When Visit Sarasota County looked to refresh the brand of their destination, they hired Downs & St. Germain to conduct the research. Focus groups were conducted in five markets, four major visitor markets and in Sarasota County. The groups provided feedback on logos, naming conventions, themes, and advertisements.
In addition to the focus groups, Downs & St. Germain Research completed an Emotional Mapping Study. In this study, words and phrases, emanating from the focus groups, describing Sarasota and other travel destinations were tested to see which phrases resonated with visitors and were “owned” by Sarasota County. The results of these studies resulted in Visit Sarasota County’s new brand. For a short video on this study, please click on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLMG1T1GylU