Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

America's Top Cities

The latest edition of America's Top Cities is out today and DMOU had the opportunity to talk with Resonance's Chris Fair on how the rankings are determined and why they matter. It's no surprise that big cities dominate the top 50 because they have more assets than smaller cities. But, there are some surprising cities in the bottom 50 that point the way to how DMOs can elevate community brand and magnetism to increase awareness and interest. Chris breaks it all down in this exclusive interview on how the rankings have evolved post-COVID. Cool stuff.

The Trap

The quicksand in which so many marketers find themselves is they believe they know what good marketing looks and feels like. Like, tourism video always needs a golf shot (we've proven that's a complete fallacy through DMOvizion...indeed it's the worst image you can show in run-of-schedule TV).

They believe they know the mediums that will be most effective to capture the imagination of their target markets. And...radio? No one listens to terrestrial radio anymore (which couldn't be further from the truth).

I haven't listened to local radio for years. I do when I'm on the road to get a sense of the communities in which I'm working...but, my home choice is always satellite, internet or my own playlist. But, what I do or prefer means nothing...research means everything. And this recent post from Roy Williams is a must read for any marketer that believes radio is dead.

New on DMOU

Next up on the DMOU podcast series is BVK's Victoria Simmons. The agency, probably best known in Tourism circles for their highly successful "That's WY" campaign for Wyoming, released its 2023 Trend Report over the holidays...and we sit down with Victoria to get a more nuanced view into to the findings.

That and over 100 interviews with some of the brightest minds in destination marketing await you in the DMOU vault. And...be sure to subscribe to be alerted each time a new episode drops.

Ahead of the Curve

Three years ago this week, Longwoods International published the first of what would become the American Travel Sentiment Survey. They, like many of us, were sensing a sea-change in the way we all would live our lives with this "thing" called COVID. Aside from being assured it would magically disappear by Easter, those of us with half a brain knew this was going to be a serious blow to our way of life.

That said, we also didn't think it would last this long...but Longwoods has just released Wave 71 in the series of studies to help us all traverse the landscape. And 30% of Americans still monitor COVID while making travel plans. But, there's lots of good news in Wave 71, which you can find here.

And thanks to Amir, the Team at Longwoods and Miles for keeping us in the know lo these three years.

Our Dismissive Culture

A recent poll conducted by SmartBrief suggests that 13% of airline passengers "never" turn off their electronic devices and another 35% say they often forget.

Yeah...that means that roughly half of us actually ignore pre-flight instructions.

I'm sorry...but how hard is it to agree to abide by the rules?

Or, are we all just that self-absorbed?

 

Time to Exhale

While it will take days to sort out reality from conspiracy theory...the mid-term election process is complete.

No more incessant TV ads or online pleas for campaign contributions. The hundreds of dollars spent on direct mail to our home alone that influenced absolutely no one (except for one we received last weekend from an independent candidate that featured her extended family posing with rifles that confirmed...yeah, no), I can pretty much ignore. The 3 e-mails a day asking for more money for the same candidate? I gotta shake my head.

As I'm not privy to the research that may back up the approach I experienced this cycle (please tell me this crap works on everyone else and it's just me), let me share my thoughts on how campaigns are getting this all wrong.

First up, TV. Attack ads work. I hate 'em and I wish we could have a real conversation about the issues that demand our attention. But, they work...and I can ignore them if I choose.

But, here's my deal...the e-mail onslaught to which I was subjected this cycle was beyond laughable. And, I hafta wonder where they found the brainiac that ran their digital campaign. 

After making the mistake of donating to a campaign, I averaged three e-mail a day asking for more...every day for the past two months. And, as late as 4:20pm on election day. Many missives thanked me for my contribution...so they clearly knew I was in. But, if you know someone is in, why would you be so needy as to ask them for more...three times a day for months at a stretch?

And maybe because I gave more than the candidate's initial request of $5, they thought I must be aware of the nuances of campaign finance reporting requirements. Because, why else were so many of their pleas related to meeting some random fundraising deadline that (let's be honest) means nothing to anyone who is not in the inner circle.

And then, they provide my contact data to out-of-state campaigns and I start getting pleas from random candidates across the nation? What...did the level of my contribution signal to your algorithm that I was a "true believer" and that I would give a shit about races around the country? And, assuming their database could assess my fairly independent past voting record, why would I get e-mails from fringe members of your party, expecting me to give more to your campaign because I received a request from them? The candidate in question ultimately lost...and there's at least a percentage point they forfeited because they had polarizing national candidates asking independents to give, as CCR once said, "more, more, more."

In this era of data, it is inexcusable to not be able to target supporters and contributors in a more sophisticated manor. But those that pose as political experts are often anything but. In years past, we've offered our services in perception analysis to campaigns to help hone their approaches and have been rejected by rank amateurs posing as campaign "experts" who thought they were all that and a bag of chips. The reason? They certainly didn't want consumer data to challenge their campaign strategy.

My guy lost. He didn't have to. His attack ads were actually very good. But his campaign crew was woefully unsophisticated in their digital approach. 

You could have engaged me at a much higher and more meaningful level...but all you cared about was my money.

Sad, really.

For all of us.

Are You Profiling?

A recent study out of Montana indicates that the majority of residents believe that tourism is good for the economy...but, at the same time, think the State is being overrun by tourists, challenging their Quality of Life. Over the past two COVID-powered years, public opinion has shifted dramatically to a majority of residents believing tourists are responsible for overcrowding.

But, let's take a step back here. Is it really tourists? Or could it be new residents or second homers that are escaping metros across the West? Or, it is residents that are much more present than they may traditionally have been in the past because they just want to get out of the house? How do residents know that it's "tourists?" Profiling, anyone?

I recently saw a presentation by Zartico that showed that a sensationally clogged community one weekend was actually mostly residential in nature (all the visitors were at the beach). Same thing here...you may feel tourists have overrun your town. But, is that just an easy target for your ire?

Yeah...I don't doubt there are more people in your midst and it may be a pain in the ass. But, are you sure they aren't residents?

Just sayin'

They (Mostly) Like Us!

Yesterday, Longwoods International & Destinations International released the 2021 Resident Sentiment Study, revealing how both Americans and Canadians feel about aspects of the Travel and Tourism Industry.

We'll all take our own queues from the data. Our take is that the carnage wrought by COVID has slightly improved American attitudes regarding the importance of Tourism...but not nearly as much as one would have expected or desired. A bigger attitude shift comes when residents are asked if people who use Short Term Rentals can be disruptive to neighborhoods (i.e., is this segment of our industry beginning to wear out its welcome?).

You can learn more on these questions and more here. And, thanks to Longwoods and DI for the intel.

Our Continuing Travel Schizophrenia

Maybe it was that taste of travel freedom we experienced last summer before the Delta variant pulled the rug out from under us. Or, maybe it's just pandemic fatigue. But our collective attitude toward travel is more schizophrenic than ever, according to the latest research from our friends at Destination Analysts.

67% of Americans are now concerned about personally contracting the virus, yet 80% of us have a trip planned in the next six months. 72% say that someone from our personal circle has contracted COVID in the past month...but only 30% have changed our travel plans in the last month. You know that sound Lewis Black makes when he shakes his jowls. Yeah.

What we need is a plague-version of Groundhog Day to tell us how many more weeks of this shitshow we'll have to endure.

Just Not Now

The latest wave of COVID research from Longwoods International dropped this morning, appearing to show that Americans are fairly confident that the plague will diminish in the next six months, as almost 9 in 10 have plans to travel by July.

But...just not now. Roughly a third of Americans last week said they are postponing travel as a result of the surge in cases. 58% are changing plans. And, while anecdotal, it certainly bears caution...even among the vaccinated. Terri and I might have known two or three people that came down with COVID each month of the first 20 or so. Since the first of this month, that number has ballooned to over 20 friends, acquaintances and clients, likely due to holiday get togethers.

Here's hoping the top line number isn't just wishful thinking talking. And, if you must, travel and gather safely, y'all.