GENERATION X AND EMPTY
NEST/AGING BABY BOOMER FOCUS GROUP STUDY
Executive Summary, October 1999
In October 1999, Chamberlain Research Consultants, Inc. conducted six focus groups, two each in Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis, on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to explore the attitudes, desires and priorities of specific market segments. The study participants were Midwest travelers with annual household incomes over $30,000.
Three groups were conducted with "Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers" age 45-54, and three with "Generation X-ers" age 25-34. In the Empty Nester/Aging Baby Boomer segment, a total of 28 men and women participated: 23 were married and 5 were single; 4 still had younger children at home and at least one had an elderly parent living with her. In the Generation X-er segment, a total of 26 men and women participated. Nine were single; of the 17 who were married, 8 had children.
A Kano-style exercise was conducted in each group, in which participants identified attributes of a good vacation and rated how the presence or absence of that attribute affected their enjoyment. Their rating fell into three categories. 1 - Dissatifiers, if you don't provide these, customers won't come back. 2 - One-dimensional features, providing these attributes meets expectations and can increase satisfaction. 3 - Delighters, by providing any of these attributes you give the visitor a sense of "wow", which will ensure that they continue to return and tell others about their great experience.
Each group viewed television commercials and print ads, which are identified in the body of the report. Participants were not told that the study was sponsored by Wisconsin until near the end of the session, just before the ads were presented. All sessions were videotaped.
Key Findings
1. Generation X-ers and Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers have surprisingly similar tastes and habits regarding Midwest travel. There was more difference between geographic groups than between age groups. Differences are highlighted in the next section.
2. Midwest trips were generally taken by car, and might involve as few as one or as many as three nights. Travelers took advantage of three-day weekends or flexible schedules to extend a trip. Most did not consider the Midwest as a destination for their "real" vacation; they tended to travel farther and plan more intensively for those trips, which lasted one week or longer.
3. The purpose of these trips was always described as relaxation. This most importantly meant a break in the routine: all wanted active relaxation, as opposed to lying on a beach or sitting in a rocker. Although the activities they had in mind were different for different people, there wasn't a big difference by age. Both the younger and older groups listed bicycling, hiking, visiting scenic and historical attractions, shopping, fishing and camping. The younger participants may have been slightly more interested in get-wet activities such as swimming and boating.
4. They decide where to go based on a variety of sources, including word of mouth, magazine and newspaper articles, and advertising. Most reported that they had not seen much tourism advertising on television. They seemed very open to finding out about new places to go. Many mentioned that they liked to try someplace new on every trip.
5. They find lodging on the Internet, in AAA guides and in brochures they order from the convention and visitors bureau. They find out about restaurants and activities from the same sources and also from friends before they go, and by asking locals or looking in brochures once they arrive.
6. Many emphasized the fun of traveling without a lot of preparation. Several were resistant to the idea of making too many plans, saying their daily lives are very structured and they want to get away from that. Making hotel reservations was as much advance planning as they were likely to do in most cases. They liked the adventure of waiting until they arrived to discover what was available and to decide what they felt like doing. (An exception would be if they are traveling specifically to see a play, sporting event, concert or other ticketed event. Golfers may set up a tee time in advance if they are planning to play a specific course not associated with a resort.)
7. When the moderator proposed a centralized Web site or phone center where they could get information and make all their reservations for lodging, restaurants, theater, sporting events, tee times, etc., there was only polite interest. Some who spend a lot of time on the phone gathering information or searching for just the right lodging said it would save them time. Most said they weren't interested in making reservations for anything but lodging.
8. Nearly all were willing to travel in any season, but winter was the least popular. Snowmobiling had a small, but enthusiastic minority of supporters. The Detroit and Minneapolis groups said they had their own snow and saw less reason to travel for winter sports. A few Chicago residents said if they were going to travel to ski, it wouldn't be to a Midwest destination.
9. The idea of "hands-on-learning" vacations met an unenthusiastic response. They like historical tours, craft demonstrations and learning things about the places they visit, and they might try their hand at a new skill in the context of a festival or museum visit. However, they are not interested in signing up for packages that include craft, hobby, and sporting, historical or literary classes, at least not as described in these focus groups. Their idea of relaxation includes being free from a schedule and able to do what they want on a whim.
10. The idea of all-inclusive, special-focus vacation package sparked somewhat more interest, though not roaring enthusiasm. Most individuals could probably be interested at least once if it was just the right package. The most appropriate application for the idea was first-timer packages; for example, people who have never snowmobiled might be interested in a package that included equipment, lessons, clear trails and cozy rest stops. Such a package could be booked at their lodging or through a separate company. Individuals who are already devotees of an activity probably will not be interested; bikers, golfers and skiers said they have their own gear and like to use it. Golfers compared the moderator's description to staying at golf resorts. Most are familiar with resorts that offer many activities on the grounds, and some had gone to one, either in the Midwest or elsewhere.
11. City tour packages appealed to a few in Minneapolis who were interested in visiting Chicago and didn't know their way around. No other midwestern city was suggested. Complaints about city tours included: they go to all the touristy spots, you can't pick where you want to go, and you can't spend extra time at the places you like. City tours, at least the kind they had in mind, seemed appropriate only for someone visiting the city for the first time.
12. Although many, especially Gen X-ers, used the Internet to gather information, there was not much willingness in either age group to make reservations or purchases online. This was partly due to fear about the security of credit card information, and partly because they just like to talk to a live person. That way, they believe, they can get a feeling for the hotel and the town, they can get more current information than is available online, and they have a person to hold accountable if anything goes wrong.
13. What they liked in the brochures varied from person to person. Popular images included waterfalls, water vistas and fall color. Winter scenes, cityscapes and lighthouses had their enthusiasts. They tended to like pictures without people in them, but it's not clear if this is a real preference or that's what they had to choose from.
14. Everyone liked both Wisconsin TV ads and found them very enticing. They tended to prefer "couples." Many felt "families" had too many kids to apply to them, though some felt they could enjoy the same things the kids were shown enjoying. Both ads conveyed relaxation and fun in beautiful surroundings. They liked the music of both. Many were eager to visit specific locations shown.
15. They noticed that the TV ads were focused on summertime water activities, but this didn't seem to be a problem since virtually all liked to travel in summer and be near the water. The cliff jumping scene made a huge impact - everyone asked where that was. Some Detroit respondents felt many of the scenes could have been taken in Michigan.
16. The assortment of print ads got mixed responses, generally much less enthusiastic than the TV ads. In general, they liked the captions and found them clever, but criticized the pictures as not being unique to Wisconsin. Detroit and Minneapolis groups challenged every ad, especially snow ads, with, "We've got that here." All groups challenged interior shots saying, "I could do that at home."
17. The attribute rating exercise was based on a Kano model, but cannot be expected to give projectable information in this qualitative context. Each group created its own list of attributes, and even when two groups used the same label, the discussion leading up to it could make the groups have different perspectives.
18. The primary attribute that simply must be there to meet the expectations of both Generation X-ers and Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers is clean rooms. If the rooms, or premises are dirty, visitors may move to a new location and are not at all likely to return.
19. Delighters (unexpected attributes that only matter when they do occur, and don't do damage by their absence) tended to involve surprisingly good values and gifts or freebies such as fruit baskets or bottles of wine in their room or dessert on the house.
20. For both age groups, good food and good service were very important topics of discussion. How-ever, the subjectivity of the distinction between adequate, good and delightful from group to group made these attributes hard to categorize into expectations, wants and delighters. Satisfaction increases directly with the level of goodness of the attribute.
21. Features they described as contributing to a delightful dining experience included ambiance - not necessarily elegance, just a feeling that they are in a place that connects with the food. A seafood restaurant might have a fish theme, an ethnic restaurant should play appropriate music, a place serving local dishes should create "local" ambiance. Many said they didn't want to eat in chain restaurants when on vacation. They also said they were willing to eat in more expensive restaurants when on vacation than at home.
22. Examples of delightful customer service included getting "local insider" advice about where to eat and what to do, having errors corrected with a lavish effort to make things right, and someone going out of their way to help the visitor have a good time.
23. Often, examples of "delighters" involved local residents, not the staff at lodging or restaurants. Participants told of locals who led them to their destination or recommended their favorite restaurant. Contact with "friendly natives" was an extremely desirable attribute in all groups.
Differences Between Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers
1. Generation X-ers are more likely to be single, and those singles are more likely to travel as a group. Single Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers tend to travel with a romantic partner.
2. Among Generation X-ers, men seemed more likely to be involved in making travel arrangements than in the older group. In both groups, the reservation-makers were mostly women, but the gender difference was smaller in the younger group. In both age groups, there were more men than women willing to travel without hotel reservations.
3. The younger group was more likely to use the Internet to research vacation destinations, although many in the older group did that too. Currently, both groups were equally unlikely to make reservations online.
4. At least one Empty Nester/Aging Baby Boomer focus group put great value on quiet rooms in their lodging. This was not mentioned by Generation X-ers.
5. As could be predicted, the recent and predicted changes in their travel habits had to do with children. Gen X-ers visit their parents and in-laws. Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers visit their kids. Gen X-ers who already had young children admitted that changed their destinations and activities, but didn't complain. Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers were giddy (in some cases) with freedom from long drives with squabbling children, choosing destinations that would interest kids, or worrying about leaving semi-reliable teenagers behind. Some said they took advantage of off-season discounts because they weren't tied to the school year anymore.
Differences Between Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis
1. People from Detroit love to visit Chicago. Those from Minneapolis and Chicago expressed a much greater interest in getting out of the large urban environment for a change of pace. Rural, resort and Bed & Breakfast environments were most frequently mentioned in a very positive way.
2. Chicagoans have the shortest drive tolerance of the three: 2-4 hours, compared to 4-5 for Detroiters and 4-6 for those from Minneapolis.
3. Those from Chicago and Minneapolis are mostly familiar with Door County and Wisconsin Dells, but few from Detroit had heard of either place. The former two were more likely to have visited Madison or Milwaukee than were those from Detroit.
4. In Detroit and Minneapolis, participants felt that Wisconsin was very similar to their home state. It was important to give them a good reason to cross the state line. In Chicago, no one was interested in staying in-state or traveling to Minnesota, and they seemed a little better able to distinguish between Wisconsin and Michigan because they were familiar with specific locations in each state.
5. Detroit Gen X-ers are more likely to want multiple activities, options to try to cram several different activities into a weekend.
Recommendations
Marketing to Generation X-ers
1. Show what unique experiences await the visitor. "Emphasize things we don't have here …. places to go" " I love water, but Wisconsin's got a lot more than just water. It's got the Amish country, hunting and fishing and camping and the Dells."
2. Promote the get-away aspects. "I leave right after work, wake up Saturday morning at 6:00 and go straight out into the woods and walk six or seven miles, hunting. "It's a break from having to be on a very rigid schedule….that's my time to get out and burn energy."
3. Variety of activities; outdoor by day, and life after dark. (Tout beer/wine selections, musical attractions, ethnic restaurants and local cuisine for evenings.) "I like having a lot of choices in front of me….a museum, an amusement park, a bar…. I like to have lots of options in one place"
4. Make available and promote the expert advice of natives. (e.g. When you get here, our local Gen-X-ers will fill you in on the hot spots, night spots, unique spots, quiet places - whatever you want.) "You can get a reservation for the first night, maybe for dinner the night you get there, then when you're there you can look around and ask the locals."
5. Promote your scenic wonders, historic landmarks, ethnic heritage, and unique architecture. "The old train and the Amish buggy and carriage….state forests, lots of hiking and outdoor activities, a living history museum… I like antiques, architecture, old covered bridges and things like that. "When I'm on vacation, I tend to do things I don't do at home."
6. Promote what you offer that is different from what they have at home - they want to get away from the stress, hustle, and hassle. "Lots of things to do within an easy range….the different seasons still thrill me after six years; where I came from it didn't change that much."
7. Offer package get-aways, in which all the details are taken care of, but you still have time to yourself.
Marketing to Empty Nesters/Aging Baby Boomers
1. Show off what is different and unique about your area, something they couldn't do at home.
2. Promote the wide range of choices that your aging boomers can decide to do, or not to do; ultimate freedom. "When there's just the two of you and you don't have to worry about anything at home, you can do more." "You don't have to entertain the kids and you can do what you want to do." "Now that my kids are gone, we take off in the end of May and the rates are cheaper than summer and it's not crowded."
3. Make available local expertise that they can tap in to, to help them decide how best to spend their time in your area.
4. Promote scenery, outdoor activities, special events, shopping, but mostly the choice to choose their own adventure and explore.
5. Highlight whatever ethnic, historic, scenic and spectacular opportunities exist.
6. Make relaxation a focal point. Promote how you do it best. "When you're from Chicago, you're constantly in this hassle and rat race in the city. You go a few miles and it's totally different." "We like a resort when we go away in the wintertime. Everything is there, we don't have to leave, he and I can do different things. We don't have to worry about where to have dinner. I can check my brains at the door and pick them up when I leave."
7. Make sure your accommodations and facilities live up to their claims, ratings, and advertisements. When the distinction does not live up to the visitor's expectations, the getaway is doomed. "One thing that's missing is friendliness. When you're being waited on, old-fashioned service is not out there." "Let's have customer service and recognize who is the customer. Not that I need to be catered to, but you can tell a bad attitude."
