Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Gas Prices Still Freaking Us Out

Destination Analysts is out with their latest “State of the American Traveler” Study and the results, as one might expect, are mixed.

The average number of trips taken in the previous 12-months has dropped a full trip (5.4 to 4.5) from the same period in 2007. However, intent to travel more in the next 12 months is up slightly from the same period last year (22.7% to 28.4%).

Interestingly, gas prices are still a motivating factor for over half of Americans, despite the lower cost at the pump this summer. But the runaway reason for respondents to cut back is a concern about personal finances (42% in 2006 to a whopping 66.4% today).

Maybe that gas card promotion you're thinking of killing still has legs. And the message of “value” has never been more important.

The Re-Branding of Australia

I'm not sure it needs to cost the budgeted $20 million...but Strategic Name Development's Bill Lozito is on it when he opines that Australia has ridden the Crocodile Dundee image long enough.

However, it sounds (at least from Bill's post) that this is more of a nation branding initiative to spur investment than a tourism marketing initiative. And that probably makes a lot of sense.

But, I gotta scratch my head at the concepting behind the idea of launching the new brand in February alongside an advertising campaign that channels the Jackman-Kidman movie "Australia."

Which a) didn't do well at all at the box office (though it seems to be picking up steam as a rental) and b) seemingly offers up a stereotypical (if not highly stylized) image of Australia in the days before World War II.

And that communicates the present-day investment opportunities in Australia, errr, how?

TV and Breaking News

I watch very little television. Just don't have the time. Nor the inclination, with so many other things to do with my life, to watch mindless drivel.

But, I seem to have this uncanny knack for flipping on the tube just as something is breaking. And it happened again the other night when news of Ted Kennedy's passing interrupted Craig Ferguson messing with Eric Idle (and vice versa). The set hadn't been on 5 minutes when the news broke.

I was instantly reminded of watching his brother's victory speech after winning the California Presidential Primary (yeah, I was a geeky kid that was way into politics). The network pulled away after Bobby Kennedy said, "Now it's on to Chicago and let's win there." But, before I hoisted myself off the couch to head for bed, they were back with the news that he had been shot.

I had flipped on the set moments before the news broke on Princess Di. And, I have no idea why I turned on the TV one morning, moments before the Space Shuttle Columbia fell from the sky.

And I'm not sure of the meaning of this post. Just that the coincidence is strange.

Oh well...who is John Galt?

New Titles for Everybody

In our never-ending quest to rename jobs to make them sound better (like "sanitation maintenance engineer" for "garbage man" or "petroleum transfer engineer" for "gasoline attendant") we've gotten to a point where it's kinda hard to understand just what all of us do.

And, yes, I'm fully aware that the job titles here at Zeitgeist aren't very traditional...but they make people smile (and they are not at all PC).

I saw this one the other day...and if it wasn't for the logo, I'm guessing I'd really have to stop and think about just what a "Mobility Assistant" does.

Too Freaking Funny

OK...I live in Wisconsin. Thus, I bleed green and gold. The Brett Soap Opera? Yeah...we're pretty much over it.

I was in Minnesota last week when the whole Vikings thing went down. People there asked how I felt that our guy was now wearing purple. "We're over it," I said. We dealt with it last year.

And then, this Sears ad breaks...and I am laughing my ass off.

He knows he's a drama queen...and this is just too perfect.

The Next Gen for Twitter

When it's all about location, Destination Marketers need to pay attention to Twitter. In the very near future, the micro-blogging juggernaut will be debuting location based code in every Tweet.

While the new service will be defaulted to "off" for personal security reasons, imagine the opportunity to target messaging to Tweeps in your destination, offering deals and packages to a finite target audience.

Still think Twitter is stoopid? Think again.

We Still Intend to Travel More

Once again, Americans say they intend to travel during the next six months at rates higher than the same period last year (now 63%, up from 61% in 2008). That from the latest travelhorizons study.

Good news if we can believe them. Good news if it's not just bravado talking in the face of the recession.

What Did You Mean When You Said You're Sorry

Dave Carroll is back with Round Two in his "United Breaks Guitars" Trilogy. The first video has been viewed by just under 5 million people. The sequel is (at this moment) at 6,600.

Let's see how fast this one goes double platinum.

UPDATE: 30 minutes after posting...it's at 59,000 views :)

A Black Eye...or Delightfully Edgy?

The US Travel Association's recent selection of Paco Saldana as the "Face of Tourism" makes a lot of sense. As I've been saying for years, economic impact statistics mean little to stakeholders and politicians. The personal stories of success (especially from those that had started from nothing) are what captures attention.

But, I have so never understood the whole concept behind Miss Tourism Pageants. I mean, really, outside of being eye-candy for sponsoring tourism officials, what is the ROI for such a process?

Especially when it kinda goes bad. Like with a former Miss Toronto Tourism...who was recently charged with 19 weapons and drug charges, including possession of a Glock with hollow-point bullets.

Or maybe not...as Sudbury Sun columnist Mike Stroebel said, "At least Americans might stop thinking we're dull."

The Man Who Planted the Seed

Many of my friends and clients have asked how I got started in this crazy business. They've heard me tell the story of a conversation in a bar (hey, ain't that where the best ideas are born?) at the 1995 Mid-Winter Conference of IACVB (now DMAI) in Kansas City.

It was a conversation between me, DuPage County CVB CEO Skip Stritmatter and then-Chicago Southland CVB CEO David Ferguson. We were talking about the consultants that were then in play in the DMO space. And, while the two primary players at that time were good...they had never spent time in a CVB CEO Chair. Thus, the three of us discussed, they lacked the understanding of the unique politics that often played a role in effective DMO management and governance.

Which got me to thinking. Which propelled me to launch Zeitgeist a few months later.

I see and talk to Skip often. But David? He moved on to another CVB out east...and then, at least for me, dropped off the grid when he stepped down there.

Imagine my surprise as I absentmindedly stepped onto an elevator in Waco on the way down to the Texas Association of CVB's Legacy Awards Luncheon when a voice says, "Bill?"

It was David...on his way down to receive the Legacy Award for his work in the 70s to launch TACVB, T-Net and a bunch of other stuff.

It was so great to see him...and to be able thank him for planting the seed in my head that became Zeitgeist.

And for those of our friends that had lost track of him since his last DMO post, he's in real estate in San Antonio. And loving life.

There is life after DMOs.