Getting Big

BIG4 Holiday Parks was born from a decision by four Victorian caravan parks to join forces over 30 years ago. Today it includes 180 parks nationwide, under a franchise-style arrangement, but with the ethos still remaining true to that early spirit of collaboration. By Andrea O’Driscoll.

BIG4 WAS FORMED by the owners of four caravan parks in Ballarat, Victoria who agreed over dinner one night back in 1978 that joining forces would help them fend off the competition.

They believed that uniting under a common Brand would allow them to beat unbranded competitors. The increased buying power would save them money, while the pooling of their individual expertise would help make their businesses stronger and more profitable.

And they were certainly right in that belief. Today BIG4 Holiday Parks is one of the most recognised brands in Australia with 180 parks and 166,000 loyalty club members.

Rodger Powell says part of BIG4’s success lies in
enabling park owners to do what they do best – run
the parks.

In keeping with the spirit of collaboration that characterised its inception, BIG4 doesn’t operate under a traditional franchise structure. “They started franchising very soon after they got set up in 1979,” explains current Chairman Rodger Powell, “but it’s quite unusual in that it’s essentially a not-for-profit franchise. Its culture is more like a co-operative, with the shares held in trust on behalf of all the franchisees. They then pay an annual franchise fee for the services BIG4 offers.”

The company held its first annual general meeting in 1980. By 1985, it had started to expand nationally and changed its name from BIG4 to BIG4 Holiday Parks. By 1989, the group counted 50 parks throughout the country among its number.

According to Powell part of the company’s success hinges on its recognition that the park owners should carry on with what they do best (ie running parks), while BIG4’s central office looks after the branding and marketing side. “We are not in the business of running or operating parks,” he explains. “All of our parks are owned and operated by our franchisees. The BIG4 business is effectively a separate entity that franchises the brand name and operating systems to individual operators.”

Even the original four owners continued as park operators after BIG4’s creation with Des Watts, one of the company’s founders, currently operating four holiday parks.

The company actively seeks existing caravan and holiday park owners to join its growing business. “We’re looking for the right mixture of a great park in a great location with a quality operator,” explains Powell. “The franchise costs vary depending on size, location and how an individual park achieves its turnover. We are by far the most expensive park group, but that’s because we provide by far the greatest range of benefits and services.”

According to Powell the primary advantage of becoming a franchisee is the ability to benefit from the BIG4 brand. “First and foremost, what we bring to franchisees is the BIG4 brand and the collective marketing efforts that we provide on behalf of all our parks,” he says.

“According to a number of independent surveys, BIG4 has the highest brand recognition of any holiday park group in the country. The brand and the work that is done around that – whether it’s outright advertising, public relations, the production and distribution of our Holiday Guide – is undoubtedly our number one benefit.”

Another major benefit is the BIG4 loyalty program that currently boasts 166,000 members. “The BIG4 Club started in one of the park owner’s lounge rooms in 1995,” explains Powell. “Originally it was a card that entitled you to discounts on accommodation at BIG4 parks and a selection of businesses and tourist attractions in the local area. It just grew and grew and now they get an email newsletter and the range of benefits has become quite substantial. There are literally hundreds of special offers for members.”

Membership costs $40 for two years and includes a saving of 10 per cent on a stay (up to a maximum of $30) at any BIG4 holiday park. National member benefits include special pricing on all new Mitsubishi vehicles, 10 per cent off all products listed on Outdoors Online and $10 off per dozen wines at Wine Box Warehouse.

One of the more recent services designed to benefit franchisees is the addition of an online booking engine to BIG4’s website. While the company has had a web presence for many years, the site it launched in September last year is the first to feature this booking facility.

“We have a pretty substantial website and sub-sites for each park,” explains Powell. “We recently partnered with an online booking engine and it has been a fantastic success. It’s only in its tenth month of operation and we’re very close to hitting $1 million a month in turnover. It really reflects that there is now a whole market of people out there who are very comfortable researching their holidays, finding information and making their bookings via the web.”

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