Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

The Most Cost-Effective Path Forward

This just in...the Destination Marketing Organizations in Manitowoc and Two Rivers WI have announced they will be collaborating on a joint Visitors Guide next year.

According to the Interim Director of Explore Two Rivers, such a collaboration “provides the most cost-effective path forward for businesses to market themselves to tourists with the distribution plan and the power of a joint visitor guide.”

Ummm, tell me again why y'all thought breaking up the DMO that represented both communities last year was such a great idea? 

Because it never sounded like a cost-effective path forward.

Just sayin...

That's a Wrap

Just back from the 25th Annual Upper Midwest CVB Fall Conference in Champaign County IL. And, as we kick back on the porch on this beyond beautiful late summer evening, we marvel at what a long strange trip it's been.

Created as a momentary response in a year that our international trade association chose to locate its annual conference in Hong Kong (yeah, the optics would never work back home for most DMOs), three sector veterans decided to create an alternative conference for those of us staying home. The late Bruce Riley McDaniel (Quad Cities), the now-retired Cole Carley (Fargo) and I (launching my consultancy after serving five years in Madison) got together over beers (natch) and drew up plans for that first conference in Dubuque IA. It was originally envisioned as a one-off, as we all expected to return to the mothership's Annual the next year in Detroit.

But, a funny thing happened. Industry peers reached out from across the Midwest telling us how much they liked the format and focus. So, we rolled the dice and took the show to Cedar Rapids...and then Eau Claire. Terri joined the team in 2000 and managed the conference stops in Peoria, Rochester and Rapid Cities before UMCVB contracted with a professional management firm.

And here we are, 25 years later...talking about the great presentations from Visit Indy's Leonard Hoops, Tourism Diversity Matters' Greg DeShields, Madden's Matt Clement and closing keynoter Berkley Young (honestly, one of the best line-ups in years). About the cool thought leadership in breakout sessions from a who's who of industry veterans too numerous to mention here. And, the great networking events at iconic U of I and Champaign venues.

Thank you to Conference Coordinator Erin Bowers for making it all come together. Having done it years ago...we know how many moving parts there are that can go so wrong behind the scenes...but you made it all seamless in our eyes.

And, here's to 25 more!

This Clearly Didn't Go Through Marketing

Seen on a box of crackers: the "Best By" date (which means precious little, according to this story in the The Conversation).

But, "Best if Used By?" While I'm sure that there may be the rare MacGyver-esque situation where one "uses" a cracker to save the world, I'm just as sure the folks in the Marketing Department never saw this go by during the design phase for the box.

Because, if they did, the imprint would likely read, "Best if Enjoyed By."

Just sayin...

The Return of Conference Swag

In keeping with our theme of what to Keep, Cut and Add to our program of work, we turn our attention to Sales Swag.

Now, to be sure, our firm isn't above providing gifts to past guests on DMOU...but we've always draw the line at passing out swag at trade shows and other appearances. We know what we do with the "premium items" that are often shoved into our hands and welcome bags (see image at left).

During the Plague, the amount of swag Destination Marketing Organizations bought and distributed clearly declined...because face-to-face events were few and far between. But, now that meetings and trade shows are returning...so is the swag. But, at what cost?

According to this article from Fast Company, the environmental cost of both producing and the discarding this stuff is substantial. And, then there is the cost to a Destination Marketing Organization's budget.

Is there another way to stay top-of-mind with potential customers you met? A follow-up phone call, maybe? A hand-written card?

Just a thought...

Keep, Cut and Add

In last week's edition of the Z-News (you can subscribe here), we talked about some of the Scared Cows of Destination Marketing that are being eyed by some in the aftermath of the Plague. In our commentary, we cautioned that some of those tried-and-true strategies may still have some life in them.

Our friend (and former guest on DMOU), Savannah's Joe Marinelli, reached out to say they've been printing 500,000 Visitors Guides each year for over a decade and go through virtually every one by year's end because demand is so strong. They've just opened their fifth Visitor Center and have found great success (and foot traffic) in selling Savannah food and merchandise. And, as to the website, Joe says they'd never compete in the marketplace without one.

Are any of those sacred cows still on your extinction list?

It's the Scenery

I'm hazy as to the chronology...but it wasn't all that long ago that Destination Marketing pundits told us we needed to lead with the faces of visitors enjoying our communities. "Let the consumer place themselves in that picture, imagining the experience they'd be having," they'd say. But, what if those faces didn't look like the person viewing the image, I often mused?

Then, at least 5 years ago (and I'm guessing more), I remember a post in a DMO-centric group from one of the marketers at West Virginia Tourism saying that they were getting far better engagement on Social Media with pictures of their magnificent scenery...pictures that had no faces whatsoever.

Fast forward to last week when our friends at Destination Analysts shared this sensational infographic of the answer to the question: Which of these images would you generally find more appealing in a travel advertisement?

Uh-huh...it's Beautiful Scenery / Landscapes for the win.

Truth in Advertising

Well...they are nuts in a sack.

Just sayin...

The Land of 15,000 Lakes

Had to chuckle last month when CBS Minnesota recycled an old story about whether the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" had more lakes than Wisconsin. And, according to the story, it comes down to the definition of size. Whatever.

But, it reminded me of a billboard the Wisconsin Tourism Office playfully positioned in view of the Minnesota Tourism Office back in the early '90s. I sadly don't have a screen cap...but imagine this: a sensationally gorgeous image of a tree lined lake with the main verbiage across the top proclaiming, "Come to the Land of 15,000 Lakes."

And then, in the lower right corner, the line "And, ours have fish."

Still makes me laugh.

Rando Thoughts on the Annual Convention

A week out from Destinations International's Annual Convention in Toronto, we look back and say thank you. Thanks for the camaraderie, the networking and the learning. Thanks for the honor of getting to moderate a killer panel of DMO thought leaders (Brookhaven's Renee Areng, Burlington's Jeff Lawson and Rapid City's Brook Kaufman) that attracted a standing room only crowd of over 300 attendees.

And thanks for the laughs. Best line I heard in another session's Q&A (and, no...I won't say who said it because it could cost them their job) was that they were struggling with managing Board Members who were eligible for carbon dating.

Which I had to laugh again today when I see that there is so much carbon being emitted in our world that carbon dating is no longer accurate.

So...I guess you're stuck with them, dude.

With Distinction

We've been advising Destination Marketing Organizations across the Americas for over two decades. But, it never gets old when we see a client do something sensational.

Six years ago, we assisted in the start-up of a DMO for Bastrop TX. And, pretty quickly, we learned that this wouldn't be as easy as other start-ups. While we were consistently assured that everyone was on board, there was significant subterfuge just under the waterline from virtually every quarter, threatening the process at every turn.

Suffice to say, we ultimately won the day and led them through their first Strategic Planning session a year later.

Today, we received word that Visit Bastrop has earned its Destination Marketing Accreditation from Destinations International (an honor that only 200-some DMOs have achieved worldwide). And, they did it "with Distinction," exhibiting a level of professionalism that only 10% of DMAP DMOs have attained.

We take no credit for this accomplishment. This is all Susan Smith and her team.

But, it is gratifying to say, "we knew you when."

Congratulations! And, thank you to those early visionaries who believed Bastrop needed a DMO.