Survey Shows Business Travellers Make Drink and Venue Choices Based on Image

A new survey sponsored by Diageo, one of the world’s leading premium drinks businesses, has confirmed that more than half of business travellers, in fact 66%, happily pay more for cocktails made with premium or “top shelf” brands.

“The idrinkwell.com 2008 National Survey of American Cocktail Culture, Attitudes and Trends” was conducted by MarketTools Inc., a global research innovator, on behalf of drinkwell, a programme developed by Diageo and Zagat, a leading source on where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, to provide consumers with a new way to make informed decisions about where to find the best drinks and drinks service.

The survey also found business travellers are extremely self-conscious when choosing a venue - nearly half (47%) say that whether or not the restaurant/drinking establishment will make a good impression guides their venue choice, while 41% of business travellers agree the drinks they order or recommend influence others’ opinions of them. A majority of business travellers’ drink choices are impacted by who they are with at a business lunch or dinner, and they choose locations very carefully, especially when it comes to making recommendations.

”The business dinner, lunch or after-work drink have become rituals in our society and often the way we build relationships or strike deals,” said Steve Wallet, Vice President of Channel Marketing for Diageo. “The idrinkwell.com survey reaffirms what many in the business community have long known: seemingly social interaction over drinks can have a radical effect on the bottom line. No wonder business travellers tap their full powers in choosing a dining location.”

Other idrinkwell business traveller survey highlights include: 

- More than half (61%) of American business travellers believe the restaurant they recommend to a business associate for drinks will actually affect that person’s professional opinion of them;

- Close to half (49%) of business travellers always specify the brand they want in their cocktail;

- 48% say their choice of cocktail is influenced by whether or not the restaurant prepares their favorite drink especially well;

- Business travellers’ cocktail choice is influenced by who their dining companions are (52%) and what others in the group are drinking (32%);

- 43% of business travellers say drink prices influence their decision on where to go when choosing a restaurant or drinking establishment for pleasure, compared to only 30% who say it affects their decision when going out for business; 

- 56% of business travellers say good reviews by business associates influences what restaurant/drinking establishment they will frequent for business;

- For 63% of business travellers the food they’re ordering influences which cocktail they choose versus 54% of Americans who are non business-travellers;

- More than one out of five business travellers say the image a drink evokes influences their choice of cocktail.

The survey was conducted by MarketTools on behalf of Drinkwell. The online survey was conducted among 400 business travellers 30-54 years-old nationwide with a household income greater than $75K who travel for business three or more times per year; the margin of error for the business traveller survey is +/- 5%. In addition, the survey also queried more than 1,000 Americans nationwide 30-54 years-old with a household income greater than $75K who dine out for business or pleasure at least once a week. The national survey sample is balanced on gender and employment status to be nationally representative; the margin of error is +/- 4%.

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