Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

A New Way to Halloween

As it increasingly appears that the Halloween season for some destinations will be significantly different that those they have counted upon in years past, there are options that spark the imagination.

Indeed, for communities like Salem MA that reportedly make 30% of their annual tourism revenues in October, the next 30 days will undoubtedly be a stress-filed time for the hospitality industry there. So, how to position the community as safe while delivering a unique experience that residents and visitors alike will flock to (and, of course, share on Social Media platforms)?

You think like these enterprising actors and production company in Tokyo who earlier this year staged a Drive-Through Haunted House, replete with Zombies attacking their prey, fully sealed in their car, smearing the windows with stage blood.

You got this...and I'm sure much more. Free your mind to the possibilities!

A Powerful Piece on Our Farm Neighbors

Terri and I are 'Sconnies (people who live in Wisconsin). Our move two summers ago to the country places us just miles from the "Driftless Area" of the State, where some of the finest agricultural land in the nation can be found. A region where Federal policy changes promised by the President in his last campaign have yet to materialize. In fact, his trade wars have made it worse.

We are a farm family. While I'm pretty much a city-boy (but, evolving every week), some members of Terri's extended family work the land and milk the cows. And, I learn more everyday about their struggles, many of which are government induced. But, I gotta say, none of what I've learned in our time together prepared me for this story in The New Yorker.

If you live in the Midwest, you must read this piece. If you live anywhere else, you should.

Winter is coming.

Retention is the Future

As we said in our recently released position paper on the future of community marketing, going back to the way it was before this nightmare began is not an option...for any of us. And, if you are in DMO Membership or Partnership Development, this could break one of two ways...or both.

In one corner, we have businesses that now know, more clearly than ever, the power of a DMO to bring them business and keep them successful. So, on one hand, the acquisition of these businesses as new Partners should seem a no-brainer. That is, if they can scrape together enough cash to invest in the DMO going forward.

In the other corner are your existing Partners who have always loved and valued you but are struggling to keep their doors open. Yeah...going back to Partnership Development as it was just isn't in the cards.

Our friend Robert Skrob, Executive Director of Destinations Florida (among a number of other businesses he manages) wrote a book in 2018 called Retention Point that, from a pre-COVID perspective, rings particularly true in these times. Indeed, the first Chapter is entitled "Membership Growth Comes from Retention, Not from Recruiting New Members." Pretty heady stuff, eh?

But it so makes sense as we climb out of the wreckage.

 

A New Vision

We have several ways to stay connected with our friends and clients in the Destination Marketing space. Of course, there is this (almost daily) blog, coming up on its 14th anniversary.

We also publish a monthly newsletter in which we share sector news and a commentary from yours truly. I tweet sporadically. And we repurpose the important missives on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Oh yeah...and the podcast is here.

Why am I reminding you of this? You may be a regular on this blog...but not a subscriber of the Z-News. And, if that's the case, you missed yesterday's release of our new position paper on how community marketing must change if we are to maximize resources, talent and opportunity. And, we think it's unlike anything you've seen.

We're boldly going where only a handful of visionaries have gone before...and we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog.

Time's Up

Facing an exploding pandemic, increasing crime rates in our urban centers, schools that are struggling to re-imagine a virtual re-start, the need to effectively deal with racial inequity and millions upon millions of workers put on waivers...Congress goes home for summer break?

Legislation that would help restart the economy through our Destination Marketing Organizations sits on dusty desks, not approved and never signed into law. And, Congress heads home to enjoy the last few weeks of summer?

And, now comes word over the weekend that they may actually come back...but only to deal with the Post Office debacle because THAT concerns their hoped for re-elections. Apparently, the rest of the nation can go pound sand.

That's really all we need to know about how this Congress has utterly failed the American people. 

As we vote this November, know this: A vote for an incumbent is a vote for this shitshow to continue. What has been said in the Black Lives Matter movement is just as true here: "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." Every incumbent is complicit for not standing up to party leadership and saying "no mas."

That's how bad this has gotten. They have all failed us...and it's time to choose an alternative. Or are you good with this childish bullshit that threatens us all?

Choose wisely, Grasshopper.

To Pivot or Start from Scratch?

This missive might appear confusing on the surface...but, it really isn't. And, it reflects what I've been saying in one way, shape or form for over a decade, well before the 'VID changed our world.

Simon Sinek (Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last) was recently quoted in The Drum saying that we all need to think as start-ups:

“The companies that are struggling to pivot are trying to do what they’ve always done in this environment. The companies that are doing a good job of pivoting are saying: ‘OK, throw the old playbook out and let’s pretend we’re a startup. How would we start up our business today?’"

So, I've gone on record over the past few months encouraging DMOs to not toss their Strategic Plans and start-over in the face of staggering financial losses. I've also suggested that DMOs should start from scratch. So, which is it?

Both. 

Let's start with doubling down on your Strategic Plan. As a Strategic Plan is the Board's action plan, most of the goals and objectives that are likely in that Plan are still relevant. Community Outreach, Diversifying Revenue Streams and Advocating for Sense of Place projects are quite possibly more important than ever for your Board of Directors.

On the other side of the coin, Professional Staff needs to take a serious look at starting over and act like a start-up. Asking why the DMO is structured like it is and, knowing what we know now, are certain markets or tactics still appropriate? I know that, if given the opportunity, I'd be asking "why" a lot. And, as Gabe Seder suggested at the Annual Convention of Destinations International, I'd be drilling down on "who benefits?"

I'm pretty sure my DMO would look like the start-up that Simon suggests...and, we'll have some suggestions on how that might happen in the coming days. 

Stay Tuned.

 

A Bargain with the Devil

That's how one Airbnb operator described their experience with the Sharing Economy to the Wall Street Journal...another unseen victim of the government's response to the 'VID.

What started as a way to make a little side cash by renting out spare rooms rapidly turned into a full-time profession for many real estate speculators who discovered they could make more money renting to visitors than leasing to residents. In many communities, the price of housing skyrocketed as available inventory was snapped up by investors to flip into Airbnb and VRBO rentals.

But, when travel stopped on the Ides of March, so did the revenue stream that many of these speculators depended upon to pay their mortgages. And thus, we'll be seeing a portion of this housing inventory come back on the market.

Good for hotels. Good for home buyers. Bad for entrepreneurs that got caught with all their eggs in one basket.

The Next Victims

Last autumn, I had the opportunity to attend a fascinating presentation on the future of higher education by the Associate VP for Enrollment Management at the University of Iowa, Brent Gage. In a nutshell, Brent shared that demographic shifts, already in play, over the next 10 years would place under-branded liberal arts schools at risk.

Little did any of us in that room believe that day of reckoning would be coming much sooner due to a ham-handed response to a pandemic.

A friend from college (one of those schools that are on the "they're toast" list) sent me this chilling post from NYU professor Scott Galloway and his team as they looked at the health of every U.S. college (and thus, every college town) in the face of the 'VID. The article links to an exhaustive spreadsheet to show their analysis of the likely survivors...and those schools who won't. 

It's not a pretty picture. But, as Galloway says, "denial is more expensive than facing reality."

Or, be like Bluto: "My advise to you, is to start drinking heavily."

Your choice.

Mask Chaos

It has been fascinating to witness the pushback by some regarding the wearing of face coverings during this pandemic. No one seemed to have much of a problem with "No Shirt, No Shoes = No Service" over the years. But, asking people to wear a mask in stores has resulted in violence. It's as if this is the biggest affront to liberty facing us in this country (it's not).

Like Longwoods International and Destination Analysts, our friends at H2R are performing regular research into the intent of consumers to resume traveling. And, in their most recent study, Jerry Henry pointed out that the most willing to travel right now are also largely against mask enforcement. But, that most would wear a face covering if required.

It's "Mask Chaos," he said.

Too funny...except, it's not. Not really.

Mask up, y'all.

A DMO Joins the Cause

Following the lead of hundreds of major corporations that have suspended their advertising on Facebook to send a message to Mark Zuckerburg that the toleration of hate and misinformation must stop, the Charlottesville/Albermarle CVB has pulled its advertising as well.

As Eldridge Cleaver said, "you either have to be part of the solution, or you're going to be part of the problem."

Well played, Charlottesville. Anybody else?