THE MARKETOUR
A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
December 1998/January 1999
SUMMER TOURISM STUDY PROVIDES INSIGHTS ABOUT URBAN TRAVELERS
In an ongoing effort to learn as much as possible about Wisconsin vacationers, the Department of Tourism embarked on another research study this past summer. After doing research in rural and resort areas in 1997 and early '98, we wanted to seek more information about vacation experiences in urban areas.
As with the earlier studies, we interviewed vacation planners while they were on their trips to get their freshest recollections of their planning and vacation experiences. They were surveyed at a variety of popular tourist spots, including museums, attractions, restaurants and shops. Respondents were required to be the primary vacation planners for their groups and taking either a leisure trip or a combination business and leisure trip.
We interviewed a total of 781 people in the Fox Valley, Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee. Interview dates in July and August represented typical summer weekends without any unusually popular events (for example, Summerfest).
What We Learned: Here's what we discovered:
* A greater percentage of combination business and leisure travelers were interviewed in this study than in earlier ones, suggesting the importance of marketing efforts that invite business travelers in urban areas to extend their stay for leisure time.
* Slightly more than one-half of the urban visitors were Wisconsin residents and about one-third were from areas outside of our other core markets, Illinois and Minnesota. Many were visiting family or friends.
* More than a third of the respondents planned to visit other areas of the state, suggesting that one way to grow urban tourism is by creating joint marketing efforts with other popular destinations.
* Since the Internet was a more popular information source in this study than it had been in previous ones, clearly the importance of this medium is growing.
* Travel party composition was different for urban areas than it was for rural/resort destinations. More vacationers were traveling alone or with friends, rather than with children.
* Urban travelers engaged in more passive activities than did visitors to rural/resort areas. They were more likely to visit museums and attractions and less likely to engage in more active pursuits such as hiking, biking and swimming.
* Newspaper was the medium that respondents recommended most frequently as the way to interest others like themselves in visiting Wisconsin.
* Most respondents were frequent travelers to Wisconsin. The majority of them were likely to take another Wisconsin vacation in the next year, and many planned to return to the same place.
* Vacations to all cities typically lasted about three days and involved staying a median of two nights. Respondents were more likely than in previous studies to be taking just a day trip, staying with friends or staying at a hotel or motel.
* As in earlier studies, a substantial majority of respondents began their planning within two months of their trip. Availability of friends and relatives was a much more important timing factor than in previous studies.
* Many respondents used no information sources or relied on family or friends when planning their vacations, as in previous studies. However, the third most popular information source for all areas but the Fox Valley was the Internet, which was cited much more often than in the past.
* With the exception of those visiting Milwaukee, urban vacationers typically spent less than those in earlier studies. This may be related to the higher percentages of respondents taking just day trips or staying with friends.
* Shopping and eating at restaurants continued to be popular activities. Key motivators for visiting each city included:
~ Shopping in the Fox Valley area
~ Spectator sports and activities for children in Green Bay
~ Activities for adults in Milwaukee
~ Shopping, historic sites and natural beauty in Madison
* Beautiful scenery and opportunities to relax were high on the list of aspects that they most enjoyed about their vacation as well as aspects that exceeded their expectations.
One-to-One Customer Service: One way to learn about and improve customer service is to discuss situations that have actually happened and evaluate what went well and what could have been done better. Staff meetings are an ideal forum for staff and management to take on this topic. A good opening exercise for staff and management is to share the "best" and "worst" experiences regarding customer service they have actually had, either personally or while working at another job. This can open the door to discuss how a staff member could improve a customer's "average" experience at your operation or how a difficult situation could have been handled more skillfully. Announce in advance that these experiences will be a discussion topic so that everyone has time to think of examples.
Where Do Journalists Get Story Ideas?: For all the hype about online technology changing the way journalists do business, most journalists get story ideas the old-fashioned way -- by getting a pitch. Few journalists are trolling the Internet in a relentless search for stories -- unless their beat is the Internet. In fact, 59 percent of a sample group said their No. 1 way of getting story ideas was contacts and leads (telephone pitches). Only 14 percent named press releases as their top sources for story ideas, but one-third of the respondents ranked press releases No. 2. LISTERVS, e-mail, the Web and Usenet Newsgroups together were named by only 8 percent of the respondents as their primary source of story ideas -- about the same as news wires. However, journalists report the Internet as a strong tool for background information and as a great source when no one is available by phone.
Making the Most of a Media Interview: Here are a few tips that will help you be an effective spokesperson in a media interview.
* Treat the media as you would any customer. Always be as courteous and helpful as you can when dealing with the media. News coverage can be a great boost to your business, so respond to reporters' requests promptly and go the extra mile just as you would for any customer.
* Nothing is off-the-record. Assume that a reporter will use everything you say in a news story. That includes joking and casual conversation. Don't say anything that you would not want the public to hear.
* Stick to your key messages. Before the interview, think about what your key messages will be. These should be few and to the point. Whatever a reporter asks you, steer the discussion back to your key messages. Don't be afraid to repeat the same point; remember that you may not have the audience's full attention, so repeating an important point is a good idea.
* Say "I don't know" rather than guessing. If you don't know the answer to a question, don't guess. Simply tell the reporter that you will need to check on that information and get back to him/her. Then, always follow up. If you aren't the best source for the information requested, refer the reporter to a more appropriate contact.
* In a television interview, body language means more than content.
Television viewers will remember much more about how you looked than what you said. Be enthusiastic about your subject. Lean a bit forward, maintain eye contact with the reporter and smile. Remember that on television a dynamic voice seems natural, not exaggerated.
* You can never be too prepared. Review these tips and your key messages before every interview.
The Internet - A Source for Travel Planning: New statistics from a recent survey report trends about how online travelers seek travel information on the Internet. Of an estimated 60 million regular Internet users, 55 percent go online to get information about leisure trips and 31 percent search the Web to plan business trips. Significantly, 74 percent took some form of action after visiting an online travel site, including making a reservation (70 percent) or requesting additional information (49 percent). Additional findings:
* 37 percent have purchased an online travel product or service in the past 12 months and 44 percent would consider purchasing in the future;
* Compared to the average U.S. traveler, online travelers are three times more likely to take business trips, spend more nights away from home and fly and rent cars on trips; and
* The most frequently accessed information is airline schedules, fares and destinations.
(Source: 1998 PLOG Interactive Traveler Survey)
Media Lead: What do you get when EcoTraveler, Adventure West and Outdoor Action magazines merge? You get a new bimonthly, 125,000-circulation publication called Adventure Journal. Editor Lisa Tabb seeks information about destinations, attractions and tours offering soft and hard adventure travel opportunities -- hiking, biking, paddling, scuba diving, wildlife viewing and more. Send information to Tabb at 50 Oak St., Suite 301, San Francisco, CA 94102; call her at 415/431-9640 or e-mail her at lisatabb@aol.com.
Reprinting The Marketour: We encourage you to reprint Marketour articles in your own newsletter. Thanks for helping us spread these marketing tips.
10-Second Writing Clinic
The words "compose" and "comprise" are often misused. Compose means to create or put together. It can be used in either the active or passive voice. Example: Beethoven composed the symphony. Wisconsin is composed of 72 counties. Comprise means to contain, include all or embrace. It is best used only in the active voice. Example: Wisconsin comprises 72 counties. The panel comprises 12 members.
PR'S GREATEST HITS
The state has recently pursued Internet placements with rewarding results: The first of six features for a Vast Magazine promotion showcased fall walks with editorial and several photos; the American Travel Guide Web site offered an overview of Wisconsin, including 27 photos; southwestern Wisconsin's Fall Art Tour was featured on the Chicago Sun-Times site; and a link to the Department's weekly fall color graphic and report was established on the front page of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online. In addition to Internet placements, the state continues to receive great newspaper hits - a major article about fall ran in The Wall Street Journal Sept. 25.
