Syracuse Advertising ROI

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Syracuse Advertising ROI Image Study
Presentation
February 6, 2009
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Background Purpose

• A new Syracuse tourism ad campaign launched in
  March 08
• Albany-Schenectady-Troy
• Wilkes Barre-Scranton
• Ottawa-Kingston
• The campaign consisted of
• TV, print, internet ads
• e-newsletters
• The purpose of this research
• Did the advertising work?
• Was there a return on the investment?

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Methodology

• Longwoods ROEye study
• Conducted after campaign (early December)
• Allows for short-term conversion
• Online survey in 3 ad markets
• Consumer panel members
• Random selection
• Qualified as travelers
• Respondents exposed to electronic copies of ads
• 1,030 surveys completed.
• Fieldwork December 3rd 20th, 2008.

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Methodology

• Data weighted to ensure representativeness and
  projectability
• Longwoods estimates are conservative
• Back out trips taken regardless of advertising
• Isolate ad impacts from other impacts
• Longwoods method applied since 1991
• Countries, states, cities, regions
• Other industries

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Awareness of the Syracuse Campaign
Base Total travelers
Total Aware 425,000
Saw at least one ad
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Awareness of Advertising Elements
Base Total travelers
Saw at least one ad
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Frequency of Exposure by Medium
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Impact of Advertising on Unaided Brand Awareness
Spontaneous mentions of Syracuse among
destinations respondents would enjoy visiting
Saw at least one ad
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Impact of Advertising on Syracuses Overall Image
Would Really Enjoy Visiting Syracuse
Saw at least one ad
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Travel Motivators Whats Important in Getting
on the Destination Wish List
A measure of the degree of association between
ratings of destinations on each factor and for
being a place I would really enjoy visiting
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Most Important Individual Dimensions Overall

• Must-see destination
• A fun place
• An exciting place
• Unique vacation experience
• Good for adults/couples
• Good for families
• Good place to relax
• Popular with vacationers
• Lots to see and do
• Truly unique scenery

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Syracuses Overall Image vs. The Competition
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Syracuses Overall Image vs. The Competition
A place Id really enjoy visiting
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Syracuses Image vs. the Competition
Affordability
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Syracuses Product Delivery
Visited in past two years
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Syracuse's Top Product Strengths
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Syracuse's Top Product Strengths (Contd)
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Impact of Advertising on Syracuses Image
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Attributes on Which the Advertising Had the
Greatest Impact
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Attributes on Which the Advertising Had the
Greatest Impact (Contd)
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Impact of Advertising on Intent to Visit Syracuse
Saw at least one ad
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Intended Trips to SyracuseDue to Advertising
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Impact of Advertising on Incidence of Travel to
Syracuse
Saw at least one ad
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Actual Trips to Syracuse Due to Advertising
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Syracuse Campaign Efficiency
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Return on Advertising Budget
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Impact of Advertising on Intent to Visit Syracuse
by Medium
Saw at least one ad
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Impact on Visitation by Number of Exposures
Recalled
Base Total Respondents
Below Optimal
Optimal Range
Diminishing
Mean 2.8
Median 0
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Unaided Share of Mind Awareness
Total unaided mentions of smaller cities or
towns in the Northeastern United States that you
would really enjoy visiting
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Destinations Ever Visited
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Intend to Visit in Next Year
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Conclusions Recommendations
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Conclusions Recommendations

• Campaign did very well on short-of-sales
  measures
• improved image
• remarkable lift in intentions
• Positive return in actual sales
• 36,000 incremental trips
• 11.671 in spending
• 1.361 in taxes

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Conclusions Recommendations

• Nonetheless, still room for improvement
• OK areas?
• advertising communication
• choice of media
• A couple of inter-related factors
• Target market size vs. trip purpose/positioning

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Conclusions Recommendations

• Obvious city trip positioning in the
  advertising
• works best when your markets are smaller than
  you,
• most receptive likely rural areas within a 3
  hour drive
• Albany works --- you are twice the size
• Ottawa-Kingston likely accepts the positioning
• Way-station and temporarily for shopping
• Real city trip competition --Toronto/Montreal
• Wilkes Barre and Scranton
• smaller
• But Syracuse less on the radar
• gravitate east and south
• Philadelphia/NYC likely city competition

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Conclusions Recommendations

• New campaign high upfront production costs
  lower ROI.
• Good news
• campaign has legs -- ad frequency vs.
  visitation
• could be repeated
• population not near saturation
• without new production, ROI would certainly rise

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Conclusions Recommendations

• A larger and longer-term question
• Is a city positioning the right strategy?
• And if not, what would the alternative be?
• Current ads communicating the right things
• addressing hot buttons
• Improving image.
• Current markets may not be optimal audience
• issue is numbers
• Explore regional rural/small town market size
• Can those markets could yield greater returns
• Vs.Wilkes Barre-Scranton and/or the other markets.

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Conclusions Recommendations

• A possible alternative positioning -- touring
  destination
• Definition of touring trip
• Short stay per location, like a city trip, but
  longer trip overall
• Same activities, different spin.
• City positioning -- offers what you cant get at
  home because of density
• Touring positioning -- need to be seen as unique,
  e.g., landscape feature, festival, historic
  landmark, etc.
• Problem with touring positioning for Syracuse
• poorly-defined image for those characteristics
• except as low cost, not too far away

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Conclusions Recommendations

• Without obvious icons, the two main choices
• connect Syracuse to a regional icon
• borrowed interest
• change the variety story
• more sightseeing oriented,
• needs thorough independent attraction audit
• a bonus positive product delivery perceptions
• Touring positioning allows more flexibility with
  market size

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Conclusions Recommendations

• In summary
• An effective campaign worth repeating
• Examine market choices if continuing the city
  positioning
• Longer-term, explore touring positioning
• Bigger opportunity
• Requires careful consideration and creativity
• Congratulations!!

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Syracuse Advertising ROI Image Study
Presentation
February 6, 2009