Unpacking: W5 on Travel, Tourism, and Being Far From Home
By W5
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine
W5 is a well-traveled group. Whether staying close to home on domestic trips, exploring foreign getaways across the globe, or trying a new restaurant across the street, we love experiencing the world around us.
For our June “Theme of the Month”, W5 gathered to discuss travel, tourism, and what exploration means to us. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:
We appreciate the beauty around us. Durham, North Carolina is the place we are all proud to call home and we actively search for new spots to enjoy through trails, lakes, and parks. Outside the Triangle, we love exploring new cities and U.S national parks (including the 41 in North Carolina). Several W5ers commented on the sensory experience of travel―from sights and sounds to even tastes―highlighting how much there is to take in and learn when exploring a new place.
We all vacation differently. Every person is unique in how they choose to spend their time, especially when vacationing. The W5 office is made up of adventurous travelers (Kelsey and Amy make plans for the entirety of their trips), rest and relaxation seekers (Megan ensures her trips are balanced in activities and downtime), and “winging it” warriors (as Tristan would describe his travel style).
We stay prepared. Considering the ongoing pandemic, the W5 team stays home when needed and take vacations to stay mentally and physically grounded. As frequent flyers, we are always sure to carry proper identification. Brennan reminded us of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security directive, “On May 3, 2023, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities.”
What does this have to do with marketing research? Quite a bit as the travel and tourism industry conducts market research projects just like any other industry with many conducted by Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) that act as advertisers for a place instead of a product. Think “What happens in Vegas.”
Check out this recent example of how W5’s marketing research team helped one of the nation’s top DMOs get to know their audience:
W5 Case Study: Hybrid Exploration of a Travel Campaign
A state-funded travel bureau and their advertising agency aimed to attract more visitors, particularly in the Millennial age bracket, to their state.
A multi-phase research strategy was deployed to delve into the mindsets and opinions of leisure travelers about travel motivations and desires, noting differences between generations.
APPROACH
An initial round of focus groups among travelers in two U.S. markets explored perceptions of the state as a potential vacation destination, key likes and dislikes for the current advertising campaign, and desires for travel experiences overall. These learnings were then applied to update the campaign’s messaging prior to a final phase of quantitative testing via an online survey. The survey captured shared attitudes, desires, and expectations for vacation destinations, philosophies (e.g., ‘relaxing’ or ‘adventurous’), and favored activities among a wider population of U.S.-based travelers.
RESULTS
The iterative review process allowed the client to apply key learnings about target audiences’ travel needs and reactions to the current campaign, reducing the timeline for campaign review. W5’s in real-time insights allowed the client to revise, polish, and strengthen the campaign as the study progressed and ultimately, arrived at a near-final product by the study’s conclusion.
Want to know if your business is prepared to go the distance? Book a call with us today!