A camps-only marketing agency running fractional CMO engagements, paid acquisition, lifecycle email, and Generative Engine Optimization — for the directors who are tired of explaining what a registration window is to a generalist.
Camps served
In camp marketing
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Camps only
Residential and day camps from the Carolinas to British Columbia. We don’t name names on the home page — references available on request.
Camps served
States & provinces
Camps only
Standards-aware practice
National & regional
Industry podcasts
Camp business publications
Certified across leading tools
Active client introductions
All three are with a real camp marketing specialist. None of them are sales calls in disguise.
For first-time conversations, random questions, and media interviews. Fast, focused, no slides — we’ll know in 15 minutes whether a deeper conversation makes sense.
For deeper dives, second conversations, and camps comparing options. We’ll go field-by-field through your funnel and walk away with a written next step.
For active clients and scheduled work. Screen-share, ad accounts open, real changes made on the call. Reserved for camps already in an engagement.
Three things, in this order. We hold the agenda; you bring the questions.
Your enrollment goals & current bottlenecks
Where you want to be next summer, and the one or two things that have stopped you from getting there. The honest version — not the board-deck version.
Where your marketing dollars are leaking
A quick scan of your ad spend, email program, and enrollment funnel. Most camps lose 20–40% to fixable plumbing problems. We’ll point out the obvious ones live.
A clear next step — no pressure, no pitch
You’ll leave with a concrete recommendation you can act on, regardless of whether we work together. If we’re a fit, we’ll send a written proposal. If not, we’ll point you somewhere better.
Eric has spent 12+ years inside the camp industry — first running enrollment for a 1,400-camper overnight program, then building Camper Machine to serve camps the way he wished an agency had served his. He speaks regularly at the American Camp Association national and regional conferences, has guested on most of the camp-industry podcasts, and is the founder of The Camp Stack — the methodology our team uses internally.
The difference: every fractional CMO at Camper Machine has actually run a camp. We know the spring panic, the May refund window, and exactly which CRM you are probably stuck inside of.
Not ready to book a call? Tell us what’s on your mind and we’ll write back — usually same day, never longer than one business day.
Eight things we get asked weekly. If yours isn’t here, drop it in the form above — we’ll answer it personally.
Both. Our client roster includes traditional overnight camps, day camps, specialty camps (sports, arts, STEM), and faith-based programs. The marketing fundamentals are similar; the channels and messaging differ. We tailor every engagement to your camp model, season length, and tuition tier.
Within one business day, every time. Form submissions and emails go straight to a real human — usually our founder Eric — not a drip pipeline. If we cannot help, we will tell you on the first call and often refer you to someone who can.
We work with summer camps and only summer camps. We know the enrollment cycle, the parent-decision timeline, the difference between ACA-accredited and independent operators, and which camp software you are probably stuck inside of. A generalist agency learns your industry on your dime; we already speak the language. See more on the about page.
Camper Machine is the done-for-you marketing service: we run your campaigns. The Camp Stack is the do-it-yourself playbook and software framework — courses, templates, and the methodology our team uses internally. Many camps start with The Camp Stack and graduate to Camper Machine when they need execution at scale.
It is a real 15-minute phone or Zoom call with a camp marketing specialist — no slide deck, no pitch. We ask about your enrollment goals and current bottlenecks, share one or two ideas you can act on regardless of whether we work together, and decide if a longer conversation makes sense.
One free, no-pitch call with a camp marketing specialist. Walk away with one or two ideas you can act on — even if we never work together.
