million people that wouldn't need replacement not 100 to 1 million people until they lose faith in your product lines and the company goes under.