Issue 40 May/June 2011 £2.75
How Middle Britons face downturn By Christina Eccles ‘MIDDLE Britons’ are looking to the internet to beat the economic downturn – increasingly searching for bargain breaks and recommendations online. According to an Experian survey of over 2,000 people, more than a quarter of respondents intend to forgo a holiday this year due to financial pressures. And those choosing to head off on a break are citing value for money as the biggest decider in where to go. The figures showed 66 per cent will be demanding better customer service and value for money and for 82 per cent, value for money will be the most important consideration when making holiday decisions. Managing director, Experian Marketing Information Services, UK and Ireland, Nigel Wilson said: “Our latest analysis sends a clear message to the travel industry, and brands as a whole, that Middle Britain’s modern consumers will be more demanding than ever before and want more for their hard-earned cash. The brands which will be the winners in this new consumer order are those which respond best to this need – understanding exactly
who their customers and how to engage with them both in store and online.” The research also showed consumers are using the power of social media to find the best deals and customer experiences. 74 per cent are positively influenced by recommendations from friends on social media networks and 83 per cent say their general perception of a product or brand is influenced, for better or for worse, by comments they see online. Over half are influenced by voucher sites and almost the same proportion regularly respond to email offers. Nigel added: “Tripadvisor is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to consumers sharing holiday tips and advice. It is important that brands embrace the full power of social media to build their customer relationships, manage their profile and ultimately boost sales.” According to Experian’s definition ‘Middle Britain’ represent over 13m people. The definition is based on a series of measures including income, age, car ownership, occupation and type of house. This group is not seen as the youngest or oldest in the country, neither are they the most affluent or most deprived.
Most want to hang on to May Day holiday
Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury has visited the Peak District to launch a festival dedicated to enjoying the outdoors. Julia was at Buxton’s Pavilion Gardens to mark the start of Visit Peak District and Derbyshire’s series of Walking and Outdoors Festivals. The launch also included a range of family friendly activities including magic shows, percussion workshops and a walk with a Blue Badge Guide.
ALMOST half of Brits would object to replacing the May Day bank holiday with a day off in April or October, according to a TripAdvisor poll. Following the Government’s recent announcement that May Day could be replaced by a St. George’s Day bank holiday in April or a Trafalgar Day in October, most people surveyed would like the date to remain in May. In a poll of over 4,000 Britons, 43 per cent would like the May Day bank holiday left as it is. A third support replacing it with a Trafalgar Day in October, while only a fifth support replacing it with a St. George’s Day public holiday in April. TripAdvisor spokesman Emma O’Boyle said: “May Day has been a popular British holiday for over 30 years and many people plan holidays and family days out around this. “It is understandable why some may oppose the change, but replacing it with a Trafalgar Day in October would certainly help extend the British tourist season and break up the long period between the August bank holiday and Christmas.”