Mendocino Team
- Include standard introduction, establish right to record if applicable
- Remember to treat this as a conversation and not just a Q&A session. Be interested but don’t lead the answers. Remind the subject(s) that there are no right or wrong answers. What we need most is honesty.
- Do not name Mendocino as the client right away, we start general and focus down to Mendo at the very end.
- Section 2 is different for interviews vs focus groups. In a focus group format, be sure to keep things moving. Sections should go fairly fast.
- Investigate stress in the lives of DINKS
- Would you consider yourself stressed out now?
- Do you go through periods of unusually high stress often?
- How do you relieve stress?
- Where do trips & vacations fit in
- If you are using a focus group format instead of a 1 on 1 interview, consider having attendees construct a collage. Cut out and color-copy a series of images that have little to do with Mendo. The collage should be about ways to relieve stress and can include any drawing or labeling participants like. Have participants share their collages after 25 minutes. Ask about where vacation comes in. If it isn’t listed, find out why it was not included.
- You have 72 hours off, a 3 day vacation. Let’s plan a getaway
- How do you decide where to go?
- Encourage brain storming of place-options
- Let’s attempt to put these into categories. For example, some are drive, others are fly. Some are expensive, others are budget.
- Are some vacations more planned vs. spontaneous? Discuss…
- We’ve heard that people cycle vacation spots (explain). Is this something you relate to? Discuss…
- Our client wants to understand a few factors better. Let’s talk about them.
- Crowding: Vacation spots can be as busy as cities. A very few are relatively people-free. When and why might this matter to you?
- Predictability: some spots are fun but always the same. Some are more versatile and offer a different experience every time. Can we talk about this subject a little bit and its importance or lack of importance to you?
- Compact Activities: Do options matter? This relates to predictability. Some vacation spots offer lots of variety in a very small area.
- Minute-for-minute-value: Is a combination of the previous three factors. Does it matter to you? Is this something you would consider if it were presented as a value in a vacation spot or would it fail to register?
- Describe Mendocino without naming it. This is a description of our client’s vacation area, the who isn’t really important yet. Be careful with this description as we do not want to influence the messaging choice in section six.
- Our client is considering two message strategies. We would like to talk about which is more appealing
- Get away to an empty place – a message focused on the Un’s. Un-expected, traveled, spoiled, discovered, pretentious, ususal, crowded, traveled. What sets this place apart is that it is untouched by the hordes associated with most vacation areas.
- An active getaway spot with high minute-to-minute value. For example – this is a place where you can golf, abalone dive, go wine tasting, hike, run, bike, sea kayak, explore coastal caves, see whales, visit gardens, check out micro-breweries, or go bass fishing all within a 90 minute drive.
- Identify the client as Mendocino
- Are you familiar with Mendocino?
- Have you been there? If yes, would you go again?
- Which of the earlier messages fits your idea of Mendocinio?
- Reprise the description of Mendocino, include the preferred message (un vs active) in the review: Does this description fit your impression of the area?
- If no: why not, and do you believe it?
- Knowing what you do now, would you plan a trip to Mendocino or are there still dozens of other places you’d rather visit?
- As we said, Mendocino is our client. As students we are actually working with an agency on this project. Is there anything you would like to tell Mendocino?
- Standard thanks, finish interview/focus group.
