Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing A Geo-Demographic Analysis of the Vermont Visitor Project Report

Transcription

1 Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing A Geo-Demographic Analysis of the Vermont Visitor Project Report Prepared by William E. Baker Data Compilation by William Valliere July 1998

2 2 Executive Summary A Geo-Demographic Analysis of the Vermont Visitor This project is one of eight scheduled projects in funded through the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing and conducted by the University of Vermont. The research was designed and analyzed by William Baker from the University of Vermont School of Business Administration in partnership with the School of Natural Resources and Vermont Tourism Data Center. The NPD Group fielded the project in April-June 1998 through its national consumer mail panel. A single question, If you took a trip to or through Vermont anytime in the past year, please x the season(s) in which you visited, was sent to a geo-demographically balanced sample of 225,000 U.S. households. 152,652 screeners were returned a response rate of 68%. The data was compiled by William Valliere from the University of Vermont. The report provides a geo-demographic profile of the Vermont visitor using traditional survey research methods and PRIZM. PRIZM is a geo-demographic lifestyle segmentation system that breaks the U.S. population into 62 lifestyle clusters (and 12 super clusters). These clusters are defined by over 40 geographic, demographic and psychographic factors. More than half of all visitors came from New England and the Middle Atlantic States (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey). Individuals from rural areas and small towns/cities have the same propensity to visit Vermont as individuals from large and mid-size metropolitan areas. Demographically, Vermont disproportionately attracts affluent, well-educated households. More than 70% of all visitors do not have children under the age of 18 at home. This, however, does not vary significantly from the percentage of households in the general population without children. Slightly less than all visitors live in households whose head is over the age of 45. Again, this is just slightly higher than the U.S. average.

3 3 Other than geographic proximity to Vermont, the PRIZM analysis revealed that socio-economic status is the single greatest influence on the propensity to visit Vermont. Well-educated, affluent professionals, managers and technicians living in large cities and the suburbs, but also from small towns and rural areas are about 50% more likely to visit Vermont than other households. The PRIZM analysis led to the development of two target markets, Metro-Achievers and Small Town Gentry that comprise almost 40% of all Vermont visitors.

4 4 METHODOLOGY A national marketing research firm, NPD Group, fielded this research using their geo-demographically balanced consumer mail panel. A single question, If you took a trip to or through Vermont anytime in the past year, please x the season(s) in which you visited, was sent to a geo-demographically balanced sample of 225,000 U.S. households. 152,652 screeners were returned a response rate of 68%. The following report provides a geographic and demographic profile of the Vermont visitor, and a PRIZM profile of the Vermont visitor. PRIZM is a geo-demographic lifestyle segmentation system that breaks the U.S. population into 62 lifestyle clusters (and 12 super clusters).

5 5 CENSUS REGION Households in New England and the Middle Atlantic States (i.e., New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) comprise only 20.7% of U.S. households, but they made up 54.7% of visiting households to Vermont. In the winter, they made up 73.3% of all visiting households. Households in New England are 5.6 times more likely to visit Vermont than the average U.S. household; households in the Middle Atlantic States are 1.8 times more likely than the U.S. average to visit Vermont. All other census regions produce a disproportionately low percent of Vermont visitors. CENSUS REGION Census Region U.S. Index Winter Spring Summer Fall New England Middle Atlantic South Atlantic East North Central Pacific West South Central West North Central East south Central Mountain

6 6 MSA PROFILE OF VISITORS Almost half of the visiting households come from metropolitan areas of 1 million or more residents. This, however, is roughly equivalent to U.S. population averages, which means there is no unusual propensity for residents of major U.S. metropolitan areas to visit Vermont relative to residents in smaller cities, towns and rural areas. In fact, given that 62% of residents in the Northeast live in metropolitan areas, a higher rate than the rest of the nation, one may conclude that residents of larger cities have a lower than average propensity to visit Vermont. MSA Population Density U.S. MSA PROFILE OF VISITORS Index Winter Spring Summer Fall More than 2,500, ,000,000 2,500, ,000 1,000, , , , Non-MSA

7 7 HOUSEHOLD INCOME Higher income households have a higher propensity to visit Vermont than lower income households do, particularly in the winter. Despite the upper income bias, it should be kept in mind that almost 60% of visitors come from households earning less than $50,000. HOUSEHOLD INCOME Household Income U.S. Index Winter Spring Summer Fall Less than $15, $15,000 - $24, $25,000 - $34, $35,000 - $49, $50,000 - $74, $75,000 - $99, $100,000 or more

8 8 EDUCATION Individuals with at least four years of college have a higher than average propensity to visit Vermont, particularly in the winter. As with household income, however, it s important to note that more than 60% of all visitors do not have a college education. EDUCATION Education U.S. Index Winter (Index) Spring (Index) Summer (Index) Fall (Index) < High School High School Years College College Graduate Post College Graduate

9 9 RACE 90.7% of Vermont visitors are white. This matches the U.S. population profile. RACE Race U.S. Index Winter Spring Summer Fall White Black Asian Other

10 10 AGE OF HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD The age profile of Vermont visitors skews slightly older relative to the U.S. population in general. There are differences by season. The winter visitor is relatively more likely to be 34 or younger. The fall visitor is more likely to be 55 or older. U.S. Average AGE OF HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD Overall (age) Overall (Index) Winter Spring Summer Fall Age and older

11 11 PRESENCE OF CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD On average, 71.7% of Vermont visitors live in households without children under the age of 18. This is somewhat more than the U.S. population average. Households with children are least likely to visit in the fall. PRESENCE OF CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD Presence of Children U.S. Index Winter Spring Summer Fall No children < Oldest child Oldest child Oldest child <

12 12 PRIZM SUPER CLUSTERS PRIZM aggregates several dozen geographic, demographic and psychographic variables to create 12 super lifestyle clusters and 62 specific clusters. The 12 super clusters below are defined primarily by geography (i.e., urban, suburban, town and rural) and socio-economic status (1 high 4 low). The super cluster profile below suggests that socio-economic status is the single greatest influence on propensity to visit Vermont. Well-educated, affluent individuals living in large cities and the suburbs of large cities, but also from small towns and rural areas far from major metropolitan areas all have a higher than average propensity to visit Vermont.

13 13 PRIZM SUPER CLUSTERS Super Cluster U.S. (Index) Town Suburban Large Urban Rural Small Urban Large Urban Suburban Town Small Urban Town Large Urban Suburban Rural Small Urban Rural

14 14 PRIZM SPECIFIC TARGET MARKETS A study of the 62 specific PRIZM clusters suggests the presence of two dominant target markets for Vermont marketing efforts. These two segments are equal in size. Together, they make up 36.8% of all Vermont visitors. The first target market, Metro Achievers, is made up of the most affluent, most successful PRIZM segments. These people are the movers and shakers in our largest metropolitan areas. They have high incomes, high stress lifestyles and are likely to view Vermont as a welcome relief from their urban grind. The second target market, Small Town Gentry, is made up of well-educated affluent families living in small town and rural areas outside of major metropolitan areas. They are similar to their Metro Achiever brethren in educational background, but they have traded off the high powered, high-income metropolitan lifestyle for less stress and more serenity. One may speculate that Vermont is a symbol of the lifestyle choices that they have made, it conforms to their view of life.

15 15 PRIZM SPECIFIC TARGET MARKETS Target Markets Super Cluster/ Specific Cluster ( of Visitors) (Index) Small Town Gentry 18.4% 177 God's Country T1 / Big Fish, Small Pond T1 / New Homesteaders T2 / New Eco-topia R1 / Big Sky Families R1 / Country Squires T1 / Greenbelt Families T1 / Metro Achievers 18.4% 154 Winner's Circle S1 / New Empty Nests S2 / Pools & Patios S1 / Kids & Cul-de-Sacs S1 / Executive Suites S1 / Young Literati U1 / Bohemian Mix U1 / Money and Brains U1 / Urban Gold Coast U1 / Blue Blood Estates S1 /

16 16 The Complete 62 Cluster PRIZM PROFILE (Ranked by propensity to visit Vermont) Below is the full 62 cluster PRIZM profile of the Vermont visitor. This profile, along with the two target segment profiles above, can provide a wealth of lifestyle and media consumption information that can be used to plan, develop and target marketing communication programs. We strongly recommend that this information be used to prioritize media markets and choose specific media (e.g., radio formats, TV shows, magazines, etc.), as well as guide any direct marketing efforts. We also recommend that full lifestyle portraits of the two target markets defined above be procured to facilitate creative development, promotion development and the selection of corporate sponsorships.

17 17 The Complete 62 Cluster PRIZM PROFILE (Ranked by propensity to visit Vermont) Cluster Name U.S. Vermont Cluster Index 42 New Eco-topia Urban Gold Coast Country Squires Blue Blood Estates Winner's Circle Big Sky Families Pools & Patios God's Country New Homesteaders Big Fish, Small Pond Second City Elite New Empty Nests Bohemian Mix Money & Brains Young Literati Greenbelt Families Executive Suites Kids & Cul-de-Sacs Gray Power Old Yankee Rows Latino America River City, USA Urban Achievers American Dreams Young Influentials Middleburg Managers Blue Highways Golden Ponds Towns & Gowns Boomtown Singles

18 18 22 Blue-Chip Blues Upward bound Gray collars Mid-City Mix Hispanic Mix Suburban Sprawl Red, White & Blues Sunset City Blues Starter Families Middle America Single City Blues Mines & Mills Inner Cities Upstarts & Seniors Rustic Elders Shotguns & Pickups Southside City Agri-Business Hometown Retired Boomers & Babies Rural Industria Big City Blend Back Country Folks Military Quarters Smalltown Downtown Family Scramble Hard Scrabble Mobility Blues New Beginnings Norma Rae-ville Scrub Pine Flats Grain Belt Total