Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Windows on a Plane

I've noted an interesting phenomenon on commercial airliners. As they have asked deplaning passengers to close window shades to keep the cabin cool for the next flight, an increasing number of next flight travelers opt not to open said windows.

For someone, like me, that enjoys watching take-off, the landscape and landing, this is a little unnerving. Yet, there I was a few weeks ago, in a section of the plane where not a single window shade was open.

Is it laziness...or do a majority of fliers actually not want to see outside the fusillade?

Enter Emirates Airlines, which has just announced plans to fly jets with no windows (more structurally sound and more cost efficient). Instead, they plan to install video panels, fed by cameras on the exterior of the plane, to show folks like me what's out there.

Interesting concept that still has a few questions, as outlined in this article from Fast Company.

Your thoughts? Boxers or Briefs? Panties or Thongs? Windows or Video Panels?

 

Ego-Tourism

Catching up over the weekend, I discovered this sensational article by Travel Weekly's Arnie Weissmann.

As cool as Eco-Tourism is, he says...it's Ego-Tourism upon which we should focus.

According to new research, over half of young professional travel is chosen as a way to make their friends envious. And, it's not just the young, as 15% of boomers take the possibility of envy-inducing posts into consideration when booking.

Narcissism aside...as Arnie says: "Being sensitive to the range of how an ego manifests itself can be crucial in qualifying clients and making sure their ego needs will be met during a trip. But understanding the role ego plays during the actual sales process can be equally important to your business."

The Alternate Reality

For Star Trek fans, The Mirror Universe is a universal favorite. In it, the Starship Enterprise comes face to face with an alternative universe in which their Kirk and Spock are evil, hell-bent on universal domination. White is black, up is down...the mirror universe is the polar opposite of the Federation we all know and love.

That episode came to mind when I read what could have been an April Fool's article, but isn't, from Humboldt County CA. In many destinations in which pot has been legalized, local officials and business leaders have encouraged their DMO to refrain from actively promoting the cannabis industry. Not Humboldt County.

After completing his annual marketing presentation to the County Board, DMO CEO Tony Smithers recently faced a series of questions and criticisms for not including the promotion of cannabis in this year's campaign. And for not having someone from the cannabis industry on his Board!

What a short strange trip it's been...

Brilliance for the Holidays

Ryan Hamilton is both an amazing artist and an astute marketer. 

Along with his band the Traitors, this international talent has done something that may not be new...but certainly captured my attention.

For $30US, he'll perform a personalized concert of 10 of his songs. And, yes...truly personalized with individualized comments between songs. And, one of his tracks is one of our faves.

Wow...what a concept for performers that have a loyal local following. But, also for DMOs, as an amazing holiday gift for clients.

Imagine sending a CD to a client that extols the virtues of your destination...but also offers a taste of the talent they'll experience when they bring their group to town.

Probably too late for this year...but, definitely a thought for next year.

Building a Better Industry Database

If I had a Franklin for every time a community leader, politician or DMO Board Member asked me how their Destination Marketing Organization compared to others, we'd be able to take a round-the-world vacation with cash to spare. Unfortunately, such data has historically been restricted to members of the DMO-sector Trade Association, Destinations International...and, then, only to those that paid for the data.

But, as they say, "It's a Brand New Day." And, the data collection for the report that contains all the comparative data about destinations, taxes, and DMO budgets, governance and operations is open this week to non-members. It's Destinations International's way of building a significantly more robust database of data, especially in the small-to-medium DMO budget size category.

The catch? There really isn't one. Any DMO (member or otherwise) that completes a majority of the questions in the online survey will receive the final report at no charge. And, we all benefit from a much more meaningful set of data points when those questions arise. And, like the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), it will make participating organizations better.

The Destinations International portal to the survey requires a member login and password. If you're not a member and want to take advantage of this sensational opportunity, e-mail Andreas Weissenborn HERE.

And, kudos to Destinations International for seeing the bigger picture in providing DMOs worldwide with the actionable data we need.

It's Here

It's the same feeling (kinda) as when the new Phonebook arrives for Steve Martin in "The Jerk."

The new Book is here! The new Book is here!

And, it feels so good.

Taking orders now. Operators standing by.

And, thanks for all the encouragement and inspiration from so many to get us to this place.

Hell, yeah.

Ugly Food

Terri and I were on a Destination Assessment assignment a couple years ago when we stumbled upon a Farmer's Market. I was instantly drawn to one vendor that was offering his best produce...along side his "worst" (click on image to enlarge).

I asked him which sold out first. He laughed and said, "the ugly ones."

Indeed, over a fourth of all produce in this country is thrown out because it's deemed not "pretty" enough for a grocery store or restaurant to purchase. That's billions of pounds of food waste and billions of dollars lost.

But a new initiative at Hy-Vee grocery stores is hoping to reverse that trend. Called "Misfits," Hy-Vee is taking a page from the playbook of our Farmer's Market friend and offering "ugly" fruit and veggies at 30% off.

And, that's good for all of us.

Music Completes the Destination

I've been saying it for as long as I can remember. It's the culture of a place (not the attractions, facilities or hotels) that completes the destination. And, there's no more universally embraced aspect of culture as Music.

Which is why were were so impressed when the Chattanooga Area CVB created a full-time Music Manager position last year. It's why we can't wait to see what Visit Asheville is about to do with a web platform that launches next week, dedicated to highlighting local talent and making the city a music destination.

And, why we've been loving listening to DentonRadio.com over the past couple months as one of a handful of internet stations that provides the aural background for our office and life. As Denton CVB CEO Kim Phillips tells the story, it was a chance meeting with a local entrepreneur that was working on an online opportunity to connect local artists to consumers. Coincidently, the Bureau had been contemplating how to better connect the dots between music and visitors...but didn't have the connections or expertise on staff. You can guess the rest of the story.

Similar to Spotify or Pandora, online listeners are able to click to find where performers which they are listening to are performing next...or other Denton talent from the same genre. Both DentonRadio.com and the CVB brought assets to the joint venture that the other couldn't do on their own.

And, isn't that the way we should all be viewing the development and curation of content for our destinations? 

These three DMOs are breaking some sensational new ground. Here's hoping their stories get picked up at State, Regional and National Destination Marketing conferences this year!

 

Why Not?

There's a popcorn shop in Loudoun County VA called Popcorn Monkey...because the corn is so good that a monkey would drop his banana for a handful.

At least that's how Tone Moore and his wife Mickey view their new venture. And, with almost 100 different flavors (Smokey Bacon, Green Apple, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt...you get the idea), the company is rockin' it with both walk-in and online plays.

I couldn't help but be taken by a quote from a recent feature in the Times-Mirror: "His customers give him ideas for new flavors. He explores them all, even the absurd. Cilantro and lime (which doesn't sound absurd)? Sure, why not? Coconut Curry? He'll give it a whirl."

And, isn't this exactly what makes a product or service stand out? 

Sure, why not?

Hell, yeah.

 

The Surest Sign a Company is Over

At least in the tech/digital space, the end is nigh when upgrades are forced...not offered. 

Case in point: The Weather Channel. Over the past few years, their App has become more aesthetically pleasing while becoming progressively more useless. They offered up an upgrade earlier this week, to which the reviews have been fairly horrid.

Today, there is no longer the opportunity to decline the upgrade. You either watch the demo or agree. There is no other option.

As a line of fairly vigorous looking thunderstorms approaches this evening, that option doesn't exactly work for me.

Thus, one of the first Apps I ever downloaded is now deleted...because I understand quite clearly that my safety is not important to the Weather Channel.

Hello, Storm.