LAKE PLACID -- A new phase of marketing may strengthen connections between Lake Placid and the Adirondack Park.

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Olympic legacy stands as a powerful niche for tourism, but new research shows that some 72 percent of potential visitors in nearby markets don't know that if they stay in Lake Placid, they have access to everything the Adirondacks.

They also don't know they can try Olympic events if they want.

A just-released market study executed by Longwoods International, the firm that developed the "World Next Door" image for Canada, contains 137 pages of insight into what people do and don't understand about the Adirondack brand, Lake Placid and its Olympic heritage.

Longwoods' chairman and founder Bill Siegel offered his views to a group of community leaders Wednesday evening, among them North Elba's supervisor Roby Politi, Lake Placid's Mayor Jamie Rogers, CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority Ted Blazer, ORDA Board Chairman Joe Martens and members of all three boards of directors, along with many longtime business leaders.

The Adirondack brand, Siegel told them, is working.

"But cut through the clutter and get a single message through," he said. "It's all about presence. I see nothing but opportunity here."

Outlined in "granular" detail, the survey unveiled the top four motivators for regional travelers as family atmosphere, exciting (evening) activities, worry-free visit, and unique settings.

Historical sites and museums are among places people like to visit in spring and fall.

Scranton and Boston are sorely underdeveloped potential markets.

People are drawn to places they can explore in day trips.

Some 34 percent of people living in the region said they'd like to visit Lake Placid.

And they love special events.

"You're not very well understood as a destination," Siegel said, pointing to strategic moves that could make a very real fiscal impact on the region.