Audience research for Ickworth Estate: National Trust, 2024

Ickworth Estate is a National Trust property located in Suffolk.  It is an iconic Italianate palace, set within 725 hectares of parkland and formal gardens. Visitor numbers were strong and increasing year on year, but there was a belief that the property had even greater potential to attract different groups of visitors. The National Trust already had a good understanding of existing visitors but wanted to learn more about non-visitors and lapsed visitors (living within a 60 minute drive time of the Estate) they therefore commissioned us to conduct audience research.

Research comprised online surveys and captured awareness, perceptions, and views on what aspects are important when visiting heritage attractions and reasons for not having visited Ickworth recently or at all. The survey also asked about the appeal of the offer at Ickworth and likelihood to visit. Quotas were set on different demographics to allow analysis of the data by lifestage.

This visitor insight, when coupled with existing visitor data helped identify key target audiences, what appealed to them and how to attract them without alienating existing and especially regular visitors. The research is being used to help inform the Experience Design plans to grow visitor numbers to the Estate over the next 10 years.