Tourism Study Finds Strong Brand Recognition of St. Charles

St. Charles has historic charm, attractive business establishments and a strong brand but needs to do more to spread the word about its offerings for visitors.

Those were the conclusions of an extensive marketing study released this week by city tourism officials.

“I think it helps us in a number of critical areas,” said David Rosenwasser, president of the . “I think it will help us to refine what our message is and greatly enable us to be more effective and efficient with where we put money to get out that message.”

The study, prepared by Springfield, MO-based H2R Market Research, was based on information provided by 420 respondents primarily drawn from an email panel that included St. Louis and regional locations ranging from Terre Haute, IN, to Springfield, MO, to Paducah, KY. It found that shopping and casino gaming were among the most popular activities for visitors.

Proximity to well known attractions in the Greater St. Louis area, such as the Arch and Six Flags, also enhanced the draw for those from out of town.

However, St. Charles County activities such as the Daniel Boone Home and Missouri’s wine country tended to lag the list with neither ranking above 3 percent in terms of visitation.

Gaming was of particular interest in the survey with the 166-page report saying that gambling was the fourth most popular attraction for those within 100 miles and second among those traveling from further away.

“…It also presents a somewhat interesting conundrum for St. Charles,” said the report, noting that gaming ranked as less important in the whole scope of the destination for many respondents. “However, as a standalone activity, more people say they participate in casino gaming (15 percent) than any other activity excluding shopping and dining (19 percent).”

Of travelers surveyed just over half had visited St. Charles in the last decade. Of those who had visited at some point in their lives, nearly two-thirds had done so within the past year. Visiting friends and family was the biggest single draw, serving as a primary reason for about one-quarter of travelers, followed by casino gaming and shopping in the historic district.

The least popular primary activities on the list included visiting historic sites and using the Katy Trail both of which ranked under 2 percent. Day trips are more popular than overnight stays by a nearly 3 to 1 margin. June, August and December are the most desirable times to visit, while February and March are the least popular months. Women under 50 with families and incomes above $40,000 were identified as a key demographic.

Advertising and promotion was a big focus for the study as well. Among non-online advertising methods, television was by far the champion performer with 22.3 percent hearing about the city that way. By contrast newspaper and magazine ads had less than half that total. Radio fared even worse, making an impression upon a little over 5 percent.

“Television is just more effective,” said Rosenwasser. “It has a stronger influence on driving people here. The message came through more clearly.”

Only about 14 percent remembered ads for the city without prompting. That rate rose to 25 percent when prompted, a figure the report called “a little lower than one might prefer.”

Rosenwasser said the upshot would be a shift towards TV and away from print promotions, particularly regional editions of national magazines. The city was also likely to begin campaigns in markets like Columbia, Cape Girardeau and Jefferson City. Ongoing efforts in Springfield, MO, and Illinois, may be enhanced and St. Charles will probably enter the Kansas City area as well.

“We weren’t reaching as many people as we thought we were,” Rosenwasser said. “We will probably reallocate some of our advertising dollars into various television markets within the 250-mile radius that we hadn’t been in before.”

Online efforts will also continue. Internet search engines and the St. Charles website were listed as the two biggest sources of awareness by respondents.

“Long-term that is where we know we can continue to be because the cost to reach people is more reasonable,” Rosenwasser said, noting that the city hoped to have its promotional website revamped by summer.

The city’s brand identity was identified as very healthy. More than four-fifths of travelers within 250 miles were familiar with St. Charles. By comparison, Lake of the Ozarks is only a few points higher, recognized by 88 percent and Branson by nine in 10.

Better yet, that familiarity has bred a generally positive image.

“Relative to the competition, St. Charles earns comparatively high perceptions as being a convenient, affordable, safe and unique destination,” the report said.

A dearth of knowledge was identified as the primary stumbling block for potential tourists. “Don’t know enough to make an informed decision” was selected by 45 percent of non-visitors, while one-fifth of that group said they hadn’t heard of the city.

“The most common reasons for not visiting St. Charles were lack of information and recommendations,” the study said. “Others used the excuse of price or location, but few said they had a bad experience in the past.”

In the end, Rosenwasser said that while nothing in the study, which cost about $10,000 to produce, jumped out as particularly surprising, it will yield the first fresh data his organization has seen in five years, something useful in future decision-making.

“I think it gives us a better sense of why people come and why people don’t come,” Rosenwasser said. “As far as future product development enhancements, I think it has some insights that we did not have before.”