Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Brilliant...or WTF

Word out of Baton Rouge is that the Louisiana Office of Tourism is going to deploy a $10 million appropriation in a highly innovative set of initiatives:

$300K for local recording artists to go birdwatching with writers from Rolling Stone.

$650,000 to "takeover" the Sphere in Las Vegas for two hours...plus off and on for a week.

$200,000 for a Visitors Guide (ostensible online) based on users' Zodiac signs.

$500,000 for Super Bowl advertising.

A million dollars for floats in the Macy's and Rose Bowl Parades....and a bunch more.

And, you know what? Given the obligatory State TV ads that all pretty much look the same (except Michigan, North Dakota and California)...I think this strategy of changing the narrative might actually work.

WTF.

 

New on DMOU: PCMA's Sherrif Karamat on AI

PCMA CEO Sherrif Karamat is one of the deepest thinkers in the business events space on the planet. And, not unlike those old EF Hutton commercials, when Sherrif talks, I listen. So, when he said that DMOs were falling behind his members in the adoption of AI at Destinations International’s Annual Conference this summer, that was more than enough to earn an invitation to DMOU. Join us for a fascinating discussion of how he believes AI can reduce the mundane and better connect us to our clients…and where Sherrif believes the future of DMOs lies.

It's just one of over 120 powerful conversations you'll find in the DMOU Vault.

New on the DMOU Podcast: Cannabis Tourism

Almost half of American States have legalized the recreational use of cannabis...but many DMOs in those States struggle with ways to promote the advantage they possess against States that don't. On this episode of DMOU, we talk with Brian Applegarth, the foremost expert in the intersection of cannabis and tourism, about how to escape the stigma...and focus on the health, wellness and inclusionary aspects of this amazing community asset. A fascinating episode.

It's Their House

Just back from moderating a panel at the PRSA Conference here in the Mad City at our city's house (Monona Terrace, at left)...and what a treat to welcome attendees to our destination. And, thanks to Destination International's Caitlin Blizzard for the invitation.

During the tail-end of our session, we asked attendees to discuss with their table mates three questions. As I floated from table to table to listen in to the conversations, one caught my attention...and made me smile. The topic was how to address the seemingly rampant rise in clueless tourists attempting to interact with animals in the wild (really...who raised these people?).

As she stressed the need to communicate that visitors need to realize they are trespassing on animal land, I couldn't help but remember a video from 8 years ago that has amassed over 1 million YouTube views. This is Veronica-Pooh Nash on the expectations of being in each other's house.

Still makes me laugh.

The Weather Channel

Let's be honest...The Weather Channel has turned into Reality TV. Not really sure when it happened (maybe it was this moment when Jim Cantore lost his shit with Thundersnow), but I used to rely on The Weather Channel for.....ummm, weather.

Clearly with the Winter Storm Event called Olive, there will be travel delays. I'd kinda like to know how the ice storm is impacting DTW tonight. How double digit snow totals will snarl MSP tomorrow. And, which interstates are closed to me.

Instead, I've just endured an hour of correspondents marveling at how the wind is creating snowdrifts in Green Bay and Minneapolis.

I know I live where that happens every winter...but can I get some news I can use?

Or, is it time for the Weather Travel Channel?

Jim Dandy to the Rescue

Not sure why I can't get the Black Oak Arkansas classic out of my head...but isn't that what Destination Leadership Organizations have become in the past three years? Coming to the rescue of local businesses that need a helping hand in times of crisis?

That's exactly what the Pinehurst, Southern Pines & Aberdeen CVB did when their power grid was attacked by vandals as their communities entered the all too crucial holiday shopping season. Within hours, Phil Werz and his staff hatched a plan to support their area merchants in a time of acute need.

You can hear about "Moore Miracles" and much more about how that DLO is rockin' their destination on the latest episode of the DMOU podcast.

Cool stuff.

The Unknown Blues Singer

The beauty and the curse of the news media is that it is generally populated with talent in their 20s. Sure, the on air talking heads are in their 40s and above, but the masses of content generators are young...generally because media outlets pay shit wages. And, most of those of us that started our post-college careers in media said, "screw it," and moved on to make a more livable level of scratch.

Now, the beauty side is that they bring a fresh perspective to stuff to which Xers and Boomers have become numb. The downside is that they have no idea of what went down before the turn of the century. And, this was never more evident than Sunday night, when media coverage of the Grammys produced one of the stupidest comments ever from the Daily Mail when they called Bonnie Raitt an "unknown blues singer."

14 Grammys and last year's Lifetime Achievement Award? Unknown? That's the WTF.

Not that the author of that insipid line will see this blog...but, let's luxuriate in the beauty this "unknown talent" has brought into our world (yeah...this might take a while):

David Crosby's Favorite Singer in the World

The Most Heartbreaking Break-Up Song Ever

The Starting Up with Someone New Song

Channeling Randy Newman

Channeling Del Shannon

And Channelling John Prine

And, possibly my favorite, from an early album called Streetlights. I heard it first after a college friend had died in a car crash. We were DJ's at the campus radio station and a fellow DJ eulogized Tom with this song. And, I think of him every time I hear it.

Bonnie's voice can always touch your heart in ways you'd never expect. Especially if you think she's an unknown blues singer.

Going Vertical

As TikTok continues to be attacked in some quarters over privacy and security concerns, there's one thing that can't be ignored. It has re-oriented video content from horizontal to vertical .

On Monday, our friends Dave Serino and Brian Matson of TwoSix Digital posted a video in which they discuss best practices for DMOs in utilizing vertical content on TikTok, Reels and Shorts with Nick and Andy Behling from MI Playground. If you've yet to take the plunge or are unsure of your first steps in Vertical Media, this video is a must.

While timing in at 57 minutes might be off-putting for some, the conversation gets really good at the 36:30 mark. But trust me, if you jump ahead, you'll likely go back to the beginning to see what you missed.

As the video does not feature visual examples, you could listen to the whole thing on your commute or workout, just as you would a podcast like DMOU (which, sorry for the delay...we had some issues with our platform provider and just posted our newest episode with Vail Ross yesterday).

Thanks TwoSix. Always leading us forward.

Radio Radio

Radio was always the bomb when it came to advertising. Less expensive than TV and much more targeted than print, radio ruled the land before digital.

But, did we abandon it too fast? According to a study by eMarketer, radio is still a safe bet for advertisers and marketers, losing only a fraction of its audience over the past 15 years. And, with the majority of radio listening taking place in vehicles, eMarketer suggests the evolution of the connected car will impact radio listenership.

Podcasting is also predicted to grow in listeners and time spent listening...which is good for DMOs utilizing the format.

And, of course for our podcast (DMOU), which is on winter break until next year and is just about to cross 25,000 downloads. If you haven't yet...join the in crowd.

Long live radio.

Can You Get Your Offers Straight?

Last Summer, the Chicago Tribune offered me online access to their content for a buck a month (or something like that). I knew that at the end of three months, they'd jack me to $15.99/month...which is where I am, questioning the true value. 

But, last week, I received two e-mails from the Trib within the same minute. One asked me to "come back" for 25 cents a week for 6 months. The other asked me to come back for $1 for 6 months (click to enlarge image).

Of course, when we called to ask if we could get the deal being offered, we were told no...that we were already a subscriber. But, errr, you asked us to come back.

And we are also being asked to trust the journalism of a newspaper that can't figure out the most basic tenets of customer service.

I get that newspapers are struggling...but, really?