Situation:
An advertising campaign was initiated to boost tourism in the State of Oklahoma.  The Board of Tourism wanted to measure the impact of the campaign on awareness of and attitudes towards Oklahoma as a tourist destination.

Research Solution:
ConsumerQuest interviewed 2045 households in 14 key markets, including 4 in-state markets, 2 “Top 10” out-of-state markets, and 8 medium-sized out-of-state markets.  In each household, interviews were conducted with the primary decision maker for what trips to take or places to visit for pleasure/recreation.  Interviews were conducted online, with respondents selected at random from a largely representative multi-sourced survey Internet panel.  To ensure separate, unbiased samples, households were assigned at random to either the pre- or post-wave prior to the study.  To assess emotive reactions to specific content in “Okla” TV commercials, respondents were shown the campaign TV ads and asked to rate them on a second-by-second basis using ConsumerQuest’s proprietary online rating dial.  By conducting the research online, the client was able to benefit with a large sample size and being able to quantitatively measure changes in key measures with extraordinary statistical accuracy. 

Findings:
Overall:  The research found that the campaign had a favorable impact on overall impressions of the State as a travel destination.  Interest in traveling to/within Oklahoma compared favorably with that of competing States.  Perceptions of Oklahoma on key attributes and descriptors increased significantly.  Residents of Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri had the most interest in and likelihood of visiting the state, and positive perceptions as a desired travel destinations included descriptors such as family-oriented, great value, colorful, lots to do and interesting.

Dial Ratings: 
The “Okla” TV ads were memorable, well-liked, and created a favorable impression of the State on key attributes.  Examination of dial ratings found that the “Okla” TV ads’ opening and closing sequences were particularly effective.  The research also found that the campaign was successful in motivating people to visit the website and request brochures, a key component of the tourism marketing plan.

Outcome:
This research gave the Board of Tourism confidence that its advertising campaign was working.  By continuing to air the TV commercials and run the other media components of the campaign, tourism in the state of Oklahoma expanded.