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THE MARKETOUR
A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE
WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
February-March 2002
In this issue:
Online Crisis Communications
Communicating bad news is never easy, but it is something every
business must be prepared to do. Like it or not, an organization's ability
to deal with crisis situations may be the difference between its survival
or demise. Fortunately, advances in technology have given today's
executives a number of new tools to use in crisis communication, the
foremost of which is the Internet.
As previously discussed in Marketour, the first step in any crisis
management plan is to identify potential crises, issues and groups that
could threaten your business. After doing an internal risk assessment
audit (see Marketour,
Dec.'99/Jan.'00 issue) you may also want to implement an external
issues management program. In such a program, one or more staff members
would be assigned to closely follow general media, industry publications
and association news, as well as monitor Web sites, online news groups and
Internet chatrooms which discuss issues pertinent to your industry and/or
organization.
Web monitors should also search for "rogue" Web sites that
may attack your organization, and fraudulent news releases designed to
mislead the public. While this monitoring can be easily performed
in-house, several external vendors can also be used for specific Web
monitoring projects. Once potential issues, crises and problem groups are
identified, your organization can begin the process of planning how to
deal with them.
One of the most important tools in your crisis communications arsenal
is your own Web site. While most sites are designed to promote an
organization's products and services, they can also be used to effectively
communicate with key constituencies such as customers, employees and the
media. Certainly, most organizations are not equipped to handle the
thousands of calls that can be generated by crisis situations. Following
the lead of Alaska Airlines and other companies who have used their Web
sites as real-time crisis information centers, many organizations now have
plans in place to redirect calls to their Web sites in the event of a
catastrophic event, and continually update the information posted there.
As with off-line crisis response efforts, crisis-related Web content
should follow several guidelines. First of all, it must be timely,
accurate and professional. Moreover, companies should acknowledge any
mistakes they've made and outline the actions they've taken to correct
those mistakes. In these situations, perception is reality, so
organizations must respond to those perceptions and tailor their messages
to them, noting the other side's concerns and showing compassion for the
victims, while emphasizing its relationships with the community, industry
and customers.
Like all aspects of crisis communications, good online crisis
management doesn't begin when a crisis occurs. In anticipation of
potential crises and problem issues, many company/organization Web sites
include advocacy or position statements and address issues and concerns
through "Frequently Asked Questions" sections. Some
organizations have even gone so far as to develop pre-approved press
statements and have "ghost" Web site templates built, to be
activated only if a specific crisis situation actually arises.
When the crisis does hit, efficient handling of the media is of
paramount importance. In addition to using traditional means of
communications such as phone and fax, smart companies will also utilize
e-mail to quickly disseminate their news. Both off-line and online press
releases should refer reporters to information posted on the
organization's Web page as well as any media-only sections of the site. As
with all communications, real-time updating of the information is the key
to maintaining the trust and cooperation of all parties. E-mail is also a
useful crisis communications tool for reaching key constituencies, such as
employees, customers or industry colleagues. By keeping an e-mail database
of these groups, you can ask them to weigh in on your behalf with the
media or legislators. The ability to rally support in times of need can
often turn the public's perception of an organization's handling of a
crisis from negative to positive.
Department's Summer research shows impact of television Campaign
This past summer, the Department completed the fourth wave in a study
tracking the level of awareness generated by Wisconsin advertising in two
of the state's core markets, the Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul areas.
The study included an analysis of how Wisconsin compared with its
competitors. A total of 1,001 interviews were conducted by telephone in
July 2001, just after the Department's summer ad campaign had been
completed.
Here are some of the key findings:
- Respondents were asked to mention as many states or areas for which
they recalled travel advertising. Wisconsin, with 20.9 percent of all
mentions, was second only to Florida, which had 33.8 percent of all
recall.
- Wisconsin had a higher level of advertising recall than competing
Midwestern states. Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana accounted
for 7.5 percent, 5.1 percent, 5 percent and 1.4 percent respectively.
- Excluding Wisconsin, the advertising recall of warm weather states
rated highest, with California at 17.9 percent, "general tropical
areas" (including the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America) at
17 percent and Hawaii at 16 percent.
- Wisconsin's level of advertising recall in summer 2001 was
statistically the same as that in summer 2000. By comparison,
Wisconsin had a recall of 11.7 percent during the pre-campaign March
2000 benchmark study and 6.8 percent during the winter 2001 campaign.
- Three factors seemed to be the primary contributors to the seasonal
difference in awareness of Wisconsin advertising as compared with its
competitors: 1) no supporting Wisconsin television advertising was
included in the winter campaign, 2) warm weather climates are popular
winter destinations and 3) states such as Florida and California
maintain a dominant position throughout the year, particularly during
the winter months.
In summary, the series of wave studies has found that Wisconsin
demonstrates a strong and consistent presence during the peak summer
period when the ad campaign incorporates television and that recall falls
sharply during other seasons when television is removed from the media
mix. For a copy of the report, contact David
Scheler at 608/261-8187.
10-Second Writing Clinic - Affect vs. Effect
Use affect as a verb meaning "to influence."
Example: The weather will affect the turnout for the
festival.
Use effect as a noun meaning "result."
Example: By the end of the season, we'll know what effect
the upgrades to our property had on customer satisfaction.
Use effect as a verb only when you mean "to cause."
Example: The research shows that world events can effect a
change in travel trends.
Department's research looks at the sports show visitor demographics
Are you reaching the outdoor sports enthusiast with your message?
Participating in consumer sports shows is a valuable marketing tool to
reach potential travelers. During the 2000 winter and 2001 spring seasons,
the Department of Tourism conducted an extensive research project at 11
sports shows. Our findings uncovered similarities and differences in the
travel preferences among sports show visitors. Here are some key findings:
- The average sports show visitor is 45 years old and lives in a
household comprised of two adults and two children under 18 years old.
The sports show visitor typically travels with a combination of family
and friends and 58 percent travel with children under 18.
- Seventy percent plan their travel at least four weeks in advance and
rely primarily on word-of-mouth, travel publications, the Internet,
magazines, sports shows and weekly newspapers as sources of leisure
information.
- Fishing (46 percent), camping (12 percent) and hunting (12 percent)
are the top three leisure activities. Ninety-seven percent use
overnight lodging accommodations, primarily hotels or motels, tent
camping, or cabins.
- There are differences between visitors traveling with children and
those traveling without. Households with kids prefer tent and RV
camping and also include hunting, boating and swimming in their
leisure activities. Travelers without children stay with
friends/relatives or in B&Bs and favor activities such as fishing,
sightseeing and golfing.
- When asked about their frequency of visits to Wisconsin, 17 percent
of the visitors indicated they had traveled to Wisconsin at least 12
times in the past three years. These frequent travelers are more
spontaneous when planning their leisure trips. Forty-three percent
plan their trips in less than four weeks compared to 28 percent of the
infrequent traveler. While fishing, camping and hunting are important
activities to both segments, the infrequent traveler also lists
sightseeing, hiking, boating and biking as other travel activities.
For the full Travel Tracker bulletin, visit http://agency.travelwisconsin.com/Research/research.shtm.
In addition to appearing as a featured article in Tourism Today and
Marketour, Travel Tracker is also available as a monthly electronic
bulletin. To subscribe to the e-bulletins, go to http://agency.travelwisconsin.com/subscribe.
Quick Tips
Media Leads:
Although Wisconsin is firmly in the grasp of winter, newspaper editors
throughout the Midwest are focused on the upcoming warm weather of summer.
- The Chicago Sun-Times is looking for information on some of the
Midwest's best summer vacation destinations and festivals. Information
can be sent by mail to travel editor Andrea
Hanis at 401 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-5611.
- To the west, travel editor Doug Peterson is interested in
information on Wisconsin destinations for the Des Moines Register's
summer feature on Wisconsin getaways. Send information to Doug
at 715 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3767.
- Travel writer Gary Volgenau
at the Detroit Free Press is exploring all the fun Wisconsin has to
offer for an article on Midwest getaways. Gary can be contacted by
mail at 600 West Fort Street, Detroit, MI 48226-2706.
PR'S Greatest Hits
Wisconsin has found a home in the national spotlight lately as some of
the top names in print and broadcast media focus on Wisconsin events. In
November, CNN followed the annual migration of the whooping cranes,
highlighting the efforts of the International Crane Foundation based in
Baraboo. Escorted by an ultra-light aircraft, the cranes made their annual
migration from Wisconsin to Florida.
Some of Wisconsin's top events have also been on the minds of some of
the largest newspapers in the United States. Autumn on the Farms at Old
World Wisconsin was featured in the Los Angeles Times in an article
highlighting some of the top events in the country. Meanwhile, Madison's Kites
on Ice festival led the way in a USA Today article titled "10
Great Places to Really Go Fly a Kite."
For More Information
The Marketour is a marketing guide from the Wisconsin
Department of Tourism and Advertising,
Boelter & Lincoln. For more information, contact Andy
Larsen at AB&L, 135 W. Wells, Milwaukee, WI 53203 via fax,
414/271-1436.
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