Leisure & Tourism

Leisure & Tourism


Leisure and tourism is Mustard’s largest and fastest growing sector. We have delivered a range of research programmes for various attractions and destination brands across the globe. We have consulted with audiences before, during and after a visit / experience. Our clients include various tourist boards, bar and restaurant operators, major leisure attractions / theme parks, sports clubs / destinations, gyms / fitness centres, cinemas, zoos, hotel groups and registered charities such as English Heritage.

Leisure & tourism services research expertise

Segmentation

Our market segmentations have been fully embedded and have stood the test of time. A segmentation of the “late-night London” scene on behalf of Novus Leisure identified discrete motivations for a night out, and subsequently influenced product, service, brand and communications design, culminating with its sale to new investors in 2012. Our segmentation for English Heritage was still being used 6 years after delivery.

Brand research

We deliver brand tracking research for Merlin Entertainment’s UK and European theme park brands, using the Brand Alignment Monitor (BAM) method. We use the same approach for brand tracking for David Lloyd Leisure, and have also delivered brand tracking and monitoring programmes for clients including Snoozebox, Park Resorts, The Jockey Club and Warner Bros. (for the Harry Potter brand).

Customer satisfaction

We provide ongoing customer satisfaction research for one of the UK’s largest Zoological Societies, and take measures of satisfaction, advocacy and visit intention when delivering brand tracking programmes for Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor and Chessington World of Adventures.

Proposition / Concept testing

We regularly conduct quantitative research surveys to measure appeal of various new concepts and propositions for Merlin Entertainments. These have included testing IP appeal, new features, additions and improvements to existing attractions (e.g. SEALIFE, Madame Tussauds, Dungeons, London Eye), new rides at theme parks, and testing ideas for brand new attractions.

Communications developing / testing

We have tested creative qualitatively and quantitatively. All of our brand tracking programmes for Merlin Entertainments also include advertising diagnostics. In addition to this, we have delivered “pre” and “post” surveys to understand the impact of campaigns on awareness, perceptions and intention to visit – most recently for Visit Guernsey.

U&A (needs and behaviour)

We have helped clients understand triggers and barriers to visiting. We have delivered surveys to understand barriers for not visiting restaurants. We have conducted research to understand factors causing a disinclination to visit stately homes. Focus groups have helped inform events and exhibition programmes, and exit surveys (delivered globally) have been used to better understand behaviour and attitudes of visitors (and prospective visitors) to Madame Tussauds.

Pricing research

We have delivered several programmes of pricing research (using various specialist techniques including variations of the Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter) for clients including Odeon, Chessington World of Adventures and the Jockey Club.

How proposition / concept testing helped Visit Aberdeenshire


We provided Visit Aberdeenshire with recommendations on how to shape and develop the new brand position. This research also informed the development of further marketing communications.

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