This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I have never been a nudist or been to a nudist colony, but for some reason occasionally I get press releases from the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), and I think that nudism isn't a beat assigned to any other reporter at the paper. (Maybe Vince Horiuchi.) Regardless, as a public service, here are excerpts from the AANR's latest press release:
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (May 11, 2011) — Next generation marketing is one of the most valuable tools in an organization's long-term growth arsenal. Think McDonald's packaging "happy meals" to win new customers before they enter kindergarten. It's also why the media and consumer products have been focused on the Baby Boomer generation for the past 50 years, massaging their messaging to maintain relevancy as this large market segment has matured.Lately, the marketing of nude recreation has made headlines in the Wall Street Journal; it's also been a topic of discussion on National Public Radio's "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me," and is being commented upon in social media forums, Twitter, Facebook and more. The American Association for Nude Recreation's (AANR) marketing to the Gen X and Y has for some reason dumbfounded the under 40 set and much of mainstream media. But why? As an organization that is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2011 the AANR has long known that next generation marketing is a requirement of sustainability for any association or business.To paraphrase the great Mark Twain (a passionate skinny dipper), "rumors of nude recreation's death are greatly exaggerated." In fact, with the approach of summer, the American Association for Nude Recreation (http://www.AANR.com), the credible voice of reason on issues relevant to nude recreation and Nakationing in appropriate settings, expects to see a spike in participation.The Facts:1) Nudism is more popular than ever. In an August 17th, 2010 poll by CNBC asking "Would you like to go on a naked vacation?" 53% said yes, only 34% said no.2) In August, 2010, USA Today newspaper reported "staycations are so 2009. It's nakations in 2010." This year the AANR has enjoyed 3 consecutive months of membership revenue increase, and believes that the technology improvements AANR has put into place, including a new website, blog, I-phone app, E-Bulletin, etc., have reached out to tech savvy prospects in a most current fashion.