Understand
Media channels are changing fast, along with the travel tendencies and preferences of consumers. In the tourism industry, marketers need actionable and measurable competitive and consumer intelligence to stay on top.At L&S, we utilize tools like Visitor Relationship Management (VRM), intercept studies, ad testing and focus groups to continually improve marketing results and fully understand our clients, the markets and their target audience.
Visitor Relationship Management (VRM)
VRM is used to get a better understanding of who is actually traveling versus who is inquiring, along with developing formulas, measurements and actionable traveler intelligence reports to determine ROI.
For example, Lawrence & Schiller and the Office of South Dakota Tourism partnered together to create a VRM strategy, analyzing the existing visitor database against 144 different lifestyle clusters. Once the profiling was complete, further segmentation of the database allowed us to identify South Dakota’s “best traveler” and market specifically to them with the right message and media placement.
Now, we can effectively measure and manage South Dakota Tourism visitor relationships through analysis of phone, web and mail inquiries and reservation information, while identifying core traveler demographic profiles that allow us to fit the media and creative strategy to the audience.
Intercept Studies
The purpose of an intercept study is to gain real knowledge of visitors who actually come to the state. The team at Lawrence and Schiller conducted over 1,600 in-person interviews at strategic attractions and businesses across the state from June to September 2007, supplementing supplement annual intercepts conducted by the Office of Tourism at the state’s visitor centers.
Participants were asked a series of questions about their purpose of travel. Questions were also asked about their final destination: was it South Dakota, or were they passing through? Did they use the website to plan their travel? Book a vacation package? Recall any advertising that enticed them to visit?
Intercept studies allow us to:
- Capture perceptions from actual visitors
- Determine how visitors make travel decisions
- Obtain advertising source information
- Capture demographic, geographic and psychographic information
- Find out actual visitor spending information
Focus Groups & Ad Testing
To better understand what the visitors are looking for in a vacation, Lawrence & Schiller and the South Dakota Office of Tourism have held numerous focus groups in key markets. Three focus groups were held in cities ranging from Des Moines, IA to Dallas TX and Winnipeg, Canada with members of our core audience (20-35 year olds, 35-55 year olds and 55+). Participants were prescreened and had to meet specified criteria, including having traveled outside of their state in the past 24 months.
Each group was asked a series of general questions regarding travel and then ranked 22 South Dakota benefit statements in order of importance to them. Based on the highest ranking benefits, creative messaging and branding was developed.
The participants were also asked about their media consumption habits, how they like to receive their travel information and how they plan their trip.
Focus groups and ad testing can allow your brand to:
- Determine the market’s key driver in making travel decisions
- Determine the market’s perceptions of your travel destination
- Determine the most successful messaging for the market and test advertising concepts
- Gain competitive intelligence
- Gauge the level of brand awareness in the market