Vision 2020 Greater Bakersfield: Image in California

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Vision 2020Greater Bakersfield Image in
California
AUGUST 2002
www.cogentresearch.com
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• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Businesses
• Demographic Profiles

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(No Transcript)
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OBJECTIVES

• This quantitative study is Phase II of a
  two-phase
• project. The purpose of this study is to
  measure
• The needs of California residents with regard to
  tourism, relocation, and retirement
• The needs of California businesses with regard to
  relocation
• California residents and business persons
  perceptions of Bakersfield

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METHODOLOGY
Population Residents (Random Sample) Business
Persons (Expansion Management magazine
subscribers) Area California Methodology Phone
Data Collection Period July 9 - July
26 Sample Size (error) Residents n400 (
4.90 pp) Business Persons n400 ( 4.90 pp)
Residents were not asked all questions in the
survey. For some batteries of questions,
residents were split into tourist,
relocater, and retiree groups.
References to question numbers in two
questionnaires, labeled QC for the consumer
questionnaire and QB for the business
questionnaire, appear throughout this report.
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• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Businesses
• Demographic Profiles

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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
Familiarity with Bakersfield positively affects
perceptions Confirming our qualitative
findings, consumers who have spent time in
Bakersfield, who have family and friends who live
in Bakersfield, or who have had the opportunity
to get to know the people that live there have a
more favorable impression of the community. In
addition, business people who have a favorable
impression of Bakersfield most often attribute it
to visiting the city. A significant proportion
of both consumers and business persons report
very limited knowledge of Bakersfield. In many
cases, their lack of knowledge and experience
results in their having little or no impression
of the city. Over a third of both groups say
that their overall impression of Bakersfield is
neither unfavorable nor favorable.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
As we saw in the qualitative interviews, peoples
perception of Bakersfield changed when they
learned more about what the city has to offer.
For example, a common perception among consumers
is that there is nothing to do in Bakersfield.
However, when they are read messages about the
various activities available, many say they would
be more likely to visit the city. In addition,
most business persons are unaware of the quality
and availability of Bakersfields labor force.
After hearing messages about the labor force,
they say they would be more likely to relocate
their company to Bakersfield. These
misconceptions and lack knowledge present a great
opportunity for Bakersfield to positively change
its target markets perceptions through education
and strategic communication.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
Perceived Strengths of Bakersfield Cost of
living and housing The perception that cost of
living and housing is a strength of Bakersfield
is held among people looking to relocate, people
who may be retiring in the near future, and
business persons. In particular, the message
about the cost of housing makes business people
more likely to consider relocating to
Bakersfield. Friendliness of people The
friendliness of the people who live in
Bakersfield is perceived as better than in other
communities. This is an important feature for
people looking to relocate to another
community. Ability to offer a change of
pace This is a factor that tourists look for
when choosing a community to visit and one which
they believe Bakersfield can provide better than
other communities.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
Restaurants Bakersfields restaurants are
perceived as being better than those of other
communities. The quality of an areas
restaurants is important to tourists. Cost of
land and labor Businesses are most likely to
relocate in order to reduce costs and because
growth of the company has created a need for a
larger facility. In particular, the cost of labor
weighs relatively heavily in their relocation
decision. Bakersfields cost of land and labor
is perceived as better than that of other
communities. Accessibility to
highways Accessibility to highways, which is
important in business relocation decisions, is
perceived as better in Bakersfield than in other
communities.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
Perceived Weaknesses of Bakersfield Weather
Bakersfields hot, dry weather was found to have
a negative impact on both consumers and business
persons impressions of the city. Weather is
perceived as being very important by all groups.
In several instances, Bakersfields weather has
prevented tourists from visiting and relocaters
from moving there. Cultural and recreational
activities Bakerfields night life, and cultural
and recreational activities are perceived as
being worse than in other communities. Such
activities are very important to tourists, and
influential in their decisions about where to
visit. Importantly, when read messages about the
activities Bakersfield has to offer, the majority
of participants say that the information makes
them more likely to visit. The fact that survey
paticipants respond favorably to information
about culture and recreation in Bakersfield is
consistent with qualitative findings.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
Career and higher educations opportunities
Consumers who are likely to relocate within the
next two years are driven to do so for career and
educational opportunities. Those who are unlikely
to relocate to Bakersfield cite the job market as
one of the reasons. Not surprisingly, messages
about the higher education institutions in
Bakersfield make potential relocaters more likely
to want to move to there. Medical care The
availability of and quality of medical care are
deemed the most important factors to people
looking for somewhere to retire. In general,
Bakerfields medical care is perceived as worse
than that of other communities.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
The quality of labor force Labor, particularly
its availability, is among the most important
factors that businesses consider when deciding
where to relocate to. Work ethic of the labor
force is important to businesses. However, the
work ethic of Bakersfields labor force is not
perceived as relatively strong. Not
surprisingly, the message about the strength of
Bakersfields labor force makes businesses more
likely to want to relocate there. Location
Businesses feel they need to be closer to other
areas, or closer to their established markets and
customer bases, and seem unsure about the
business opportunities in Bakersfield.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY
Recommendations There are several areas in which
Bakersfield is living up to consumers and
businesses expectations and needs. We recommend
that Bakersfield continue to concentrate on
excelling in these areas and communicating its
excellence in these areas to the appropriate
groups. There are also a number of areas that
are important to consumers and businesses which
are perceived as being worse in Bakersfield than
in other communities. In several cases, both
consumers and businesses are simply unaware of
what Bakersfield has to offer. These
misconceptions can be corrected by educating
people about Bakersfields true strengths.
This study explored the needs and perceptions
of several different groups of people including
tourists, people looking to relocate, people who
may being retiring in the near future, and
business persons. We recommend addressing the
disparate needs of each of these groups with the
messages that will be most relevant to them. The
specific recommendations for each of these groups
follow.
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STRATEGIC SUMMARY

• Tourists
• Educate consumers about the recreational and
  cultural activities
• Bakersfield has to offer. Let them know that
  there are, in fact, many
• things to do in Bakersfield and that there
  are many reasons to visit.
• Highlight Bakersfields superior restaurants
  and the change of pace
• from regular life it can offer to tourists.
• Relocaters
• Educate consumers about the abundant job
  opportunities and higher
• education opportunities in Bakersfield.
• Educate consumers about the quality of
  Bakersfields public education.
• Promote Bakersfields low crime rate, low cost
  of living, and low cost of
• housing.
• Promote the friendliness of the people who live
  in the Bakersfield
• community.
• Concentrate less on promoting Bakersfields
  central location.

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STRATEGIC SUMMARY

• Retirees
• Educate older consumers about the quality and
  availability of medical
• care in Bakersfield.
• Promote the affordable cost of living.
• Businesses
• Educate business persons about the stability,
  availability, skills, and
• work ethic of Bakersfields labor force.
• Educate businesses about Bakersfields
  accessibility to major markets.
• Promote the affordability of labor, living, and
  housing in Bakersfield.
• Promote the abundance of affordable land
  available in and around
• Bakersfield.
• Promote Bakersfields accessibility to major
  highways.

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• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Businesses
• Demographic Profiles

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Perceptions of Bakersfield are consistent across
both consumers and businesses. The largest
proportion of consumers and businesses in fact
have no impression of Bakersfield. In addition,
those with unfavorable views outweigh those with
favorable views.
Overall Perception of Bakersfield
CONSUMERS
BUSINESS
Subgroup analysis Business persons who have been
to Bakersfield within the past year have a more
favorable impression than those who have not
been there in the past year.
QC2, QB1. What is your overall perception of
Bakersfield, California? Please use a scale of
1 to 5 where 1 is very unfavorable and 5 is
very favorable.
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Among both groups, perceptions of Fresno are
similar to perceptions of Bakersfield.
Perceptions of Los Angeles are slightly more
favorable.
Overall Perception of Other Cities
CONSUMERS
BUSINESS
Fresno
Los Angeles
QC3, QB2. What is your overall perception of
Fresno, California? QC4, QC3. What is your
overall perception of Los Angeles, California?
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Factors Shaping Perception of Bakersfield
Consumers with favorable impressions of
Bakersfield seem to be most influenced by the
people who live there. The majority of consumers
with negative impressions of Bakersfield are
influenced by the weather. They also mention a
lack of things to do.
CONSUMERS
UNFAVORABLE n165 Hot, dry weather
55 Dull/boring/nothing to do 23 Dirty town
14 Not impressed/don't like it 12 Only drove
through 8 Crime/drugs 7 Family/friends there
7 A previous visit 3 Never been there
2 Other 11
FAVORABLE n80 Family/friends there 26 Good
people/community 18 Other activities
13 Restaurants or shopping 11 Hot, dry
weather 10 Only drove through
9 Appearance/cleanliness 9 A previous visit
4 The cost of living 4 Educational
institutions 3
QC45. You mentioned before that your perception
of Bakersfield is (answer Q2). What experiences
or information helped form this perception?
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Factors Shaping Perception of Bakersfield
Business persons have favorable impressions of
Bakersfield from visiting the community and from
reading about it and are impressed by the
business opportunities for their industry. Those
with negative impressions cite the weather and
isolated location as influential.
BUSINESS
UNFAVORABLE n166 Weather/hot/dry 42 Location/de
solate/isolated 22 Bad business
opportunity 14 Have only driven through 12 Have
visited Bakersfield 10 Agricultural/Farming/Oil
industry 7 Not a lot to do 4 Have read or heard
about it 4 Used to live/work there 4 Smog/fog 3
Dirty/wasn't clean 3 Too much
desert 2 Crime/corrupt police system 2 Family/Fr
iends 2 Lack of education 1 Rural community/not
a big city 1 Never been there 1 Other 23
FAVORABLE n82 Have visited Bakersfield 17 Busin
ess opportunities/industry 13 Have read or heard
about it 12 New development/nice
housing 11 Have only driven through 10 Used to
live/work there 7 Rural community/not a big
city 5 Weather 4 Family/Friends 2 Agricultural/
Farming/Oil industry 2 Location 1 Other 34 Don'
t know/refused 4
QB27. You mentioned before that your perception
of Bakersfield is (answer Q1). What experiences
or information helped form this perception?
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Over three-quarters of both consumers and
business persons have visited Bakersfield. Over
a third have visited within the past year.
Visits to Bakersfield
CONSUMERS
BUSINESS
Within last year 37 Within last 5
years 29 Within last 10 years 15 Within last 20
years 11 Over 20 years ago 9
Within last year 43 Within last 5
years 30 Within last 10 years 14 Within last 20
years 9 Over 20 years ago 5
Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34) are
less likely than older consumers to have been to
Bakersfield. People who live in Los Angeles
county are less likely to have been to
Bakersfield than those who live elsewhere in
California.
Subgroup analysis Business persons with a more
favorable impression are more likely to have
been to Bakersfield within the past year.
Q40C, Q22B. Have you ever been to Bakersfield,
California? Q41C, Q23B. When was the last time
you were in Bakersfield?
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The majority of consumers and business persons
feel the southern part of the Central Valley
best describes Bakersfields location.
Perception of Bakersfields Location
CONSUMERS
BUSINESS
Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34) are
more likely than older consumers to feel the
northern part of southern California better
describes Bakersfield.
QC42, QB24. Which of the following best
describes Bakersfields location?
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The majority of consumers and business persons
are aware that Bakersfield is located in Kern
County.
Awareness of Bakersfields Location
CONSUMERS
BUSINESS
Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34) are
less aware than older consumers.
QC43, QB25. Are you aware that Bakersfield is
located in Kern County?
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There is a slightly larger proportion of people
who have a more favorable impression of Kern
County than those who prefer Greater
Bakersfield. However, the largest proportion of
people do not have a preference between the two
labels.
Impression of Location Descriptions
CONSUMERS
BUSINESS
QC44, QB26. Which description of the area do you
have a more favorable impression of?
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• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Businesses
• Demographic Profiles

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The vast majority of consumers travel between one
and five times a year. Almost a quarter of them
travel over five times a year.
Frequency of Leisure Travel
CONSUMERS
Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34)
travel for leisure more often.
QC5. How often do you travel for leisure?
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Factors Influencing Tourism Choices
Tourists most often consider the cultural
activities/entertainment and the weather when
evaluating places to visit.
CONSUMERS
The cultural activities/entertainment available
31 The weather of the area 25 The
cleanliness of the area 17 The safety of the
area 16 The scenery 13 The outdoor
recreational activities available 13 The
proximity/location 10 The quality/friendliness
of the people/community 9 The restaurants
9 The presence of family or friends living
there 8 The hotels and accommodations 8 The
historical sites in the area 8 The population
density/number of tourists 6 The activities
available for children and families 5 The cost
involved 5 The shopping available in the area
5 The traffic/roadways/transportation 4 Other
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Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34) are
more likely than older consumers to consider the
safety of the area and the outdoor recreational
activities. Older consumers(55) are more likely
to consider presence of family and friends.
Single people are more likely than married
people to consider the friendliness of the
people. Married people and people 35-54 are
more likely than other groups to consider
activities for children and families. People
from northern California are more likely to
consider the scenery than people who live
elsewhere.
QC6. When you are evaluating a community as a
place to visit, what are the most important
factors you consider?
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The weather, the outdoor recreational activities,
and the restaurants are most important to
consumers when they are deciding what communities
to visit.
Factors Influencing Tourism Choices
n307
5- Very Important
4
Subgroup analysis Outdoor recreational
activities, shopping, change of pace, night
life, and job opportunities are more important
to younger consumers. Historical sites, cultural
activities, friendliness of people, and weather
are more important to older consumers.
QC8-18. Now, Im going to read a list of factors
that might influence someones decision to visit
a certain community. Please tell me how
important each factor is to you. Please rate
each factor on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is Not
important at all and 5 is Very important.
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The majority of consumers are very unlikely to
visit Bakersfield within the next year, while
over a quarter are at least somewhat likely to do
so.
Likelihood to Visit Bakersfield
CONSUMERS
Subgroup analysis Consumers who have been to
Bakersfield recently are more likely to visit
again. People who live in Central and South
Central California are more likely to visit
Bakersfield than those who live elsewhere in
California.
QC46. How likely are you to visit Bakersfield
within the next year?
31
Reasons Preventing Visiting Bakersfield
Consumers who are unlikely to visit Bakersfield
feel they have no reason to do so. Other
barriers, such as location and weather, are
rarely top of mind.
CONSUMERS
n338
No reason to visit/not interested 66 Location
11 Will only come for family/friends
7 Weather/too hot 7 Family moved/no longer
lives there 5 Health issues/age 4 Only go
for business 3 Trashy place 2 Other 5
QC47. (If Q46lt5) Why arent you more likely to
visit to Bakersfield?
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Across most factors, in particular weather and
night life, Bakersfield is perceived to be below
average compared with other communities in
California. Bakersfields strength as a tourist
destination is its ability to offer tourists a
change of pace.
Ratings of Bakersfield
TOURISTS
n307
Neutral categories not shown
The area's ability to provide you with a change
of pace
The restaurants
The shopping opportunities in the area
The weather
The hotels and accommodations
The outdoor recreational activities available
The activities available for children/families
The cultural activities available
The historical sites in the area
The transportation available in the area
The night life the area offers
Subgroup analysis Consumers who have been to
Bakersfield recently perceive activities for
families, shopping, and restaurants to be better.
QC50-60. Now, Im going to repeat a list of
factors that might be used to evaluate a
community as a place to visit. For each factor,
please tell me whether you consider Bakersfield
much worse, somewhat worse, about the same,
somewhat better, or much better than other
communities in California that you are familiar
with.
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Importance vs. Performance
The chart on the following page illustrates how
well Bakersfield performs with regard to the
factors which may influence a persons decision
to visit a community. Items are plotted from
bottom to top in increasing order of importance
and from left to right in increasing order of
Bakerfields perceived performance. Upper-Left
Quadrant High Importance, Lower
Performance. This is perhaps the most critical
area for Bakersfield because it demonstrates
areas that are very important to consumers and in
which Bakersfield is perceived as worse than
other communities. Upper-Right Quadrant High
Importance, Higher Performance. Items is this
quadrant represent those for which Bakersfield is
living up to consumers expectations. While
there is no indication that Bakersfields
performance is in need of improvement, it should
continue to make these areas a priority.
Lower-Right Quadrant Low Importance, Higher
Performance. Items in this quadrant represent
those for which Bakersfield is exceeding
expectations. Lower-Left Quadrant Low
Importance, Lower Performance. Bakersfields
performance in these areas is relatively low.
However, because they are less important to
consumers, there is less reason to be concerned.
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Areas of high importance and lower performance
include weather and outdoor recreational
activities. Areas of high importance and higher
performance include restaurants and ability to
offer a change of pace.
Consumer Importance/ Performance Matrix
TOURISTS
High Importance Lower Performance
High Importance Higher Performance
Importance Mean 57 (Top 2 Box)
Low Importance Lower Performance
Low Importance Higher Performance
Performance Mean 14 (Top 2 Box)
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Potential tourists are more influenced by
messages about the outdoor recreational
activities and cultural activities in Bakersfield.
Reactions to Messages
Much more likely
Somewhat more likely
TOURISTS
n307
Bakersfield has abundant outdoor recreational
activities such as golf courses, bike paths,
white water rafting, camping, fishing, water
sports, etc
Bakersfield's cultural activities include annual
Jazz and Film Festivals
Bakersfield's entertainment activities include
several race tracks, from NASCAR to drag racing,
and concerts from a variety of entertainers such
as Elton John, Jewel and Buck Owens to Korn,
Blink 182 and Tool
Bakersfield and Kern County are centrally
located-no more than two hours from downtown Los
Angeles-or four hours from either San Diego or
San Francisco
Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34)
found the message about entertainment more
appealing than older consumers did.
QC82-85. Im going to read you some statements
about Bakersfield, California. Please tell me
whether each statement makes you less likely,
neither less nor more likely, or more likely to
consider visiting there.
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• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Businesses
• Demographic Profiles

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Almost a quarter of consumers are likely to
relocate within the next two years.
Likelihood to Relocate
CONSUMERS
Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34) and
single people are more likely to relocate than
older and married consumers.
QC7. How likely are you within the next two years
to permanently relocate to another community
beside the one where you currently reside?
38
Factors Influencing Decision to Relocate
Consumers who plan on relocating are most likely
doing so for career or educational opportunities.
CONSUMERS
n93
Employment/career opportunities
35 Schools/college 17 Family reasons
12 Population/crowding issues
10 Weather/temperature 9 Looking for a
change/something better 6 Cost of living
6 Safety issues 5 Age/retirement 5 Looking
for a new home 4 Environment/scenery 2 Want
to move back to previous home 2 Other 14
QC7a. What are the main reasons prompting you to
consider relocating?
39
The crime rate, the cost of housing and overall
cost of living, and the available job
opportunities are the most influential factors in
a consumers decision to relocate to a certain
community.
Factors Influencing Relocation Choices
5- Very Important
4
n93
Mean
4.38
4.29
4.22
4.20
4.18
4.08
4.06
4.03
4.02
3.67
3.66
3.58
3.52
3.42
3.39
Subgroup analysis Job opportunities and
nightlife are more important to single people.
The weather and the friendliness of people who
live in the community are more important to
people over 55. The cost of housing is more
important to people 35-54.
QC19-33. Now, Im going to read a list of
factors that might influence someones decision
to relocate to a certain community. Please tell
me how important each factor is to you. Please
rate each factor on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is
Not important at all and 5 is Very important.
40
Among consumers who are likely to relocate within
the next two years, just 5 are likely to move to
Bakersfield.
Likelihood to Relocate to Bakersfield
CONSUMERS
n93
QC48. (IF Q7 4,5) How likely are you to
consider moving to Bakersfield within the next
two years?
41
Reasons Preventing Relocating to Bakersfield
Consumers who are unlikely to move to Bakersfield
feel they have no reason to do so. They also
mention the weather and the job market.
CONSUMERS
n83
Have no reason to move there 19 The
weather/heat 18 The job market/business
17 The lack of entertainment or activities
13 The geographic location 12 The location
of family and friends 10 Too far from the
beach 6 Not familiar with the area 6 Other
15 Don't know 4
Subgroup analysis Younger consumers (18-34) are
more likely to be prevented by the job market.
Older consumers (55) are more likely to be
prevented by the weather.
QC49. What prevents you from being more likely to
consider Bakersfield?
42
Bakersfields cost of living and housing and the
friendliness the people who live there are it
greatest strengths as a community to relocate to.
Areas considered weaker are the job
opportunities, night life, and cultural
activities.
Ratings of Bakersfield
RELOCATERS
n93
Neutral categories not shown
The cost of housing
The overall cost of living
The area's air quality
The friendliness of the people
The area's crime rate
The weather
The outdoor recreational activities
The shopping opportunities
The activities available for children/families
The ethnic and cultural diversity
The quality of the public education system
The night life the area offers
The higher education opportunities
The job opportunities available
The cultural activities available
Q61-75. Now, Im going to repeat a list of
factors that might be used to evaluate a
community as a place to live. For each factor,
please tell me whether you consider Bakersfield
much worse, somewhat worse, about the same,
somewhat better, or much better than other
communities in California that you are familiar
with.
43
As the chart shows, among perceived weaknesses,
weather, job and higher education opportunities
and public education are considered most
important.
Consumer Importance/ Performance Matrix
RELOCATERS
High Importance Lower Performance
High Importance Higher Performance
Importance Mean 68 (Top 2 Box)
Low Importance Lower Performance
Low Importance Higher Performance
Performance Mean 16 (Top 2 Box)
44
Messages about higher education opportunities,
recreational activities, and Bakersfields
ranking for business and careers were most
appealing to potential relocaters.
Reactions to Messages
Much more likely
Somewhat more likely
RELOCATERS
n93
Bakersfield has several public and private higher
educational institutions such as California
State University and the University of California
Bakersfield has abundant outdoor recreational
activities such as golf courses, bike paths, and
white water rafting
Bakersfield is considered one of the best places
in the United States for business and careers,
ranked 53rd in the nation and 15th in California
The median home sales price in Bakersfield is
105,500
Emphasizing youth and family activities,
Bakersfield is a great place to raise a family
Bakersfield is no more than a two hour drive from
the mountains, rivers, beaches, wine country,
and LA
Bakersfield's entertainment activities include
several sports teams
Bakersfield's cultural activities include a
70-year tradition symphony and annual Jazz and
Film Festivals
Bakersfield is centrally located, no more than
four hours away from either San Diego or San
Francisco
QC86-94. Im going to read you some statements
about Bakersfield, California. Please tell me
whether each statement makes you less likely,
neither less nor more likely, or more likely to
consider relocating there.
45

• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Businesses
• Demographic Profiles

46
Medical care and cost of living are most
important to older consumers when considering
communities for retirement.
Factors Influencing Retirement Choices
5- Very Important
4
Mean
n175
4.37
4.31
4.09
4.05
3.81
3.67
QC34-39. Now, Im going to read a list of
factors that might influence someones decision
to retire to a certain community. Please tell me
how important each factor is to you. Please rate
each factor on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is Not
important at all and 5 is Very important.
47
Consumers consider the cost of housing and living
in Bakersfield to be better than in other
communities they might consider for retirement.
However, for most, Bakersfield is not as close to
their family and friends.
Ratings of Bakersfield
RETIREES
n175
Neutral categories not shown
The cost of housing
The overall cost of living
The availability of medical care
The quality of medical care
The proximity to family or friends
The social and recreational activities available
for retired people
QC76-81. Now, Im going to repeat a list of
factors that might be used to evaluate a
community as a place to retire. For each factor,
please tell me whether you consider Bakersfield
much worse, somewhat worse, about the same,
somewhat better, or much better than other
communities in California that you are familiar
with.
48
Areas of high importance and lower performance
are availability and quality of medical care.
Areas of high importance and higher performance
are cost of housing and cost of living.
Consumer Importance/ Performance Matrix
RETIREES
High Importance Lower Performance
High Importance Higher Performance
Importance Mean 74 (Top 2 Box)
Low Importance Higher Performance
Low Importance Lower Performance
Performance Mean 18 (Top 2 Box)
49

• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Business Persons
• Demographic Profiles

50
About 12 of the business people interviewed say
their company is likely to relocate within the
next two years.
Likelihood to Relocate
BUSINESS
QB4. How likely is your company to relocate to
another community beside the one where you are
currently located within the next two years?
51
Factors Influencing Decision to Relocate
Costs and company growth are among the top
reasons companies are considering relocation.
BUSINESS
n47
Costs (general) 36 Company growth/need a bigger
facility 17 Government regulations 9 Energy
costs 6 Lease is almost up 6 Location of
corporate headquarters 6 Availability/cost of
labor 6 Traffic 4 Other 9 Don't
know/Refused 11
Subgroup analysis Manufacturing companies are
more likely to relocate due to company growth and
need for a bigger facility.
QB5. What are the main reasons causing your
company to consider relocating?
52
Factors Influencing Relocation Choices
Availability of labor and geographic location
were mentioned most often as factors that are
influential in relocation decisions.
BUSINESS
Availability of workforce 22 Location/traveling
distance to work 21 Cost of living 18 Amount of
business opportunity 13 Transportation 12 Cost
(general) 12 The people/community 6 Tax
costs 5 Amount of space available 5 Environment
5 Population 3 Proximity to the owner's
home 3 Accessibility to recreation/other
places 3 Weather 2 Shipping/trucking
services 2 Government support/regulations 1 Othe
r 9
QB6. If your company were planning to relocate to
a different community within California, what are
the most important factors it would consider?
53
Various aspects of a communitys labor force,
including work ethic, stability, availability,
and cost are considered most important to
business relocation decisions.
Factors Influencing Relocation Choices
BUSINESS
5- Very Important
4
Mean
4.30
4.27
4.28
4.15
4.09
4.00
3.96
3.98
3.89
3.82
3.70
3.63
3.38
3.20
3.26
QB7-21. Now, Im going to read you a list of
factors that might be used to evaluate a
community as a place to live and as a business
location. Please tell me how important each
factor would be to your company if it were
considering moving some where else in California.

54
Based on current perceptions, few California
businesses would consider relocating to
Bakersfield. Even among businesses likely to
relocate with the next two years, only 6 are
likely to relocate to Bakersfield.
Likelihood to Relocate to Bakersfield
BUSINESS
Unlikely to Relocate
Likely to Relocate
n46
n354
QB28. If your company were planning on relocating
to somewhere else in California within the next
two years, how likely would it be to relocate to
Bakersfield?
55
Reasons Preventing Relocation to Bakersfield
Bakersfields geographic location appears to be
preventing businesses from considering it. In
several cases, businesses need to be closer to
other areas or already have customer bases
established elsewhere.
BUSINESS
n346
n45
LIKELY TO RELOCATE IN NEXT TWO YEARS Customer
base already established 18 Need to be close to
other places 16 Bad business opportunity/small
market 13 Employees live elsewhere 9 Lacks work
force/talent needed 4 Happy elsewhere 4 Owner's
issues 2 Other 33
UNLIKELY TO RELOCATE IN NEXT TWO YEARS Need to
be close to other places 24 Not likely we will
relocate 14 Customer base already established
12 Bad business opportunity/small
market 8 Lacks work force/talent
needed 7 Weather is too hot 7 Happy
elsewhere 6 Employees live elsewhere 4 Owner's
issues 3 Nothing to attract us there 3 Too
small for our business 2 Other 21
QB29. Why isnt your company more likely to
relocate to Bakersfield?
56
Businesses generally rate the cost of land,
living, and labor in Bakersfield as better than
that of other communities. Accessibility to air
travel, higher education opportunities and
training of labor force are generally rated as
worse.
Ratings of Bakersfield
BUSINESS
Neutral categories not shown
The cost of housing
The cost of land
5
The overall cost of living
The cost of labor
The area's accessibility to major highways
The availability of the labor force
The stability of the labor force
The work ethic of the labor force
The area's proximity to major markets
How well the labor force's skills fit needs
The accessibility to air travel
The cultural and recreational activities
The training of the labor force
The higher education opportunities
The area's technical infrastructure
QB30-44. Now, Im going to read once again a list
of factors that might be used to evaluate a
community. For each factor, please tell me
whether Bakersfield is much worse, somewhat
worse, about the same, somewhat better, or much
better than other communities in California you
are familiar with.
57
Among Bakersfields perceived weaknesses are
various attributes of the communitys labor force.
Business Importance/ Performance Matrix
BUSINESS
High Importance Lower Performance
High Importance Higher Performance
Importance Mean 67 (Top 2 Box)
Low Importance Lower Performance
Low Importance Higher Performance
Performance Mean 30 (Top 2 Box)
58
Business persons find messages about the cost of
housing and the work ethic of Bakersfields labor
force to be most influential.
Reactions to Messages
BUSINESS
Much more likely
Somewhat more likely
The median home sales price in Bakersfield is
105,500
With a turnover rate that is much lower than
average, Bakersfield has a loyal labor force
with a strong work ethic
The cost of labor in Bakersfield is around 3.60
less per hour than the national average
The availability of labor in Bakersfield is high.
On average, there are between 5 and 10 quality
applicants per job opening
Industrial zoned land in the Bakersfield region
averages 1.40 to 2.50 per square foot
Bakersfield's labor force has a large and diverse
skill set that spans from agriculture to high
tech skills
Bakersfield is considered one of the best places
in the United States for business and careers,
ranked 53rd in the nation and 15th in
California, according to the Forbes/Milken
Institute
Several major Fortune 500 companies have
headquarters or major regional operations in
Bakersfield
Bakersfield contains abundant ATM, ISDN, DSL, and
T1 and T3 lines
Situated between Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San
Francisco, Bakersfield is the hub for three key
freeways- Interstate 5 and State Routes 99 and 58
QB45-54. Now, Im going to read you some
statements about Bakersfield, California. Please
tell me whether each statement makes you less
likely, neither less nor more likely, or more
likely to consider relocating there.
59

• OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY
• STRATEGIC SUMMARY
• RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Overall Perceptions of Bakersfield
• Attitudes of Consumers
• Tourism
• Relocation
• Retirement
• Attitudes of Business Persons
• Demographic Profiles

60
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
CONSUMERS
18-24 17 25-34 16 35-44 23 45-54 19 55-64 12
65 plus 13 Less than high school 5 Graduated
high school 19 Some college/Tech./Voc 29 Graduat
ed college 35 Graduate/professional
school 10 Less than 35,000 16 35,000 to less
than 50,000 16 50,000 to less than
75,000 18 75,000 to less than
100,000 14 100,000 to less than
150,000 10 150,000 and above 8 Don't
know 4 Refused 14
AGE
EDUCATION
INCOME
61
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
CONSUMERS
Single 36 Married 49 Divorced 9 Widow or
widower 5 Asian 5 African American 6 Caucasian
68 Hispanic 15 Other 4 Refused 3 Male 46 Fe
male 54
MARRIAGE
ETHNICITY
GENDER
62
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
BUSINESS
Less than 500,000 6 500,000 to less than 1
million 14 1 million to less than 2.5
million 19 2.5 million to less than 5
million 14 More than 5 million 37 Manager/Supe
rvisor/Director/Coordinator 33 Executive V.P./
Senior V.P./ V.P. 13 Owner/President/CEO 21 Some
other executive level position 14 Other
non-executive level position 19
REVENUE
TITLE
63
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
BUSINESS
Manufacturing 58 High technology 11 Distributi
on 5 Construction/ Mining 4 Professional
Services / Associations 4 Agricultural 3 General
services 3 Wholesale 2 Retail 2 Other 9 Male
61 Female 39
INDUSTRY
GENDER
64
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ogentresearch.com