Not really...but that's what only reading the headlines might make you believe.
What GM is doing is discontinuing it's advertising on Facebook because they maintain the ROI has been insignificant. And, there's a perfectly good reason for that...as my friend Harvey Briggs opined today.
To paraphrase Ferris Bueller:"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't read the bodycopy, you might miss the real story."
QR codes rock for connecting consumer to product or service...with a meaningful offer or interaction.
But, as the old adage goes, when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail...and QR codes are just not appropriate in e-mail, on interstate billboards and...ummm, ad boards placed on an airport people mover.
Like this one (click image to enlarge). By the time someone sees it, fumbles for their mobile device, finds the scan app...well, they're in the next concourse.
Don't just do because all the cool kids are.
THINK, people.
Who knew that the TSA actually cared about all the St. Patrick's Day food and presents we'll all be transporting this weekend?
Seen last week in the security check-in line at DAY (click image to enlarge).
Destination Marketing Organizations like to say they are "the trusted source" for travel information. And, for the most part, DMOs are more trustworthy than other sources.
But, do consumers think so? After reviewing the results from an Iconoculture survey, it's hard to tell...as "DMO" was not one of the sources tracked by the researchers.
Even if they had, though, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have rated as high as the two top answers: The Internet (62%) and Family & Friends (56%). The rest of the sources? No more than quarter of respondents called them "trusted sources."
Rather than fighting to become "trusted," I think I'd invest in being as visible in the spheres that are already trusted. And that means online and social.
You?
It is the soundtrack of our lives. And, those that have been in my audiences when I talk about destination marketing know that I think our industry is generally missing the boat by not connecting prospective visitors to what most of us crave. A cool club with a hot talent.
Whether it's a city known for being a music mecca or a community that may not have much nightlife...there is almost always someone playing somewhere every night. Yet, damned if I can find those options on most DMO websites. Which means I will most likely not choose your destination for this weekend's getaway (unless I accidentally stumble upon a club date on an artist's website...like this weekend's gig by Karla Bonoff in Green Lake). And, if I find myself IN your town...my wallet and I will probably stay in tonight. What a waste...for both of us.
So...while I wait for Destination Marketers to get a clue, I gotta give props to Gary Sherwin and the Newport Beach CVB for reversing the marketing conversation from service to attraction.
The Bureau is the sponsor of a new internet radio play called Rockin California. For the most part, it's a playlist of songs that make you feel like you're on the beach or cruisin the Pacific Coast Highway in a bitchin' Camaro. While there is the occassional Boston and Supertramp song to break the Cali-mood (at least for those of us that are paying attention), the vibe is great and the message is compelling:
"Rockin California, Presented by VisitNewportBeach.com. Fall in Love with Newport Beach...and Listen Loud."
Cool move, my friends.
Faithfull readers of this blog know that I'm a big fan of SoMeT (the Social Media Tourism Symposium). And, I've been evangelizing about this event to just about anyone in the Destination Marketing industry that I meet.
An article about the event dropped on the Tuesday before Christmas on MidwestMeetings.com. Because so many of us are so distracted on the ramp up to the Holidays, I wanted to make sure you didn't miss it...as MM Editor Serenity Banks nailed why this is THE Social Media Conference of the year.
And, oh yeah...there's a picture of me in it :)
Continuing the purge of stuff that accumulates over time. Articles saved for some inane reason that now are but quaint.
Like an "Internet at a Glance" page from a 2001 issue of the now defunct (but once cool) Business 2.0:
The then "typical" internet user went on line 5 times a week viewing 174 pages that year. Yahoo had the most visitors per week (Google was in its infancy and didn't crack the Top Ten while YouTube was four years away).
It was eleven years ago next weekend that many thought Y2K would cause jets to fall from the sky and utilities to go off line.
What a long strange trip it's been.
Say what you will about the man, he stomped on terra firma and told it like he saw it. Never mind that so much of what he said was painfully dated in a world that no longer existed...it was still Andy.
In the '80s, I actually made money doing an impression of Rooney on radio ads for a product that I'll never remember. What I do remember is crunching my voice up to that Andy whine and saying "y'ever notice?"
Nancy Miller has simply nailed the man and his impact in a recent piece for Fast Company. Andy...the original voice of the internet?
Just possibly.
After a week on the road in New Orleans and Tunica, it's taken a little time to ketchup here at the Zeitgeist compound. And, Monday night (as the Packers-Vikings game got completely out of hand), I finally had the chance to reflect on the force of nature that is SoMeT (Social Media in Tourism Symposium).
As I was downloading video from SoMeT for DMOpro, I was reminded why I said that last year's edition was one of the best tourism conferences out there. Whip smart presentations by both practitioners and vendors (with nary a scent of the "selling" that has become so rampant at other conferences). Incredible networking. And, a culture in which many of the speakers said that they learned more than they believe they shared.
That's just too cool.
Be watching DMOpro.com for clips in December. Subscribe to get notified when they're posted in the A/V Room.
And, to Dave and the crew behind this amazing conference, thanks for inviting us...and thanks for another mind-blowing event.
That's what hotel broadband provider iBahn CEO David Garrison thinks.
In a story in USA Today last week, he revealed that hotel guest data useage has spiked 150% over the past 15 months...and he points to the iPad. Garrison goes on to say that hotels will be forced to add capacity or face speed slowdowns. And, that will likely result in increased pricing...at least for heavy data users.
Or, hotels could avoid being like airlines and just build the cost into the price of a room, rather than annoy the crap out of their best and most frequent guests.
Just a thought...
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