Attract Millennials

A state-funded travel bureau and their advertising agency aimed to attract more visitors, particularly Millennials, to their state. A multi-phase research strategy was deployed to delve into the mindsets and opinions of travelers and their leisure trips. W5 pursued findings about travel motivations and desires, especially noting differences between generations.

APPROACH

An initial round of focus groups among travelers in two US locations 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 call-to-action, tone, imagery, and messaging prior to a final phase of quantitative testing via an online survey. In addition to validating the campaign’s strategic direction, 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 US-based travelers.

RESULTS

The iterative process of review allowed the client to apply key learnings about their target audience’s travel needs and reactions to the current campaign within the research process, reducing the timeline for campaign review and refinement. W5’s ability to provide the client with relevant, timely insights in real-time allowed the client to revise, polish, and strengthen the campaign as the study progressed and ultimately, arrive at a near-final product by the study’s conclusion.