THE MARKETOUR
A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
April/May 1998
Tapping the Net to Market Wisconsin
We’ve all heard much discussion about the revolutionary marketing potential of the Internet. But what exactly does that mean for the travel industry?
As it turns out, when it comes to marketing travel, the revolution is under way. Back in 1995 when the initial planning for the Department of Tourism’s Web site was taking place, 8.6 million people had access to the Internet. Today, there are 62 million adult users (16 years of age and older) in the United States. That’s 30 percent of the population, and the number is growing weekly.
What’s more, travelers have embraced the World Wide Web; as a group, travelers are second only to computer and software purchasers in their use of the Web (source: Jupiter Communications).
How Travelers Use the Web
According to the Department’s own research, the Internet has been mentioned consistently as a method of gathering travel information by people in focus group studies as well as the intercept research conducted in summer 1997. That’s borne out substantiated by Jupiter Communications, which reports that travelers use the Internet to "window shop" for possible vacation destinations, with 87 percent of on-line consumers surfing the Internet to locate key information about potential travel destinations.
Once a destination decision is made, 53 percent of on-line consumers use the Internet to find specific information about that destination. Eighty-four percent report having visited travel Web sites.
Wisconsin Travel Web Site
The Department of Tourism’s Web site has benefited from this interest since it went on line in March 1996. In January 1998, we had nearly 18,000 home page visits. Home page visits are up 127 percent since April 1996, and users are viewing three times as many files.
Currently, the Department interacts with the people who visit our site via the "Travel Talk" category, where consumers can enter comments and leave their name and address, allowing us to capture names for our database. More than 500 messages have been posted between January 1997 and February 1998. Consumers can also request literature via our Travel Talk area. In addition, the Department sees our Web site as a future opportunity to survey travelers and to increase consumer loyalty through such activities as direct e-mail responses to comments, and through special seasonal e-mail messages. The plan is to add these capabilities by 1999.
Traffic on the Department Web site can boost visits to other in-state Web sites through our hyperlinks – currently 140 other tourism-related sites are linked to the state’s site.
Advertising on the Web
The Department is also investigating opportunities to advertise on the Web, noting that the volume of advertising on the Internet is climbing rapidly. In the first three quarters of 1996, advertising on the Internet totaled $157 million. In the first three quarters of 1997, that figure jumped 264 percent to $572 million. In 1998, it is projected to reach $1 billion or more. Following is a primer on Internet advertising options:
- Banners – Boxed off in an elongated rectangle, banners include brief messages, sometimes an 800 number; when clicked on, the user is linked to the banner purchaser’s site.
- Networks – These are like an ad rep for a variety of sites; you can place an ad on the entire network or target a specific "affinity" group within that network by topic (leisure, business, etc.), region, area code, SIC code, and so on.
- Content Sponsorship – You can sponsor a page or a section on another site, either by simply identifying yourself with the information the other Web site has already developed ("Sponsored by XYZ") or by working with the Web site to create information that features your operation, like an advertorial.
- Search Engine Key Word Buys – You can buy a word, such as "travel," so that your banner comes up above the list of relevant Web sites when that word is entered for a search.
- Search Engine Channel Buy – You can buy one or more of the "channels" or categories listed by the search engine so that your message comes up when a user selects that category.
The Department’s first Web venture occurred last fall, when we purchased a banner on the Chicago Tribune Web site, as reported in the December/January Marketour issue. We will continue to explore advertising opportunities on specific sites in our target markets as well as costs of key word buys and sponsorships. Public relations plans include exploring new link opportunities, additional placement of Wisconsin travel information on other travel sites and promotional activities to increase traffic to our site. Check out Wisconsin’s Web site (http://tourism.state.wi.us).
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Travel Trends
Kids Are Influential: Kids are influential in the travel decision-making process, with 57 percent of adults saying children play a strong role in deciding where the family will travel. An appealing kids’ page in your brochure, special programs for children, and a kids’ page on your Web site are just a few ways to appeal to the younger set. (1997 Yankelovich Travel Monitor)
Research—The Goods on Our Customers: We found from last summer’s study that people who traveled farther to get to Wisconsin stay longer. But do they spend more overall than those who come more often, but for shorter stays? To answer this question, we calculated the "annual value" of each visitor to the state who was interviewed in the summer in-market study (intercepts were made in Spring Green, Sheboygan, Eau Claire and Hayward). We did this by multiplying the number of trips made each year by the amount they spent on the trip they were taking when they were interviewed. (This assumes that visitors spend the same amount on each trip they take to the state, which may not always be the case, but provides a way to gauge annual spending.)
States with large populations close to our borders – Illinois and Minnesota – send us visitors who spend the most, on average. Median spending was similar for all states except Iowa and Michigan, whose residents spend the least in Wisconsin in a typical year.
State Median % of Vacationers
Illinois
$700
18.9%
Minnesota
600
14.3
Other States/Countries
750
23.4
Wisconsin
675
35.3
Iowa
300
5.3
Michigan
462
2.7
*The median is a halfway point – half of the respondents in a given category spent this amount or less, and half spent more. This statistic reflects a more typical spending level.
Heating Up the Spring Season: The Department of Tourism’s spring initiative was kicked off with the Wisconsin Spring Sampler, a travel guide that highlights outdoor activities in April and May. In addition to the new travel planner, the public relations spring program has found ways to inform, invite and acquaint consumers and media with the state’s spring offerings. The "Get to Know Spring Wisconsin Challenge" radio promotion on stations in key markets will reinforce the "spring fever" message by asking listeners to answer trivia questions related to spring in Wisconsin. Grand prize winners will be awarded spring travel packages (donated by the industry), including a river rafting experience, a bicycling excursion and sea kayaking outing, each with accommodations. Runners-up will receive prizes such as fishing lures, park passes and tickets to spring events.
In addition, fam tours will acquaint media with spring in Wisconsin. Broadcast media will be invited to sample canoeing, river rafting, waterfall watching and fishing. And "Young America Outdoors," a nationally syndicated outdoor adventure TV program targeting youth, will be visiting during spring for maple sugaring and to tour the International Crane Foundation.
Publicity Tips: Journalists shared tips for media success at a breakout session at the 1998 Governor’s Conference on Tourism in March. Here are some words of wisdom.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Travel Editor John DeBaun:
- Best days to reach him – Thursday and Friday. Plan your phone calls and mail accordingly.
- Worst day to contact him – Wednesday.
- Prefers mail over faxes and in an 8½ x 11 format for easy filing.
- Can’t receive free trips.
- Phone calls get his attention but repeated calls become annoying.
- Travel reporters Peter Maller and Dennis McCann are also good contacts for pitching stories.
Midwest Living Contributing Editor-Travel Barbara Morrow:
- Magazine covers places to stay, eat and sleep, especially short getaways and weekend trips since readers typically drive to vacation destinations.
- Particularly interested in familiar places during unlikely seasons – Wisconsin Dells during winter, Lake Geneva in fall, etc.
- Always looking for "what’s new."
- Magazine works at least a year in advance, so plan accordingly.
- The magazine will never write a negative article. If they have a bad experience, they will not write about it at all.
St. Paul Pioneer Press Travel Columnist Beth Gauper:
- When sending information, keep in mind that destinations featured in her column always include three areas: things to do and places to stay and eat.
- Always interested in new things.
- Story ideas often come from brochures and guides. So if you have any relating to your area, attraction or event, send them.
- When pitching stories, remember to focus on the fun aspect as well as the informative side. Keep it brief and focused.
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PR’s Greatest Hits
Wisconsin is making its way around the world via the Internet. Wisconsin travel stories appear regularly on several daily newspaper Web sites, including Madison’s Capital Times’ on-line column "Travel Line" (www.madison.com) and the Chicago Tribune (www.chicago.tribune.com).
Travel Web site Vast Magazine (www.vastmagazine.com) recently ran a story about Wisconsin’s outdoor adventures, and the state made its mark on seasonal Web sites with the state’s snow reports, featured regularly on SnoCountry Worldwide (www.snocountry.com).
On March 6, Wisconsin’s travel site was featured on WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee during the "Daybreak Report’s" weekly Internet segment.
HSMAI Fell for Fall: The Department’s 1997 fall marketing campaign won a silver award at the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s Golden Bell Public Relations Awards. The HSMAI contest has grown to be the largest and most prestigious travel award event of its kind in the world. The awards honor and showcase the best in hospitality and travel advertising, marketing materials and public relations.
Media Leads: Two new travel publications are now on newsstands. Arthur Frommer’s BudgetTravel magazine is interested in information about budget travel and special offers, including accommodations, rentals and meals. To get a feel for the magazine, check out the Web site (www.frommers.com). Send information about good deals to Executive Editor Bill McCoy, The Empire State Building, Suite 2701, New York, NY 10118, or fax 212/564-2670.
Trips magazine wants travel destination information with a fun and entertaining component. Send materials to Editor Tony Stucker, 8 Bernice St., Suite 207, San Francisco, CA 94103, or e-mail office@tripsmag.com.
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10-Second Writing Clinic
To hyphenate or not – that is the question. But there’s a simple answer: Just determine whether the words are used as a verb or an adjective.
Rule 1: If a verb, it’s usually two words. "We’ll follow up with you tomorrow."
Rule 2: If an adjective, it’s usually hyphenated. "We’ll provide follow-up questions."
