CASE STUDY

An ongoing brand awareness and audience growth effort across multiple social media channels, executed for Camp Ramah in Wisconsin (CRW).

Campaign Dates: Ongoing since February 2023

Our Role: Content creation, end-to-end video services, social media strategy, management, and reporting.

Summary

NTI Upstream partnered with Camp Ramah in Wisconsin to develop and execute a comprehensive social media strategy aimed at expanding the camp’s digital presence. Our work included:

Strategic Execution: Crafted and implemented tailored strategies to boost brand visibility, audience engagement, and key outcomes such as enrollment, website traffic, and social channel growth.

Multi-Platform Presence: Promoted CRW across a range of social media platforms using a balanced mix of organic and paid content.

Performance-Driven Approach: Used analytics to track impact and ensure alignment with broader organizational goals.

Additionally, we provided full content development and marketing support:

Created engaging visuals, videos, and written posts tailored to CRW’s target audiences.
Scheduled and published content at optimal times to maintain consistency and relevance.
Delivered end-to-end video services and additional marketing support to enhance CRW’s overall digital footprint and brand recognition.

CHALLENGES

Managing the social media accounts of a Jewish summer camp presents a unique set of challenges, stemming from the intersection of cultural sensitivity, privacy concerns, logistical limitations, and platform-specific constraints.

Privacy Law

Since overnight summer camps primarily serve minors, strict compliance with privacy laws like COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) is essential. We were very cautious about posting identifiable images or information about campers without explicit parental and camp consent. Even with permission, there's often an ethical responsibility to be selective about the type of content shared. This can severely limit the kind of organic, spontaneous content that typically performs well on social platforms.

Background

CRW serves families from various backgrounds, including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular communities. We were mindful of language, imagery, and themes to avoid alienating or offending any group. Even minor missteps – like using inappropriate music or references – can result in backlash from parents or camp supporters.

Holiday Observance

Many Jewish camps observe Shabbat and Jewish holidays, during which technology use is restricted or prohibited. This can result in multiple-day blackouts on content posting and engagement, especially on weekends when social media activity is otherwise high. To mitigate this, we prepared and scheduled content in advance and developed strategies to keep momentum going while adhering to religious observance.

Value Emphasis

Jewish camps like CRW often emphasize values like community, modesty, spiritual growth, and unplugging from digital life. Promoting such experiences on visually driven, sometimes superficial platforms like Instagram or TikTok requires careful positioning. We were mindful to walk a fine line between crafting appealing content and preserving the authenticity and mission of the camp.

Insights

When managing the social media channels and developing a social media strategy for a Jewish summer camp, several unique insights emerge from the intersection of cultural identity, youth engagement, seasonal programming, and community-building.

Audience Awareness

Primary audience: Campers

Who they are: Digital natives

What they want: Visually rich, fast-paced platforms like Instagram and TikTok

Messaging focused on fun, vibrant, and relatable content.

Secondary audience: Parents and Guardians

Who they are: Those making the enrollment and financial decisions

What they want: Transparency, values alignment, and a sense of security

Messaging for them emphasized community, tradition, and safety.

Tertiary audience: Alumni, donors, and local community members

Who they are: Many of these individuals have emotional ties to the camp

What they want: To feel a continued connection and impact

Messaging focused on legacy, nostalgia, and impact, encouraging continued support through donations and word-of-mouth advocacy.

Platform and Tone

Choosing the right platforms and tone for communication was crucial to effectively reach different audiences. Each platform served a distinct purpose:

Instagram and TikTok: Ideal for engaging campers with behind-the-scenes glimpses, fun trends, and camper challenges that showcase the vibrant daily life of camp.
Facebook: While less popular with youth, it effectively reaches parents and older generations with updates, photo albums, and fundraising announcements.
YouTube: Supports long-form storytelling through recap videos, counselor interviews, and promotional reels.

Across all platforms, the tone must be spirited and heartwarming, capturing the camp's energy while reassuring parents and stakeholders of its integrity and care.

Cultural storytelling and trust-building

Cultural storytelling – especially around Jewish traditions, community values, and learning – is a powerful way to deepen emotional engagement with families. Furthermore, transparent communication and authenticity matter more to parents than polished aesthetics, reinforcing the importance of trust in messaging.

Leveraging urgency and nostalgia

The inherently seasonal nature of camp creates opportunities to use urgency-driven tactics like countdowns and limited-time registration prompts. Simultaneously, nostalgic elements such as alumni stories and archival content are effective for re-engaging past participants and encouraging contributions through emotional resonance.

Results

Since taking on this project in February 2023, we’ve seen incredible results, such as increased enrollment, higher audience and follower counts, more web traffic, and better overall social media performance across all metrics.