« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Image Sheets
6.1 Image sheets, consisting of around 15 images each, were developed to be used to support the overarching themes in communications and promotions about Scotland. Two separate overlapping sets of images were considered and were targeted at:
- the general public by showing some images relating to visiting Scotland; and
- students and academics by showing some images specifically focusing on educational themes.
6.2 The reactions of each of the audiences to the images and their views on how they supported or changed previous ideas about the overarching themes are considered below. Due to their formatting, the image sheets are not included in the appendices but are available in an accompanying report titled USA Strategy Research Report.
Education Image Sheet
6.3 Students and academics viewed the same image sheet. Students found the images easier to discuss than the facts. They could talk more openly in the groups around the images and could internalise and discuss which were motivational and which did not work as well. The academics generally felt that the images supported their perceptions of Scotland and worked well in conjunction with the facts.
6.4 Images that worked well included:
- the festival imagery, the sporting and outdoor activities.
"The man on the unicycle, that is obvious that that is not in the United States. I don't know if that is Scotland but… Something like that that causes you to say Wow where is that? This is interesting. The ones that don't indicate that it is Scotland aren't as successful."
Student focus group (Dallas)
- educational images, particularly the image of the stone built college.
- some that confirmed stereotypical images, but perhaps presented them in a slightly different way such as leaping pipers.
"I think it fulfills the kind of Scottish stereotype because down there at the bottom left you see them jumping up like crazy dudes and they are pounding on drums a couple pictures up... (It) kind of shows a crazier side, they do what they want."
Student focus group (Dallas)
6.5 Both academics and students thought educational images were most important, in particular to show where students might study.
6.6 Images that worked less well included:
- images that were not unique to Scotland and could be anywhere in Europe or the United States.
- the graduation ceremony, as many students studying abroad would graduate in the United States not overseas.
- close up shots of food and bar staff. Respondents wanted to see more of the surroundings in which food and drink were being consumed.
- close-up shots of scientific instruments of which generally respondents did not really understand the relevance.
- an image of two violinists who were considered to 'look bored'.
6.7 Having seen the images, some students suggested they would revise their opinion of Scotland:
"I don't know it just seems more upbeat than I would have ever you know, I just pictured Scotland as dull before. And I mean looking at the pictures it just seems like it's a much more lively place than I think most people would think."
Student focus group (Boston)
Image Sheet - General Public
6.8 The scenic images of the countryside and pictures of outdoor activities were appreciated by the general public. This was because they liked the imagery to reinforce preconceived ideals of Scotland; beautiful countryside, ancient sites and friendly people having a good time.
6.9 Images that were not so well received included those:
- that were not 'Scottish enough', conveying no sense of Scotland's people or the Scottish lifestyle. Often images were thought to be too generic; respondents said that many could be anywhere in the United States.
"You see a guy eating a crab. I'd rather see a beautiful stream meandering down with a fisherman standing there holding up a nice big salmon he had just caught or a big rainbow trout."
General public focus group (California)
- showing close ups of street performers, bar staff and a person eating a crab.
"If that's part of the festival, pull back and let's see more of it... You have 16,000, 17,000 people there. That would be more of a pull than just getting a close-up of 3 faces on 3 performers that you don't know what they're doing."
General public focus group (New York)
- a specific shot of leaping bagpipers, which was considered disrespectful by younger focus group members in New York where lone bagpipers often accompanied funeral corteges at high profile funerals (for example of police and firemen after 9/11).
Respondent Expectations
6.10 Older members of the general public suggested that they wanted to see more images of the landscape and the beauty of Scotland.
"The specific beauty of Scotland as we addressed it up there (in the facts), I would like to see more of that in these pictures and I don't see that here."
General public focus group (California)
6.11 In contrast, students, academics and the younger general public focus group all identified that more city images were needed in order to counteract the rural image. Younger respondents in particular wanted to see more images of the city and the night life, though not close up images of bar staff.
"You just have the guy pouring a drink… that would be a very good picture to attract people to say we're not just castles here, we do have old thriving nightlife, and you don't really get that from just one guy."
General public focus group (New York)
6.12 Potential students want to see pictures of lifestyle factors as well as academic ones. They want to go somewhere that is fun and exciting, but not too alien.
6.13 Academics stressed the importance of depicting a diverse mix of ethnicities to appeal to 'people of colour'. Of course this would only be useful if students found the mix depicted to be genuine if they did chose to study in Scotland.
6.14 Due to the low level of awareness of Scotland's location and geography, academics, students and the general public suggested that a map of Scotland was included in the imagery.
« Previous | Contents | Next »