December 19th, 2023 | 2 min. read
By Kim Kovelle
Ready to reach more customers? These marketing services help.
When the Windy City gets cold, it’s time to market summer camps. Early winter and even late fall are key times for filling spots, but that early timeframe and tight budgets make it tricky.
That’s where the highly localized marketing comes in. Chicago Parent — Chicagoland’s leading parenting media brand, and a sister company of Zoe Marketing & Communications — offers an annual strategy to connect Illinois families with camps.
Find out how this campaign boosts your visibility and decide if it’s a fit for you.
Ready to Reach More Customers?
Connect with your best prospects — and drive more conversions — with a custom mix of digital ads, content, email, streaming ads, SEO, creative services and more.
What Chicago Parent’s camp marketing offers
This package promotes Illinois summer camps during January-June, when parents are actively searching. It includes:
✔ Targeted emails
✔ Social media
✔ Magazine ads
✔ Inclusion in ChicagoParent.com’s Camp Guide webpage and interactive camp directory map
With at least 150,000 impressions, it reaches highly engaged parents through a trusted media brand.
1. Which camps are eligible
Any camp that wants to attract kids from Chicago and its suburbs can join.
- Day camps should be within driving distance.
- Overnight camps can be in Michigan, out of state, or even in Canada.
- Most common ages served are 3-17.
- Any camp type is welcome, including traditional, arts, STEM, sports, religious, special needs and more.
2. What the campaign includes
The campaign has three package options:
Premium Camp Presence Package – $4,995
Maximum exposure with eight promotional elements:
- Digital camp guide: Inclusion in Chicago Parent’s high-traffic Camp Guide webpage (promoted heavily from February-June)
- Interactive map (Premium): A standout listing in Chicago Parent’s Camp Guide interactive map
- Camp listing: A featured spot in Chicago Parent’s “Ultimate Camp Guide” (March/April & May/June magazines)
- Two half-page magazine ads: Appear in two Chicago Parent print/digital issues (January–June)
- Targeted roundup email: Your camp featured in an email to 50,000 engaged subscribers
- Partnership Facebook post: Linked feature in a Chicago Parent Facebook post
- Social media reel: A 30-second promotional reel shared on Chicago Parent’s Facebook and Instagram
- Targeted display email: A designed email ad sent to 50,000 parents
Local Camp Visibility Package – $2,995
A six-element package for broad local exposure (no reel or display email).
- Digital camp guide
- Interactive map (Premium)
- Camp listing
- Two quarter-page magazine ads
- Targeted roundup email
- Partnership Facebook post
Local Camp Presence Package – $995
A three-element package for solid visibility (no magazine ad, email, social post or reel).
- Digital camp guide
- Camp listing OR Facebook sponsored post
- Interactive map (Basic)
3. The campaign deadlines
The ideal deadline is Monday, Feb. 5, 2024.
This ensures camps in the Premium and Local Visibility packages appear in two print issues. If you sign up later, you may lose prime exposure and certain elements.
Once you enroll, we’ll send a simple form to collect your camp details. Listings go live within a week after submission.
4. Additional options for camps
Camps can add powerful extras to enhance their presence:
- Programmatic ads: Show your camp’s ads on websites/apps that your target parents visit.
- Search engine marketing (SEM) ads: Appear in Google search results and display ads.
- Additional targeted display emails: Send follow-ups to parents who engaged with the first email.
- Extra social media reels: Retarget interested parents and expand reach.
- Sponsored content stories: A custom-written blog featured on ChicagoParent.com and promoted on Facebook.
Next steps for marketing your camp to Chicagoland
Reaching Chicago parents at the right time is crucial. The 2024 Top Camps Marketing Campaign delivers targeted marketing for $4,995, $2,995 or $995.
Interested? Talk to us at Chicago Parent/Zoe Marketing & Communications to explore your best options.
Still deciding? Learn more about:
Ready to Reach More Customers?
Connect with your best prospects — and drive more conversions — with a custom mix of digital ads, content, email, streaming ads, SEO, creative services and more.
