Camp Tanadoona Word Branding Study

A value proposition exercise with Tanadoona Campers

Timothy Blotz

3/23/2015

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Executive Summary

In an effort to arrive at an updated brand architecture for Camp Tanadoona it is

useful and often extremely valuable to identify a set of leveragable insights. In this case,

we attempt to find them from a subset of stakeholders Camp Tanadoona serves--its

campers.

In that effort, this study conducted a simple word elicitation analysis of four long-

time Camp Tanadoona participants who will also serve as teen counselors during the 2015

season. The students were asked to identify key words and phrases that they felt best

described Camp Tanadoona. Then, through facilitation the students were led into a deeper

discussion about the meaning of their words and phrases in an effort to have them

elaborate about the metaphorical connections to Camp Tanadoona. The exercise led this

study to assemble two diagrams, a mind map, and a means-end ladder to help identify key

insights into the Camp Tanadoona brand as seen through the attitudes and beliefs of this

group of campers.

The students tend to strongly identify Tanadoona in terms of their ideal fantasyland.

One student described it as "magical." Another called it "Neverland." By laddering up the

value scale, the students identify several important insights that Camp Tanadoona is:

• Transformational

• Life changing

• Secures self esteem

• A camp where they can find their place

Together they lead to the formation of a possible brand promise: "Where kids

change themselves and each other."

Campers

The students who volunteered for this study

are veteran Tanadoona campers. All are 16 years

old and high school juniors. (Picture 1) Lalo is a

student at Minnetonka High School and has

attended Tanadoona for three years. Rachael

attends Waconia High School and has come to

Tanadoona for four years. Emerson is at

Picture 1

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Chanhassen High School and has attended Tanadoona every summer for eight years.

Finally, Murphy attends Eden Prairie High School and has been a regular camper at

Tanadoona for ten summers.

Methodology

Each student was asked to individually complete a list of five words or phrases on a

sheet of paper that best described Camp Tanadoona. Afterwards the students where

facilitated in a discussion about their choices where they were asked to elaborate on their

feelings about the words/phrases and other attributes of Tanadoona. The discussion

produced a rich list of additional beliefs and attitudes about the people at Tanadoona,

including its counselors. (Picture 2)

Results

From this new list of attributes a mind map was built based upon clusters of

thoughts clearly attached to the constructs of Camp Tanadoona, its people, and counselors.

The mind map is laid out in a flow pattern from simple function-based descriptors

provided by the students to more complex metaphorical thinking as they were facilitated to

elaborate more on their experiences. (Figure 1)

Picture 2

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Figure 1

From the original list of the students' five word/phrase exercise, a simple means-

end ladder is constructed. This exercise closely models Attitude-Expectation Theory of

consumer behavior in that it provides a visual means of identifying core product functions,

attributes and the experience beliefs or values of what those attributes will provide.

In this case with our students, part of the beauty is that they didn't realize they were

collectively constructing such a model. But their word/phrase choice results point to a

rather strong means-end framework. (Figure 2)

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Figure 2

Function

Home

Neverland Happy Place

Helpful

Second Home

Fun Loving

Outside

Camp Rustic Bracelet

Making

Attributes Joyful

Never Have to Grow

Up

Fun Memories

Adventurous

Open Mindedness

Values Forever

Magical

Friends

for life

Brand Insights Transformational, Life

Changing, Securing Self

Esteem, Finding One’s Place

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Notable in this model are the word choices they select for attributes: happy place,

open mindedness, adventurous, fun, and joyful.

Even more notable are the values they identify: magical, forever, and friends for

life.

Discussion - Conclusions

While this can be a valuable user-based exercise at identifying key brand attributes,

this particular study does have limitations. First, it was conducted with a small and narrow

group of students. A more thorough study would include a larger group and also try to

include a subset of students who have "switched brands" and have come to Tanadoona

after attending another camp.

Additionally, more research could be done through a Zaltman-style elicitation study

where a small group of students are given a specific time frame to assemble a collection of

pictures that represent a story of their experiences with Tanadoona. Such studies are born

out of significant psychological consumer research that shows the majority of human

communication is non-verbal and metaphorical.

What is also notable about this study is what was not mentioned by the students.

Camp Tanadoona leaders along with parents and Camp Fire administrations would likely

identify the international counseling staff as a key attribute and competitive advantage for

the camp. Each year, Tanadoona recruits an experienced staff of counselors from countries

as diverse as the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and countries within Europe. Yet, when

asked to write down their top word/phrase choices and even in the facilitated discussion,

the international attributes of the counselors was never mentioned. Only when subject

was introduced by the facilitator did the students admit it was an afterthought. While they

said the international origins of the counselors was an added value to attending

Tanadoona, it clearly was not at the top of their lists of attributes. They more respected the

how the counselors treated them as individuals over any consideration of their nationality.

Nevertheless, the study allows us to arrive at a set of key brand insights that could

form the basis of key a messaging architecture. In analyzing the ladder exercise (Figure 2)

the students’ word choices point to a set of higher level value words and phrases:

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Transformational

Life Changing

Securing Self Esteem

Finding Their Place

These are words, terms and phrases that begin to build a brand personality for

Tanadoona and should be strategically included in marketing copy tied to the camp.

Additionally, the value insights allow this study to arrive at a possible brand

promise for Tanadoona: “Where kids change themselves and each other.”

This study is merely a starting point, not a conclusion. But it provides some very

useful value propositions for Camp Tanadoona to consider as it tries to come up with a new

branding voice.