Kitzbuhel Tourismus Advertising Scientifically Examined

In cooperation with the German Sports University in Cologne, Kitzbühel Tourism is taking a further step towards professionalisation and has its advertising subjects scientifically examined.

Kitzbühel leaves nothing to chance when it comes to advertising. The same goes for planning new campaigns. By means of eye tracking and target group analyses, the marketing subjects are extensively examined for their effect in cooperation with the German Sport University Cologne.

One of the main tasks of Kitzbühel Tourismus lies in the targeted promotion of the destination, which has received numerous top-class awards in recent years. In the background, work is being done to constantly improve and further develop the destination advertising, including in cooperation with the Institute for Media and Communication at the Cologne Sports University.

Focus on professional marketing and promotional activities

In addition to a targeted evaluation of the exact places of origin using heat maps and detailed targeting for the distribution of online marketing funds, the subjects used are also evaluated for their effectiveness both in quantitative and qualitative terms.

The German Sport University Cologne acts as an important partner for this. Kitzbühel, with Univ.-Prof. dr Thomas Schierl, Head of the Institute for Communication and Media Research as the leading sparring partner, found a real professional in the collaboration. As a so-called “second home”, he has been living the topic of workation in the Gamsstadt for years and uses the inspiring exchange on site.

“Ongoing, scientific monitoring of advertising measures is an important step in the professionalization of communication work. Kitzbühel Tourism is certainly taking on a pioneering role in the tourist analysis. It is a pleasure for us to provide the best possible support with our expertise,” says Univ.-Prof. dr Thomas Schierl summarized the previous cooperation with Kitzbühel Tourismus.

Landscape vs. people as the core element of the application

During the Covid pandemic, Kitzbühel Tourismus deliberately concentrated on pure landscape images in terms of advertising. In the course of the branding process initiated by Kitzbühel Tourism, communication was also tightened. The first implementation steps have already been taken by means of a female, person-centred subject design.
 
As part of the scientific study, these two communication strategies - landscape versus person focus - were compared. The eye movements of the subjects were methodically examined both in the laboratory and using mobile eye tracking. The so-called gaze plots and heat maps determined from this show both the course of eye movements and the fixations of various elements. By integrating this analysis into everyday situations, such as leafing through a magazine or an online article, it can be determined how attention is drawn. This gives you unique insights into real consumer behavior.

“We see it as our duty to continuously improve our communication work. For this reason, it is essential to know how our campaigns are received by the target customer. With our partner, above all Thomas Schierl, we have an independent and competent expert who supports us in the best possible way in the development of our communication work," explains Dr. Viktoria Veider-Walser, Managing Director of Kitzbühel Tourism, the added value of this cooperation.

Network maintenance as a pattern of success

The long-standing cooperation with the Cologne Sports University goes beyond pure scientific supervision and is rounded off by a summer school, which is led by Peter Höbarth, Managing Director of the Kitzbüheler Anzeiger, and Univ.-Prof. dr Thomas Schierl was brought into being.

For more than 15 years, a cohort of the master's course in media and communication research has been commissioned with the practical implementation of a Kitzbühel-specific project, in recent years mainly for the Kitzbüheler Anzeiger. After the briefing on the destination and a more scientific lecture on the project, concrete recommendations for action are developed. The best results will be awarded on the last day. In recent years, these projects have also been implemented to a large extent, which gives the students even more motivation to do their best.

Peter Höbarth is convinced that this annual exchange is the best advertisement for Kitzbühel: "Through the high-quality program over the four days, including mountain experiences, the students get to know Kitzbühel better and pass on their experiences as multipliers. In this way, we have been able to bring more than 400 students to Kitzbühel in the last 15 years.”