Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Apple is the Anti-Christ

Apparently, NBC's Jeff Zucker has blamed Apple for the destruction of the music industry.

Hey Jeff...

Apple SAVED the music industry from guys like YOU. It just fucked with your pricing model.

Live with it.

R-rated Trailers for R-rated Places

A few months ago, we featured a smart concept that the marketing team behind the horror flick "Bug"  did when cutting radio spots for the movie. Knowing that they'd be advertising on satellite comedy channels, they knew they had considerably more license in the copy than they would for terrestrial radio.

The result: "Bug. It'll scare the living shit out of you." Which was perfect for satellite.

Last week AdFreak noted that some movie marketers are beginning to use R-rated trailers for their R-rated movies.

I've always thought the studios to be lazy in only developing a single "All Audiences" trailer...especially when I'm about to watch an R-rated film. But now, with a clearer understanding of narrow-casting AND the availability of the internet, a number of studios are resorting to "red-band" trailers.

As AdFreak points out, it's probably just an attempt at generating "salacious buzz."

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Save Our Summers

An increasing number of states are pushing back against the encroachment of the school calendar into August. South Carolina and Michigan are just two of the recent success stories that feature parents groups stepping up to wage grass-roots campaigns to reverse the trend.

Most states that have been successful have used research that has shown between 70-80% of citizens support a traditional post-Labor Day start for schools. What I haven't seen is definitive research that shows the economic hit that early school starts create.

That is, until last week.

That's when I had the pleasure of talking to Monica Froedge, the head of the Save Kentucky Summers campaign, who shared with me some recent research that paints a chilling picture of just how economically reckless an early school start is to a tourism economy. Get a load of these numbers:

• August visitor spending is 84% of July spending (despite generally better weather and less competition with extracurricular youth activities.

• Kentucky tourism establishments employed 3,245 fewer people in August than July, representing $54 million in lost wages.

• And, over $19 million in taxes were lost to Kentucky state and local government due, in large part to an early school start.

There are so many reasons to return to a post-Labor Day School Start...and we've just seen another one.

Double Standards Suck

Last week, Chris Elliott posted a marvelous treatise on the four Double Standards that the Hospitality Industry needs to eliminate.

I couldn't agree more. And, while we've been known to post an Air Law or two...Chris' second double standard is the most galling:  If you reserve a hotel room, you have to “guarantee” it with a credit card. If the hotel sells too many rooms, it doesn’t have to guarantee you anything.

Subliminal Map Messages

Was in Burnsville MN last month to work with Amie Burrill and her CVB Board when I spotted the new fold-out map from the Chamber of Commerce. When first opened, a surprising message is displayed. It clearly says "Sex."

It's only when the map is fully extended that it becomes clear that what's really printed there is "Street Index." So, is this a case of a playful designer knowing full well what s/he was doing? Or an honest mistake that, frankly, not even an art school dropout would make?

I've been back and forth in my head on this for the past month. What do you think?

Errr, besides that it's funny as hell.

Miss Tourism might like to Sleep and Eat

We joked a few days ago about the Miss Tourism Pageant...and whether it really positioned the industry in a positive light.

Word from AllAfrica.com is that the MC of the swimsuit competition was baffled when one of the contestants revealed that her favorite pass-times were sleeping and eating.

I dunno...sounds like what I do when I'm on a getaway :)

Welcoming the World to America

Last night in DC, Disney and Discover America unveiled a video that will be used to welcome the world to our shores.

Better put, it introduces the faces that make up this incredible melting pot of cultures, destinations and activities to a world that likely only sees our President when they think "America."

As I've posted here before, America needs a tourism strategy to offset its playground bully image abroad. And this video is a great start. And Disney did it pro bono!

And...it gives me goosebumps. You really need to check it out.

Turn Down Service

After successive knocks at my hotel door the other night, I was just about to resort to a rant about the annoyance of the obligatory "turn-down" service...when the phone rang.

I mean, really...are any of us ever looking forward to be interrupted by someone bearing a postage-stamp size chocolate mint and wanting to pull the covers down on our bed? And, if we're not in the room, do we really want someone in it if they're not cleaning it?

But, in this case, the knocker ended up calling from the house phone in the elevator well. He had a welcome dessert tray from the General Manager (who had been ubber kind earlier in the day to give me a tour of the adjacent Convention Center).

I still think that turn-down service is an annoying idea...but, it gives me the opportunity to share with you the incredible hotel that Tom Robertson expertly manages. And, I'm not a big chocolate fan, so this is not the desserts talking...but, rather, the attention to detail and guest service he insures.

As I said in my review of the Renaissance Schaumburg (IL) on VibeAgent (and, I still have a few invites to beta test the site if you e me), this is an elegant, hip hotel that a) feels like a big city property and b) would be perfect for meetings, business, leisure or romance. And, if you're traveling to the Chicago 'burbs, you should most definitely make this hotel a priority.

Popular Irons

Following the unique way that Holiday Inn Express refers to its line of in-room shampoo, soap, lotions and conditioners, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the way they are now alerting their guests that stealing stuff from the rooms is a no-no.

Seen on an in-room notice at the HIE in Macomb IL: "Due to the popularity of our guest room amenities, our Housekeeping Department now offers these items for sale: Irons: $40, Ironing Boards: $30, Blow Dryer: $30....etc.

Now I've said, "I gotta get me one of these," after sleeping on some of the new beds that upscale hotels are featuring...but I can't EVER remember thinking, "I just gotta have me one of them ironing boards."

I'm all for a little spin, but isn't this taking the whole double-speak thing just a little further than we need?

We're Gonna Kill Some People

That's the quote from attorney Tracey Knutsen, who is advising the FAA on how to handle the oversight of the space-tourism industry.

And, of course, when that happens, the FAA will step in.

Until then, however, it's all about the concept of informed consent. The FAA says the people who will be the first to fly must sign detailed legal papers that define them as "participants" instead of "passengers." It's an important distinction because "passengers" (rightly) don't expect to die. Calling oneself a "Participant', on the other hand, connotes that they know the risks going in.

Fine line. Here's hoping Tracey's wrong. But, sadly, he's probably right.