Transcript Norwich City of Ale Research

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Pub Visitor Research
Research findings for
Norwich City of Ale
June 2013
Prepared by Insight Track Ltd.
T: 01603 626800
E: [email protected]
Structure
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Background
Research Objectives
Approach
Findings
 Respondent profile
 Reason for visiting
 Impact of City of Ale
Summary
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Background
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
Norwich City of Ale Limited (NCoA) is a not-for-profit organisation with the
mission to promote Norwich, nationally and internationally, as the UK City of Ale
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One of the key activities undertaken by the organisation is to organise an annual
festival as a celebration of real ale from local breweries to be held throughout
the city in real ale pubs and other venues selling real ale (between 23rd May and
2nd June 2013)

In order to evaluate the success of the event, NCoA wish to monitor
performance against key performance indicators in respect to how awareness of
the event is generated, distances visitors tend to travel to the event and overall
impressions of it

Therein the management team wished to undertake a modest research
programme amongst pub visitors during the week of the event, this being
pragmatically conducted within the prescribed budget of approximately £500
Research Objectives
The scope of the research covered the following in a brief interviewer conducted survey:
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Basic profiling of visitor (gender, age, where travelled from)
Role of NCoA in prompting pub visit
Awareness of NCoA
How heard of NCoA
Frequency of drinking real ale
Impact of NCoA on frequency of visiting pubs and real ale drinking habits over the festival
period
Rating and impressions of NCoA
Suggested improvements for NCoA 2014
Favourite ‘new beer’ of the festival
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Methodology
234 in-pub face-to-face interviews, spread across pub opening periods
 Using a brief fully-structured questionnaire (13 questions)
 Fieldwork conducted between 24th - 30th May 2013 (see slide 6)
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Avoiding opening night
No screening quotas were applied (i.e. all pub visitors qualify for survey), although noting
that we did aim to speak to Real Ale drinkers in the main
 Two interviewers worked simultaneously in-pub in respect to health and safety
considerations (notably evening work)
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Two lunchtime shifts (12-2) (Thursday and Friday)
Two evening shifts (5-9) (Thursday and Friday)
We also had the help of a volunteer, Rob Whitmore, who carried out 40 of the interviews
in pubs that Insight Track were not targeting (and to whom we are very grateful for the
assistance)
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Sample: Pubs, time of day and date
Pub
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Fat Cat
Murderers
Wig & Pen
Kings Arms
Whalebone
Unthank Arms
Jubilee
King’s Head
Beehive
The Plough
Sub-total
TOTAL
Number of interviews by
time of day
Lunchtime
Evening
47
42
38
36
21
13
12
10
8
7
63
171
234
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Date
Thursday 30th May
Friday 24th May
Friday 24th May
Friday 24th May
Thursday 30th May
Sunday 26th May
Thursday 30th May
Thursday 30th May
Sunday 26th May
Thursday 30th May
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Findings:
Respondent profile
Respondent profile: Gender & Age
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The majority of respondents are male, with a good spread across ages 25+
18-24
5
25-34
16%
18
35-44
Male
Female
84%
21
45-54
22
55-64
17
65+
16
Refused
1
0
Base: 234 – all respondents; single response
Q: Note respondent gender
Q Which of the following age brackets do you fall into?
10
20
30
Respondent profile: Where do they come from?
Two thirds of respondents are from Norwich/Greater Norwich and a further fifth are from
wider Norfolk
 11% of respondents are from outside the county (17 of these 26 respondents said later in
the survey that they came to that pub specifically for the NCoA)
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3%
11%
Refused
Outside Norfolk
20%
Wider Norfolk (NR9-NR32)
Norwich (NR1-NR8)
66%
London (3)
Kirkwall
Rochester (2)
Luton
Colchester (2)
Manchester
Blackburn
Peterborough
Belfast
Portsmouth
Chelmsford
Preston
Dorchester
Stevenage
Gloucester
Southend
Huddersfield
Swindon
Ipswich
Base: 234 – all respondents; Open response
Q: Just so we can understand where people have travelled from, can I please ask what the first part of your postcode is e.g. NR1 NR13?
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10
Reasons for visiting
Impact of City of Ale on visiting the pub on that day
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A quarter were in the pub on that day specifically for NCoA
 Of those who did, the gender profile very much matches the overall sample profile
 The ‘core’ age profile appears to be between ages 25-64 (and definitely ages 25+)
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14%
Came specifically for City of Ale festival
Coming here anyway
24%
76%
Profile of those who came
specifically for City of Ale
Q: Did you come to this pub today for the City of Ale
festival or were you coming here anyway?
Male
Female
86%
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
% 0
Base: 234 – all respondents; Single response
5
21
Core
16
25
20
13
10
20
30
Base: 56 – all who came specifically for CoA; Single response
Impact of City of Ale on visiting the pub on that day
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A third of those who came to the pubs for NCoA were from outside Norfolk
As a proportion, those interviewed in the Jubilee and The Plough were most likely to have specifically
gone to the pub for NCoA (although noting a small base for these pubs)
1 in 3 respondents had visited The Murderers, Fat Cat or King’s Head specifically for NCoA
No. of
ints.
Came here
specifically
for NCoA
(No. of ints.)
Coming here
anyway
(No. of
ints.)
% in pub
who came
for NCoA
Jubilee
12
6
6
50%
The Plough
7
3
4
43%
Murderers
42
14
28
33%
Fat Cat
47
14
33
30%
King’s Head
10
3
7
30%
Beehive
8
2
6
25%
Wig & Pen
38
9
29
24%
Unthank Arms
13
2
11
15%
Whalebone
21
2
19
10%
King’s Arms
36
1
35
3%
Q: Did you come to this pub today for the City of Ale
festival or were you coming here anyway?
Where live
Norwich
(NR1-NR8)
(N=155)
Came here
specifically for
NCoA
(N=55)
Coming here
anyway
(N=179)
45%
73%
Wider
Norfolk
(NR9-NR32)
(N=47)
22%
20%
Outside
Norfolk
(N=26)
31%
5%
Base: 234 – all respondents; Single response (‘Refused’ not shown)
Base: 56 – all who came specifically for CoA; Single response
Awareness of City of Ale
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Over three quarters of respondents were aware of NCoA
 Ages 45+ were the most likely to be aware, particularly ages 55-64
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Q: Had you heard about the City of Ale festival
before coming to this pub today?
% of each age bracket aware of NCoA
18-24 (N=8)
50
25-34 (N=30)
No
23%
63
35-44 (N=41)
51
45-54 (N=37)
Yes
77%
81
55-64 (N=29)
86
65+ (N=30)
73
0
Base: 234 – all respondents; Single response
50
100
Base: 56 – all who came specifically for CoA; Single response
How found out about City of Ale
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People who were aware of NCoA were most likely to have found out via a newspaper
article (either in the EDP or Eastern Evening News)
Who/where/which
(N=number of responses)
Q: How did you find out about the Norwich City of Ale festival?
Newspaper article
Someone told me about it
Poster
City of Ale Programme
Leaflet
General awareness from drinking in pubs
Visited NCoA last year
Newpaper advert
Norfolk Nips
Information from CAMRA
Bookmark
City of Ale website
Facebook
Magazine advert
Magazine article
Twitter
Beer mat
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1
1
0
2
2
2
3
4
4
Base: 179 – all respondents who are aware of NCoA; Multiple response
No specific place emerging
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13
12
11
7
18
21
24
EEN (N=22)
EDP (N=21)
Fat Cat (N=6)
EEN (N=22)
EDP (N=21)
What’s Brewing (N=2)
10
20
30 %
Friend (N=13)
Pub staff (N=8)
Family (N=4)
Impact of City of Ale
All respondents were read the following information for consistent
understanding:
Norwich City of Ale is a ten-day celebration of local pubs, breweries and real
ale. Events are taking place between 23rd May and 2nd June across 41 pubs in
Norwich. From barbecues to "meet the brewer" evenings, live gigs to pub
quizzes there is a vibrant calendar of events with something for everyone.
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Real Ale drinking habits
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Nearly three quarters of the people we spoke to are regular real ale drinkers
Q: Broadly speaking, how often do you usually drink real ale?
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Daily
35
2-3 times a week
Regular ale
drinkers –
74%
19
Once a week
9
Once a month
Occasional ale
drinkers – 12%
3
Once every 2-3 months
2
2
Once every 6 months
Once a year or less
11
Never
0
Base: 234 – all respondents; Single response
10
Irregular ale
drinkers – 15%
20
%
30
40
Impact of City of Ale on pub visiting/drinking habits
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The NCoA has clearly had an impact on the behaviour of the people we spoke to, with
almost half the sample saying they had been (or would be) visiting more pubs or drinking
more real ale between 23rd May and 2nd June because of the City of Ale
Q: Between 23rd May and 2nd June have you been, or will you be…
Less
...visiting more pubs in Norwich
than usual because of the Norwich
City of Ale festival?
...drinking more real ale in Norwich
than usual because of the Norwich 1
City of Ale festival?
0%
Base: 234 – all respondents; Single response
20%
The same
More
56
44
56
43
40%
60%
80%
100%
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Impact on Real Ale drinking habits
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Around half of regular and occasional real ale drinkers said that they had, or would be,
drinking more real ale in Norwich than usual because of the NCoA festival
Q: Broadly speaking, how often do you usually drink real ale?
Vs.
Q: Between 23rd May and 2nd June have you been, or will you be drinking more real ale
in Norwich than usual because of the City of Ale festival
Less
Regular ale drinkers (N=172)
49
Occasional ale drinkers (N=27)
0
More
51
52
Irregular ale drinkers (N=35) 3
Base: 234 – all respondents; Single response
The same
48
94
50
%
3
100
Rating of City of Ale Experience
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Of those who gave an opinion, 89% rated their experience of the City of Ale as being
‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’
 This rises to 98% amongst those who visited the pub specifically for NCoA
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Q: How would you rate your experience of the City of Ale festival on the following scale?
1
11
48
41
Excellent
Good
Neither good nor poor
Poor
Very poor
Mean = 4.4 out of 5
Base: 174 – all respondents who gave a rating; Single response
Positives about City of Ale
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Some of the key themes emerging as perceived positives…
Q: What do you think are the best things about the Norwich City of Ale festival?
 Promoting real ales / trying new ales
 Promoting the pubs / encouraging people to try NEW pubs
 Variety of real ales available
 More vibrant pubs / atmosphere / bringing people together
 Promoting Norwich / good for tourism
 Highlighting / encouraging local breweries
 Ale trail / pub crawl
Base: 234 – all respondents; Open response
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What could be improved about City of Ale
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Some of the key themes emerging as suggested improvements for City of Ale 2014…
Q: What, if anything, could be improved about the City of Ale festival in the future?
More advertising / promotion / advanced publicity
Guide to what ales each pub is serving
Last longer than 10 days (too many pubs to fit in)
Cheaper ales
More pubs quizzes
More samples
Don’t coincide with half term
Base: 234 – all respondents; Open response
Loyalty cards
Learning about real ale
Transport/minibus
Favourite ‘New Beer’ of the festival so far
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Lacons’ ales come out on top in terms of the number of mentions of ‘favourite new beer’
tried at City of Ale 2013; ‘Affinity’ was the most frequently mentioned ale
Q: What has been your favourite NEW beer so far that you hadn’t tried before this City of Ale festival?
Lacons
Adnams
Woodfordes
Fat Cat
Humpty Dumpty
Golden Triangle
Grain
Oakham
Beeston
Tipples
Red Fox
Oldershaw
Chalk Hill
Buffy's
Murderers
Brancaster
Base: 234 – all respondents; Open response
4
4
4
3
3
2
2
6
6
6
6
9
13
12
12
16
0
10
20
No. of each brewery’s beers mentioned
5
mentions
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Summary
Summary
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Overall, 1 in 4 pub visitors were at the pub that day specifically for NCoA
The majority of those visiting specifically for NCoA are male (around 1 in 7 are female)
The core age profile of those visiting specifically for NCoA is 25-64
As might be expected, people visiting NCoA are most likely to be from Norwich; however, of the
56 people specifically visiting for NCoA, 1 in 3 were from outside Norfolk
Over three quarters (77%) of people we spoke to in the pubs were aware of NCoA
Newspaper articles, word of mouth and posters have been the most successful means of
spreading the word
Almost half the sample said they had, or would be, both visiting more pubs and/or drinking more
real ale than usual over the NCoA period
Almost half of regular and occasional real ale drinkers said they would be drinking more real ale
than usual over the NCoA period
9 out of 10 people rated their experience of NCoA as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’; 98% of those who
visited specifically for NCoA rated their experience as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’
The objectives of NCoA are being well-received – pub-goers appreciate the promotion of (an
impact on) real ale, the pubs, local breweries and Norwich and like the variety of beers available
The key suggested improvement is actually a positive – promote the festival more
Lacons is being welcomed back, with Affinity receiving the most mentions for ‘favourite new
beer tried so far’ and with the brewery receiving the most mentions overall
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Good luck with Norwich City of Ale 2014!