Adirondack Millennial Guidebook

Suggestions for
your business:
• Turn assumptions on their ear
• Pair like-shaped objects to show what you have: – A tent and an artfully folded napkin
– A trail map and a piece of art
– A trail marker and a wafle
– A compass and a necklace
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Millennial Misconception:
OPTIONS
Those of us who live in the Adirondacks know that the region has more to offer than just hiking and camping; however, the perception exists that the Adirondacks are nothing more than mountains. It’s important that businesses in the region work to shift that perception by offering experiences that cater not only to the hardcore outdoorsmen and women, but also to museum lovers, foodies, and so-called “shutterbugs”—photographers who make travel decisions solely based on photographic appeal.
As a whole, we understand the variety of outdoor options, value outdoor experiences and will seek out opportunities to unplug, albeit briefly. So how can we make six million acres seem...smaller? It’s achievable through smart marketing that promotes all that the region has to offer.
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“What is there to do?”
The above data is just a small example of the numerous options that Millennials would like to have. Show us what you’ve got! The following ad boasts the headline “six million ways to explore”, implying that there are just as many things to do as there are acres. Showcasing a fun collage style and using photos from the client’s Flickr page, this ad speaks to Millennials’ desire for choices and experiences. Any community or business with a range of options to show could create an effective ad using this style.
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78% of Millennials want cultural sites.
64% want food/beer/wine.
66% want farmers’ markets. 65% want to learn a new skill.


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Why this speaks to
Milennials:
• The grid pulls us in
• Six million ways to explore makes us want to know all of them
• The multiple photos show us there’s a lot to do
Suggestions for
your business:
• •
• •
If you haven’t already, start organizing a library of photography
Have an outlet for followers to share their own imagery, like a brand hashtag
Showcase images that have a wide range of options Make sure to include people and unique experiences
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Millennial Misconception:
WORTH
Do I spend my hard-earned dollars to travel to the Adirondacks, or do I choose instead to book a trip to Lake Tahoe or a beach resort in Florida? When answering the question of worth, it’s all about the experience that is being offered. So many of the decisions we make as Millennials come down to social factors: finding an experience that is unique and undiscovered.
The Adirondacks are filled with hidden gems that are just waiting to be mined—it’s just a matter of pointing Millennials in the right direction. The value of being able to tell the story of the time they ate chicken glazed in honey made by the bees on their innkeeper’s property is priceless.
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“Is it worth my time?”
How do businesses stand out? Sometimes going back to the well works. Millennials actually love vintage or throwback things. If your business has historic photos, ads from old guides, or other things that prove having been around a long time, it can be advertising gold.
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54% undiscovered = unique.
40% the spirit of how things used to be makes a travel experience authentic.


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Just 5 miles from Exit 34 or 35!


Why this speaks to
Milennials:
• It’s different: We want to ind things that stand out
• The way it is broken into three distinct sections is eye catching
• The viewer is hooked by the combination of picture and cartoon • It doesn’t feel like it’s over-promising
Suggestions for
your business:
• Forest green tends to dominate outdoor ads: pick a vibrant color instead • Create a list of characteristics or offerings that quickly tell your story
• Use descriptive language
• The fonts you choose matter: think about what yours say
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Millennial Misconception:
LODGING
lffffLodging is perhaps the most important consideration to Millennials—or anyone for that matter—when planning a vacation. Lodging/accommodations sites like Airbnb, HomeAway, and AdirondacksByOwner have made it easier than ever to find lodging options in the Adirondacks that fit a prospective visitor’s taste and budget. Businesses and brands that have had the most success connecting with people under 35 have linked arms with such services and tailored their rates and lodging packages to an audience that expects comfort and convenience.
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“Where wil we stay?”
There are some pretty awesome places to stay in the Adirondacks that have a ton of character. If there’s a lodge that makes us want to stay inside all day, we want to know. The following concept plays off of the idea that #noilter is usually used at the top of a mountain, overlooking a beautiful landscape. On the next page, that has been lipped around to show that there are some places that make Millennials want to never leave the lodge. Keep in mind, the more you can show us how we’ll feel or what we’ll see, the more we pay attention.
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67% want lodging variety.
33% inding a place to stay is the irst thing done when planning a trip.


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Why this speaks to
Milennials:
• #noilter speaks to our heavily social media-based society
• We want to know that there are lodging options: There’s more than camping • You don’t need to be outside for the Adirondacks to be a destination
Suggestions for
your business:
• Once again, if you have a budget to work with, hire a photographer • Show what is unique, quirky, and colorful about your space
• If you can, offer a message of, “While you’re here you can also...”
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Millennial Misconception:
ENDORSEMENTS
ffSocial media has changed the way people research everything from travel destinations, to restaurants, attractions, products, and service providers. Whether it’s accurate or not, user-generated content (photos on Instagram and Facebook, Yelp reviews, etc.) has become the be-all, end-all for how businesses will be viewed by the masses. It’s important to monitor those sites to see how your business is being represented.
Better yet—control your image. Establish a marketing budget that can support buying prominent ad space, or utilize low- to no-cost services like Facebook and Google Ads to shape the image you want.
If you have a great product or service, the endorsements will follow. Refer back to page 12 for more on social advertising strategy.
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“I ’m looking for reviews.”
It’s important to have a story, but others are telling it for us—and it’s only about nature, hiking and camping. An advertorial approach allows you to redeine who and what the Adirondacks are. It also makes it easy for businesses to join forces to show they have enough to entice people to stay longer. Presenting different options creates the idea that we can pick and choose and plan a really great trip.
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70%
choosing a location adds pressure.
64%
reading positive reviews has inluence.
82% use oficial destination sites in advance.


Why this speaks to
Millennials:
• •
• •
Showing the Adirondacks as a destination and showing multiple businesses and activities in one location, Millennials can trust in knowing what’s available
We want to read small blurbs of information—not an article. Grab our attention in two sentences or less
The number of options make it seem like there is a lot to discover
The “Content Sponsored by...” makes it feel like there is a go-to source for more information
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Suggestions for
your business:
•
• •
Collaborate with other businesses and offer packages, deals, and exclusive offers to promote business
Make it easy for Millennials: Show them lots of options
Think of new ways to present the same options: Repetition is good if you spice it up
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Millennial Misconception:
AMENITIES
fOne of many misconceptions about the Adirondacks is that basic amenities like grocery stores, lodging, and WiFi don’t exist. It will take a unified strategy over time to begin to reverse this notion and that starts by shining a light on cultural/lifestyle options.
The region’s many cultural gems often go unnoticed—lost in a forest of advertisements promoting outdoor activities. Schireson’s data supports the fact that Millennials are looking for educational and cultural activities as opposed to hiking Mount Marcy or fly fishing the Ausable River.
From world-class museums to music venues, theater, and plein air art— the Adirondacks are rich with culture. Now is the time to show off the cultural side of the Adirondacks.
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“There aren’t any
lifestyle options available.”
Use the landscape to your beneit—we don’t want to ignore the beautiful landscape, and its opportunity for a great metaphor. By giving hidden peeks into art and culture, the following concept shows that the Adirondacks go deeper than what meets the eye.
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62%
of Millennials travel more for leisure and cultural activities than for the outdoors.


Why this speaks to
Millennials:
• This image literally pulls the many experiences into the mountainscape • It gently shows that we may have underestimated the Adirondacks
• Has an element of discovery and curiosity
• Shows variety and choice
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Suggestions for
your business:
• Mountains of options is all about revealing what we don’t know • Do you have an underrepresented offering? Tell us!
• Tell us what our rainy day options are
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Millennial Misconception:
VASTNESS
“Too much ground to cover.”
A recurring theme in the focus groups was the idea that the Adirondacks are daunting and overwhelming. There were suggestions that the idea of six million acres is off-putting. One tack to reshape the scale of the Adirondacks in the minds of Millennials could be to redefine it by creating regions or areas. Another approach is to turn the size on its ear: It isn’t six million acres, it is an area that can be explored again and again, each time offering something new to love.
Understanding the perspective of someone unfamiliar with the Adirondacks makes it easier to shape your message to ease their fears, stoke their interest, and position all that the Adirondacks have to offer as something desirable and worth making time to visit.
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Storyline:
At the end of their study, Schireson synthesized the data into some learning for us and helped us begin to develop a new storyline for the Adirondack region. They summarized that: Millennials are on a journey; they seek a rewarding life; choosing “unique” and “authentic” things takes courage, and that deep down they yearn to explore. From these summary statements they formed the storyline:
The journey rewards those who choose the unbeaten path.
No matter what our roles, budgets, or ways of communicating are, we can all help tell the story Millennials will hear using whatever tools we do have by sticking to these principles:
JOURNEY: The trip, self development, life
REWARDS: Unique experiences, stories, learning
CHOOSE: Think for and challenge oneself take the road less traveled UNBEATEN: Adventure, culture, the undiscovered
PATHS: Forever wild, but not without paths to choose from*
*from Schireson Associates Research Summary Report
We hope you will use The Wild Center Millenial Research Study and this Guidebook and ind the path that is right for you.
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A Few
Shout Outs:
The Wild Center’s Millennial Research Study and this Guidebook have been supported by a grant from Empire State Development/I LOVE NY, awarded through the Regional Economic Development Council process.
Projects as big as this one cannot happen without help from many. On behalf of Stephanie Ratcliffe, Executive Director and the entire The Wild Center Board and Staff, hearty thanks to I Love NY for their support of this project, Ron Ofner from the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council, and Jim McKenna from ROOST for their counsel and partnership throughout this project. We are also appreciative of the advice along the way as we developed the study from: Howard Fish of Fish Partners, Garet Livermore from Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks, Jennifer Potter Hayes from View, Alexandra Roalsvig from the Town of Long Lake Tourism, Devin Lander at the Museum Association of New York, as well as our friends at The Hyde Collection, the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce, and many others who participated in our interviews and focus groups. We were lucky to have great firms to work with and we are particularly grateful to Andy Pimentel at Schierson and Amanda Magee at Trampoline and their teams for their dedication to this project. The Wild Center is also grateful to Finch Paper LLC for donating the beautiful paper on which this book is printed.
Hillarie Logan-Dechene The Wild Center
May 2016
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STUDY DATA:
Schireson Associates
212.257.5530 • www.schireson.com • [email protected]
DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND COPY:
Trampoline Advertising & Design Co.
518.798.9155 • www.trampolinedesign.com • [email protected]
PRINTED IN THE USA BY:
Snyder Printer
691 River Street • Troy, NY 12180
518.272.8881 • www.snyderprinter.com • [email protected]
PAPER IDENTIFICATION:
New Leaf Ingenuity 100 PCW, 130# Cover and 80# Text, made by Finch
OFFICIAL PRODUCTION SPECIFICATIONS:
Printed in a limited edition of 250.
Cover printed on New Leaf Ingenuity 100 PCW, 130# Cover Text printed on New Leaf Ingenuity 100 PCW, 80# Text
TYPEFACE USAGE: AVENIR: light, medium and black Buternut: rough
[email protected] •518.359.7800 ext. 103 [email protected] • 212.257.5530 [email protected] • 518.798.9155


FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact The Wild Center: [email protected] • 518.359.7800