Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

No Relief, No Recess

A coalition of over 200 travel-related businesses, municipalities and associations is demanding that Congress act on a relief plan before the November election. It's hard to believe, but that last relief plan Congress provided some segments of the economy was in March. And, that plan didn't focus on the segments of the service economy most impacted by the government's response to the 'VID.

But, as I mused earlier this month, members of Congress must be reminded of the sheer number of voters who are incredibly pissed off at their inaction...and will likely vote against any incumbent, at this point in time. The clock is ticking for a lot of voters.

For others, it's already over.

Here is COVID Relief Now's open letter to Congress. 

Check out the signatories. While nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Washington politics, I sure wouldn't want to be standing for re-election and know that I have been complicit in the carnage that awaits.

Like We're Surprised

Not to pile on (well, maybe a little)...but the juxtaposition of the revelation that the sitting President, for years, has paid less in income taxes than I have is far from a surprise. Why else would he have tried so hard to block the release? We all knew...we just didn't push hard enough.

But, we should consider the ROI of the taxes we pay, n'est ce-pas? This should certainly suggest, for at least a moment, that most voters don't receive the ROI for their hard earned taxes that those they select do.

And, honestly...what kind of President needs to visually repurpose himself as a blonde Rambo (click image we recently saw in the most infamous speed trap in Wisconsin)?

While that shit surely delights his base, does his campaign actually think it will sway the middle?

And, is that who America really wants to lead us?

This is Who We Are

Those of us that are dedicated to Destination Marketing are, to be sure, a different breed. We're the proud ones; the ones that bristle when someone says "there's nothing to do here." We are the ones that carry the torch for our communities.

Even when we are 90 years old.

Meet Peggy Rixen-Kuntz, the individual that greets every visitor to the Dickinson ND Visitors Center.

Yeah...I love what we all do, everyday.

 

Kool Ronald

Ronald Bell, one of the founders of Kool and the Gang, made his transition to a higher stage earlier this month. The moment didn't get a lot of attention (indeed, I only heard of it on Canada's Wave-FM). But, these guys were a force in the '70s...before music sadly bifurcated into niche camps.

While "Celebrate" will be the hit forever associated with these guys, their earlier work was less formulatic and a lot more fun.

As we bid farewell to Ronald on this Music Friday, we go back to my favorite sweaty dance club "bump" track. It's "Hollywood Swinging." I mean, really...no party mix-tape ('70's speak for playlist) was complete without this track.

And, I dare you not to let the whole concert play out to kick off a kick-ass weekend.

Bringing the Pain Front and Center

The team at the Cabarrus County CVB has been masterful at their use of video during the pandemic. Their "Pit Stop" video early in the crisis was one of the most hopeful and heartfelt videos we saw last Spring.

I know that many of us in the Destination Marketing sphere believed that the unimaginable carnage that descended on the travel and hospitality industries during the second and third quarters of this year would result in a newly sophisticated appreciation of our role in the economies and quality of life in our communities. While many people supported their favorite businesses by stepping up their patronage of those that could deliver product virtually, distantly and/or take-out, so many of our community leaders have yet to fully understand the acute pain.

With all due respect, they have been dealing with their own struggles and, unless they knew someone from the hospitality and performance sectors, they haven't yet experienced the pain.

Donna Carpenter and her crew are back with two new videos. One encourages area businesses to get certified as safe and healthy with the voices of local partners spreading the message. Which, of course, is the most effective way to get viewers engaged.

But, it is the second video that is so amazingly powerful. "The State of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry" peels back the happy face we typically show the world to showcase the pain our partners experience as they are forced to layoff staff and potentially close their doors. It puts a face to the pain; it gives voice to the agony so many feel.

And, we can surely hope that it will resonate with Local, State and Federal leaders that there are so many of their constituents crying out for their help.

Crisis Makes Us Smarter

It's always amusing when quantum shifts in how we look at marketing occur...and yet, had we been paying attention, the answer was always right before our eyes.

Like when we figured out that showing real people enjoying a product or experience was more impactful that talking about its features. And, more recently, that showing diversity in our advertising would appeal to a more diverse audience. The word "duh" doesn't come close to describing those moments.

So, it should be no surprise that B2B marketing is about to have its moment. Check out this article from The Drum that suggests the pandemic is the motivation for business marketing to start looking like consumer marketing.

And yeah, if it's come to Tommy Lee being a spokesperson for an e-mail service? It's 2020, fer sure.

Your Vote Matters

Last week, we shared that the government's chaotic response to the 'VID caused a restauranteur in Minocqua WI to shutdown for the season. Not that such a decision is an unusual situation in these unsettled times. But, the owner wrote an open letter to his fans, closing it by saying, "Please join me in voting against everyone who hurt us on November 3." 

Here's hoping he ordered his pair of Regenerative Organic Stand Up Shorts from Patagonia...because a company spokesperson has confirmed they are sold out of run that had the words "Vote the Assholes Out" on the backside of the garment tag.

Too funny.

Toots

I was introduced to Toots Hibbert by the late Robert Palmer, who covered amazingly eclectic talent on his rise to superstardom in the '80s. It was his cover of "Pressure Drop" that sent me looking for the source material.

Toots is widely credited with creating the term "Reggae" as a term for the kind of music we all love today. Beautiful days on the porch always call for us to dial up SOMA.FM's Heavyweight Reggae internet radio.

We lost the man on 9/11, a victim of the 'VID. As we say godspeed on this Music Friday, we go back to his rendition of "Pressure Drop" back in 1975 at Winterland. Was it really 45 years ago? Damn...

Image Credit: Michael Hochanadel

 

 

 

When You're Broke

Many of us have been known to search couches, glove boxes and pockets of last season's clothes for money when we were broke. That's a variation of what the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores recently did.

Ordered closed for six months, employees took the opportunity to perform maintenance chores and clean the facility for the day they would be able to reopen (which finally happened Monday). As they looked to clean the 30-foot tall waterfall, someone hit upon a brilliant idea...to remove and clean the coins that had been tossed into the pool over the past 14 years.

Ultimately, crews recovered about 100 gallons of coins and, through its Facebook page, the Aquarium engaged its fans with a contest to guess how much 100 gallons of coins were worth.

$8,563.71...and it will all go to animal care.

What a beautiful lifeline thousands of guests unknowingly provided over the years. Here's hoping their wishes came true, as well.

The Suffering Congress Ignores

Few have been spared from the pain wrought by the 'VID. But, it's the small business owner that has been impacted the most. And, when one recognizes that roughly 95% of tourism-related businesses are classified as "small business" by the SBA, you have your proof that travel and hospitality have been hurt the worst. Yet, Congress fiddles while small businesses close, wiping out hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and millions of jobs.

A restauranteur in Minocqua recently closed his business until next season, citing the lack of State leadership in an insane, partisan-fueled stop-start-stop dance that has been Wisconsin. His closing line in a Facebook post announcing the close was "Please join me in voting against everyone who hurt us on November 3."

You'd think that, in the less than 50 days to election day, our elected leaders would be focused on voters over campaign contributors and political ideology. But, I see no such evidence as scores of business owners shutter their dreams and the livelihoods of so many. Think they're pissed? Think they'll vote?

Maybe what our elected leaders all need is to read this open letter from one of the owners of the now-shuttered Mermaid Inn on New York City's Second Avenue. I dare any member of Congress to read the owners' story and not be galvanized to do something NOW to assist these businesses who were forced to close in March. 

Because, if action isn't taken, I dare say that there will be a sizable portion of the more than 15 million people that were employed in the restaurant industry in this country in March that will give voice to their disgust at what Congress has become on November 3rd.

Or, one must ask, does Congress even care?