THE MARKETOUR
A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
December 1997/January 1998
SUMMER TOURISM STUDY ASKS: "HOW ARE WE DOING?"
When he was mayor of New York, Ed Koch asked in many of his speeches, "How am I doing?" During this past summer, the Department of Tourism did something similar. We conducted interviews with people as they were actually taking their Wisconsin vacations, asking them about their vacation planning, vacation spending, and satisfaction with their vacation experience. Their answers were especially useful because we talked to them during their vacations, rather than weeks or months afterward.
Vacationers were interviewed at sites in the Hayward Lakes, Eau Claire, Sheboygan and Spring Green areas. These areas were selected to be representative of the variety of tourist experiences offered by Wisconsin. Everyone we interviewed was taking a vacation (93 percent) or combined business trip/vacation (7 percent); business-only travelers were not included.
How We Did: How is Wisconsin doing? Very well: Nearly everyone we talked to -- 93 percent -- said they would be likely to take another vacation in Wisconsin, and even more -- 97 percent -- said they would recommend a Wisconsin vacation to a friend or relative.
Scenery and relaxation topped the list of things people liked most about their Wisconsin vacations. They were also very satisfied with their most important vacation activities and the service they received during their vacation.
There were a few areas for improvement in vacationers' Wisconsin experiences, though: 14 percent said road conditions were worse than they expected, 8 percent said prices were higher than anticipated and 5 percent said indoor activities fell short. While small, the percentage finding indoor activities lacking may be worth noting since these activities are especially important during inclement weather.
Vacation Planning: About 10 percent of the people we talked to were new or infrequent Wisconsin visitors. Half did their planning within two months of their vacation and the other half did their planning earlier, suggesting that advertising and promotions are important both before and during the summer season. Most scheduled their vacations around expectations of good weather (21 percent), their work schedule (18 percent), or the schedules of everyone in their travel group (12 percent).
Confirming what we heard in the focus groups we conducted in January, friends and relatives were the most useful sources of Wisconsin vacation information. Road atlases and AAA were also useful sources. Those who used Department of Tourism information were most likely to use it both before and during their trip, while the majority of those who used local information used it during the trip.
Families -- including any combination of parents, children, grandparents, etc. -- accounted for less than half (43 percent) of the travel groups in the sample. The rest were groups without children, such as married couples (29 percent) and unrelated friends (14 percent).
Vacation Activities: Swimming and shopping were popular activities in all markets. In addition, activities that each area is known for were also popular: fishing in Hayward Lakes, visiting a museum in Eau Claire and Spring Green, eating at a restaurant in Sheboygan and seeing a play in Spring Green.
On average, people stayed three days in most of the destinations; those visiting Hayward Lakes stayed four days. The typical spending range was $200-300, with half of the vacationers spending more than this and half spending less.
Over half were not spending a lot on lodging, however. Over a third (35 percent) did not pay for lodging -- they stayed at their own property (5 percent) or with friends or relatives (13 percent) or they were on a day trip (17 percent). Another 17 percent spent little on lodging by staying at a campground.
What's Next: The results we get from all of these studies provide information not only for the tourism industry, but also for the Department in its strategic planning. We are continuing to review the summer study for more information. In addition, we have interviewed fall vacationers and will have results soon. We will also conduct winter interviewing, to begin in late January.
For more information, call David Scheler at 608/261-8187 or contact your local consultants.
"Be a Tourist in Your Own State"
If there was ever a year for Wisconsinites to explore their home state, the Sesquicentennial year is surely it. And the Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus is about to launch a program that will offer state residents even more incentive to travel Wisconsin in 1998.
Patterned after Milwaukee's "Be a Tourist in Your Own Town" program, WACVB will create a "Be a Tourist in Your Own State" passport full of money-saving coupons from attractions, lodging and dining establishments throughout Wisconsin. Tourism businesses will be asked to provide incentives such as percentage discounts, 2-for-1 offers or value-added gift items. In return, participating businesses benefit from increased traffic and visibility through the passports. Usage restrictions will be permitted by season and by day.\par \par Tourism businesses throughout the state are encouraged to participate, regardless of whether they are represented by a member bureau of WACVB.
New Co-op Programs for '98
The Department of Tourism will offer new and expanded co-op advertising opportunities through 1998. As in the past, you will have opportunities to advertise in newspapers, magazines and motorcoach publications. This year we've added meetings and conventions and radio co-ops.
Here are some highlights of what's new in 1998: Four Wisconsin newspapers have been added to the Newspaper Co-op Program -- the Appleton Post-Crescent, the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the La Crosse Tribune and the Racine Journal Times. These papers will be ideal for moving our residents around the state to sample both urban and rural tourism offerings.
In order to help you reach a broader audience in Chicago, the Department has developed a new co-op program using radio traffic report sponsorships. The primary benefit of these sponsorships is that you're reaching a broad, captive audience at a time when they're receptive to an invitation to get away to Wisconsin. Not only is this a low-cost alternative to purchasing spot radio, but you have no production costs. By providing us with specific information on your promotion, we can work with Shadow Traffic to develop a tailor-made schedule of 10-second live reads that best meet your needs.
Wisconsin's Sesquicentennial will be promoted through the Department's co-op efforts. The newspaper and magazine co-op ads already feature the Sesquicentennial logo.
To help attract groups to your destination, the Department will offer a meetings and conventions co-op program in 1998. In keeping with our Sesquicentennial focus, we're kicking off the program with several opportunities to run under a Wisconsin banner in "Reunions Magazine.
If you would like the details on these opportunities, contact Diane Liebe at Laughlin/Constable, 414/270-7109.
Wisconsin on the Net
The Department's first Internet advertising venture was a success -- the Fall Sampler was promoted on the "Chicago Tribune's" Web site -- and advertising on the Net is being considered for winter. On the PR side, traditional media with on-line sites, as well as freestanding Web sites, consistently receive information about Wisconsin. On-line publication "Vapor Trails" (http://www.vaportrails.com/) features The House on the Rock in its December issue. The state's Web site (http://tourism.state.wi.us) consistently receives 15,000 to 20,000 visits per month.
Chicago/Minneapolis "Out of Home" Promotions Are a Success
This past summer and fall, bus sides and train station dioramas in Chicago successfully promoted Wisconsin travel; gross bus side impressions totaled 13,500,300. The city's bus sides and one train station will continue to publicize the state through winter. Two billboards touting Wisconsin's great outdoors will be placed in Minneapolis in January; gross impressions will total an estimated 2.5 million.
Wisconsin Tourism Asks "What's Wrong with Winter?"
The winter PR campaign attacks negative images and perceptions of winter by turning them into positives. By asking "What's wrong with winter?" we create an opportunity to approach winter playfully and surprise people with answers. A main component of the winter publicity kit includes a release that lists several "winter complaints," including "It's way too cold," "There's too much snow" and "It's endless." Each complaint is refuted with travel and recreation options that winter itself makes possible, including snow sports, sleigh rides and scenic beauty. We also offer a few alternatives to the outdoors, including indoor beaches.
Wisconsin Tourism Develops Strategic Marketing Plan
The Leisure Marketing Committee, Department staff and representatives from Laughlin/Constable met with futurist and strategic planning consultant Ed Barlow in July and August to begin working on the strategic marketing plan.
Early meetings set the stage for developing strategic initiatives as well as goals and action strategies. The marketing plan consists of the following elements:
Industry education and self-sufficiency -- Prepare a tourism labor force for the 21st century through workforce development and greater community awareness of the economic and social benefits of tourism.
Product definition -- Promote an image of Wisconsin that will bring visitors here and keep them coming back, as well as moving our own citizens around the state, persuading them to take Wisconsin vacations regularly.
Product development -- Build a strong and healthy tourism economy on a full-year basis. / Visitor mix -- Target and attract a diverse visitor mix (state, regional, national and international) that maximizes year-round tourism opportunities for the state of Wisconsin by matching activity interests with appropriate groups.
Customer communications coordination -- Communicate in a timely and effective manner with current and potential Wisconsin visitors.
Sustainable tourism -- Protect Wisconsin's natural and man-made tourism product so that it may be enjoyed by future generations.
For a copy of the full strategic plan, contact your area consultant: southern consultant, Debbie Skinner -- 608/267-0752, e-mail dskinner@tourism.state.wi.us; eastern consultant Kit Sorenson -- 920/722-0507, e-mail ksorenson@tourism.state.wi.us; or northern consultant Ruth Goetz -- 715/682-4591, e-mail rgoetz@tourism.state.wi.us.
MEDIA TIP
From "Chicago Tribune" Travel Editor Randy Curwen: Make sure that the person who answers the phone at your establishment knows where to direct calls coming from the media. Curwen says that sometimes when he calls an attraction or property, he gets frustrated that the phone operator doesn't know who should take his call -- as a result they don't get included in the story. To prevent this from happening to you, designate a spokesperson for your establishment and post that information at the phone so that whoever answers the phone will know where to direct media calls.
PR's GREATEST HITS
"Young America Outdoors," a half-hour nationally syndicated outdoor/adventure TV show targeting teens, visited Wisconsin this summer. Teen-age hosts Joe and Toby explored the Apostle Islands via kayak and went whitewater rafting on the Wolf River. The show originally aired Oct. 4-5 and will be rebroadcast Dec. 20-21. Spelunking at Crystal Cave in Spring Valley and the Orvis Fly Fishing School in Dodgeville aired Oct. 11-12 and will be rebroadcast Dec. 27-28.
"Young America Outdoors" airs in 72 markets, including 22 of the top 25 markets in the country. The program is viewed by more than 1 million households.
