Suffolk

MARKETING experts at development agency Choose Suffolk have come up with a set of characteristics for the county that may leave many puzzled.

At a business seminar and in an online survey, people were asked how they saw the county - and how they would compare it with people, colours or seasons.

The results were decisive - and while they may leave the public wondering what they're all about, Choose Suffolk's chief executive Celia Hodson said they would be very valuable to the world of marketing.

“These kinds of questions are often posed to find out how people react to products, services or places - they can tell us a great deal about how Suffolk is perceived,” she said.

The survey found:

- If Suffolk was a colour, more than half of respondents thought it would be GREEN (56.3pc), with BLUE the second most popular choice (17pc);

- If Suffolk was a season, over half the respondents said it would be SPRING (54pc), with SUMMER the second choice at 24.2pc;

- Suffolk's age would be between 45 to 54, according to 35.9pc of respondents - 31.3pc said Suffolk would be between 35 to 44;

- Suffolk would be FEMALE, according to 60pc of respondents;

- Suffolk would HAVE CHILDREN, according to 82.1pc of respondents;

- Suffolk would BE MARRIED, according to 89.9pc of respondents.

Ms Hodson said the results were very positive for the county, adding: “Comparing Suffolk to the spring and linking it to an optimistic colour like green shows just how forward-thinking it is seen as.

“The idea of the questions might seem a bit strange but to the world of marketing they can tell us a great deal about the county - and for Suffolk that is very positive.”

The survey was conducted by local marketing firm Jacob Bailey and was done at no cost.

Ms Hodson said: “We went back to people who had been surveyed before and they agreed to come back and do it again pro bono - at no cost.”

The results will now be used to help draw up campaigns to persuade people to relocate to the county or to start new businesses here.

Choose Suffolk has been marketing the county as a “brand” for seven years - and Ms Hodson said this kind of marketing information was vital.

“Those of us who live here know what a great place Suffolk is. But there are areas like us all over the country trying to sell ourselves to the wider area - to build up an identity,” she said.

“Look at the Lake District. When you mention that, it conjures up images of mountains and lakes, of hill walks and Beatrix Potter.

“Other areas are building on their brand - and that is precisely what we need to do in Suffolk. That is where this is very useful.”