CPRS Public Opinion Market Research Discovers
98% of Californian Households Visit a Park Once a Year

For the past year, CPRS undertook a public opinion research study to determine how the public values parks and recreation. This research was in support of CPRS' interest in branding parks and recreation as an essential community service.

Knowing what others say and think about you is critical to understanding and communicating your brand. In this case, our objective was to better understand how Californians and civic leaders perceive parks and recreation, so we targeted the general public and locally elected officials. CPRS is the first organization to have undertaken so comprehensive a study of public perceptions of parks and recreation.

Utilizing the expertise of market researchers, Lauren Schlau Consulting, Los Angeles and Hiner & Partners, Inc., Long Beach , a multi-phased research project was conducted. Phase one consisted of qualitative interviews with a representative sample of both program and park users in both Northern and Southern California . Through one-on-one, in-depth interviews, this first phase focused on uncovering the values individuals held about parks and programs. The first phase served as the foundation for the development of questions that were asked through an online survey. The online survey asked both program and park users to rate the priority and delivery of various statements related to parks and recreation programs.

This research, combined with previous work conducted by CPRS, will be the foundation for development of a brand promise for parks and recreation in California . That expression of what our profession promises will be supported by messages and slogans that CPRS members may use in their communications and marketing efforts toward the objective of communicating why the discipline of parks and recreation is an essential community service.

Here are three important findings from the study:

•  Californians demonstrate that parks and recreation are essential to their lives -- Virtually every California household (98%) reports having visited a park or participated in a program during the past year, and two in every three households did so at least once in the past month. Half (50%) of California households reported that someone in their household participated in a structured park program at least once in the past year.

•  Californians see the benefits of parks and recreation as personal, rather than social. Users struggle to describe how parks and programs benefit their community or neighborhood, but more easily describe how it benefits their lives and those of their family and friends.

•  Californians have strong, well-informed opinions about what should be prioritized (or most valued) and about what is, and is not currently delivered. By considering these perspectives, park and recreation providers can emphasize how they are meeting those public values through existing or planned programs and thus reinforce how what they provide is essential to communities.

The complete study, Report on Results of Market Research to Support CPRS Building the Brand Initiative is now available on the CPRS website, click here. Components of the full report are also available from CPRS as separate documents:

Executive Summary - click here

Benefit Statement Priority Ratings - click here

Survey Instruments - click here

A Note on Validity - click here

PowerPoint Presentation, Branding California's Park & Recreation Agencies, presented at 2009 California & Pacific Southwest Recreation & Park Training Conference, Santa Clara, CA, March 5, 2009 - click here