TRAINING
Multigenerational Marketing: How To Sell to Families by Margo Peyton , Co-owner, Kids Sea Camp & Family Divers, SC
F OR MORE THAN twenty-six years, I have watched something simple and powerful happen during my trips: a grandparent, an adult child, and
especially keenly. Once they turn sixty, time is no longer abstract.
Healthy, active time becomes the measure of a good life. These divers already know the ocean. What they want now is a way to share it – safely, comfortably, and meaningfully – with the people they love most. There are roughly 2.5 to 3 million active scuba divers in the United States who have dived in the past year, according to recent DEMA figures, and a far larger community of
The question for retailers is not whether these families exist. It is whether your shop is the place they trust to introduce the next generation.
a grandchild sharing the same underwater mo- ment. The industry has long known how to sell gear, certifications, and trips to individual divers. What many retailers are only beginning to capture is the larger opportunity sitting right in front of them – the multigenerational family that wants to stay active, connected, and diving together.
In an era of online school, constant screens, and social media, families are quietly searching for better ways to be with one another. They want real experiences and quality time together. Grandparents and aging parents feel this
certified divers worldwide. Many of those divers are now grandparents or soon will be. The question for retailers is not whether these families exist. It is whether your shop is the place they trust to introduce the next generation. Start by Educating Yourself and Your Staff: Many longtime divers still do not know the current pathways for children and diving. Junior Open Water certification begins at age 10. With the PADI Seal Team, PADI Bubblemaker, and SSI Scuba Rangers programs, children ages 8 and 9 can enjoy the underwater world safely with a certified instructor. Parents or grandparents can also share this experience in a confined- water pool. Parents count toward ratios, so make sure you apply the correct staffing when combining Seal Team kids with parents. The only program designed for younger children is SASY, for kids ages 5 to 7. In SASY, they do not go below the waterline. Kids breathe with a SASY unit that keeps them on the surface. It is essentially a snorkeling program. Non-diving family members can snorkel with kids in the SASY program. It is designed to teach them the very first stages of scuba and get them familiar with a BCD and breathing from a supplied air source while keeping them safely on the surface. Once children are certified, the opportunities expand. Family dives, underwater photography, scavenger hunts, and seasonal fun such as decorating a holiday tree or carving (or decorating) pumpkins underwater give certified kids and their adults something to do together. Discover Scuba Diving experiences can be run for a parent and child side by side. The key is scale. Keep groups small. One instructor with one family – a mother, father, and one child, for example – is ideal. When
26 YEARS
GIVE THEM A WEEK THEY WILL REMEMBER FOREVER!
WWW.KIDSSEACAMP.COM 803.419.2556 KIDS@KIDSSEACAMP.COM
34 | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker