THE MARKETOUR

A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

August-September, 2001

Understanding the Sport Show Visitor

Sport show marketing is an important part of the Department's overall promotional plan. 

To make sure the right message and information is delivered to consumers through sports shows, the Department of Tourism developed and executed an extensive research project in winter and spring of 2001. This promotion provided an avenue for the Department to gather demographic, as well as marketing information, specific to trade show customers. 

To attract research participants, the Department offered sport show booth visitors a chance to register to win a free boat and motor. By offering a substantial incentive, the Department gathered information from more than 4,280 consumers who get their vacation planning information at sports shows. 

Show visitors filled out a survey including their name and address, to be eligible for the drawing.

Some of the key highlights of the study include:

• The average age of sport show attendees is 45 years old.
• The average household composition includes two adults and two children under age 18.
• Over 90 percent have traveled previously in Wisconsin as an adult. 
• On average, attendees vacation in Wisconsin three times per year.
• Most visitors typically travel with family, friends or both.
• The majority of visitors use overnight lodging accommodations, typically hotels/motels, tents or cabins.
• Fishing, camping and hunting were the top three leisure activities.

The study segmented respondents into several categories, including "Kids at Home/No Kids at Home" and "Frequent Wisconsin Traveler/Infrequent Wisconsin Traveler." In comparing data within these categories, a number of fairly intuitive assumptions appear. For instance, camping appears to be more popular among travelers with children than those traveling without children in the group. Camping was the most frequently mentioned type of lodging indicated among those traveling with children, cited 39 percent of the time. Among those without children in the travel group, less than one-third, (32 percent) identified camping as a lodging alternative.

Camping was also listed by 12 percent of the respondents as a favorite leisure activity. Less than one in 10 visitors who traveled without children identified camping among their favorite leisure activities. Sport show visitors traveling with children were slightly more likely to do Internet travel planning than those traveling without children, 45.3 percent to 39.5 percent. 

Swimming was also more frequently cited as a popular activity by those traveling with children. Sports show visitors without children noted sightseeing and golf slightly more often than those traveling with kids. They were also more likely to stay at bed & breakfasts.

Responses among sport show attendees categorized as "frequent" or "infrequent" travelers to Wisconsin also showed some notable differences. Frequent travelers (people who've traveled in Wisconsin at least 12 times in the last three years) required a shorter planning period for their getaways, with 30 percent doing their planning within one month of the trip and 11 percent doing planning the week of the trip. Conversely, infrequent travelers tended to be longer-term planners. Over 40 percent indicated they planned their trips one to three months prior vacationing in Wisconsin, while 21 percent planned four to six months in advance.

In addition, the Sports Show study showed that frequent travelers were more than twice as likely than infrequent travelers to own vacation homes in Wisconsin. This fits with other Department of Tourism research findings that show infrequent travelers to Wisconsin spend considerably more per trip and use paid lodging more often than frequent Wisconsin travelers. Since infrequent travelers to Wisconsin plan further in advance, this presents an opportunity to promote further into the season and beyond. For spring sports shows, don't forget to cross-sell fall color, fishing and golf.

Frequent travelers were also more likely to travel with friends, travel in combined friends and family groups, and use Wisconsin tourism guides and other travel brochures slightly more often than infrequent travelers. 

If you would like more information on this study, please contact Sue Hamilton at 608/266-6792 or shamilton@tourism.state.wi.us.

Quality B-roll: A Key to TV Coverage

The April/May issue of Marketour outlined eight basic steps you can take to start generating publicity for your organization. While these steps form the building blocks of any sound publicity plan, marketers trying to get their message on television, in addition to print, might want to take one additional step - securing good b-roll footage. 

Simply put, "b-roll" is raw video footage shot of a product, destination or activity. Typically used by television stations as background visual support for a news segment or feature stories, b-roll generally includes natural sound but not narration, since a reporter will be "voicing over" the footage with his/her own script when the segment is produced. 

B-roll is usually offered to a station or program when the initial press release or pitch call is made. If the station's interest is piqued, they may then opt to send out their own crew to film. However, programming decision-makers are frequently constrained by budget or manpower limitations and don't always have crews available, so even though they may be genuinely interested in your story, they might not be able to cover it - unless you provide the footage. In these instances, an organization's ability to deliver professionally shot, broadcast quality b-roll can make the difference between getting the story on air or not.

So how do you get quality b-roll? Here are some things to keep in mind: 

• B-roll footage typically averages about 90 seconds per main individual segment. So, for example, if you are shooting a festival, spend 90 seconds on any single performer or attraction; 90 seconds (maximum) on a cute child eating an ice cream cone; 90 seconds on a unique parade float, and so on.
• B-roll is non-produced footage. That means it runs at a regular speed (no slow motion); there are no graphics; there is no narrator or on-camera announcer; and it must be in BETA format. Your sales and marketing video is not usable for b-roll, nor is anything done in VHS format. 

As far as shooting goes, your best bet is to hire a professional. B-roll footage shot by someone without a television news/editorial background is not likely to get used. Even videographers who are experienced in shooting advertising footage or sales videos may not be the right choice. For assistance in finding qualified b-roll videographers in your area, contact the department PR staff at 608/267-3773 or pr@travelwisconsin.com 

WEB TIPS:  Frames: Friend or Foe?

Frames. Once heralded in the world of Web site design as a breakthrough in user-friendliness, many users now consider them the much overused speed bump of the Internet. 

When used correctly, frames allow a Web site to maintain a very organized, cohesive look allowing common navigation buttons and links to remain stationary while users cruise through page after page of information. But too often, Web designers forget to examine whether or not the scope of the project truly warrants the use. 

Many users find the overuse of frames annoying and complain of problems including slow downloads, printing difficulties, the inability to bookmark pages for later visits, confusing and complex page layouts and having to scroll pages horizontally. When you only have a few seconds to make an impression on your e-audience, these distractions can drive visitors away.

The simple rule when it comes to frames is that if you can, build your site without frames. Keep in mind that the most popular and powerful sites on the Web, including MSN, CNN and Yahoo, are created without a single frame. 


10-SECOND WRITING CLINIC

Numbers at the Beginning of a Sentence
Spell out a number at the start of a sentence. If possible, change the sentence order.
Incorrect: 200,000 people attended the festival on Saturday.
Correct: Saturday, 200,000 attended the festival.  -- or -- Two hundred thousand people attended the festival on Saturday.

The exception to this rule is when the number refers to a calendar year.
Correct: 2000 was a banner year for Wisconsin tourism.

MEDIA LEADS

Budget travel is hot on the minds of writers across the country this month. The editors at Arthur Frommer's Budget Online Travel ( www.frommers.com ) continue their pursuit of the top travel bargains in the country, and are interested in information on the best deals in resorts, destinations and attractions. Travel information and deals can be sent to Frommer's Travel Guides, Hungry Minds, 909 Third Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

Joan Rattner Heilman is searching for new travel deals for travelers over the age of 50 for her best-selling guidebook, "Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50." The book is revised annually and is now in its 13th edition. Travel deals and information can be sent to Joan Rattner Heilman, 812 Stuart Avenue, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. She can also be reached by e-mail at joanheilman@hotmail.com. 

PR'S GREATEST HITS

From the hidden waters of Wisconsin's famed Northwoods to the swift waters of Mosinee, fishing in Wisconsin has been a hot topic recently. 

Mosinee caught the attention of the fishing world as ESPN2's cameras turned to the town during a recent taping of the weekly show "Fly Fishing America." The show featured fly fishing for smallmouth bass on the Wisconsin River and included a side trip to nearby Springdale Farm.

Boating Life editors packed up their gear and took their readers to Wisconsin's Northwoods for their April issue. The article "Legends of The Northwoods" heralded the area's nearly 3,200 lakes, intriguing history and spectacular fishing, including the pursuit of the infamous musky.