500,000 people saw this viral dolphin story on Facebook, but did it help the DMOs? Let’s be honest. Some days, we marketers look to the sky for that perfect lightning strike of media attention that gets everyone talking about the place we love – the kind of sizzling story that spreads virally online and delights […]
Why the hero-hub-hygiene content marketing strategy still wins for DMOs
Every organization needs an easily understood content strategy to act as a roadmap for always-on activity and broader content goals. In 2014, YouTube and Google put forth the hero-hub-hygiene (H-H-H) strategy to help digital marketers get the greatest impact from their efforts. It allows teams to diversify content to build audience loyalty and longevity, rather […]
Engagement benchmarks: How does your destination compare?
You’ve just received your DMO’s quarterly marketing report. Flipping through the deck, you see that your social media channels are showing strong numbers. 70,000 more engagements here, 8,000 more followers there – growth is happening across the board. It seems like good news. Then at a meeting, someone asks, “What do these engagement numbers really […]
Does your brand lack impact? Consider commercial partners
The stories of your destination are the essence of its promotion. Visitors, residents, stakeholders, and your organization shape visitor perception through word of mouth. Collectively, these stories form a key component of your destination’s brand. Commercial brands are also a powerful source of stories about a place. Brands that clearly originate from a place, or […]
No fear: Change management takes diligence, respect and transparency
“Think about the things we can do together, because we’re DMOs. We can compete, we can coexist, or we can collaborate.” Which of these options can help a destination build a stronger tourism marketing network that benefits everyone? For Destination British Columbia (DBC), leading change means being transparent and choosing to collaborate. Grant Mackay, DBC’s […]
Collaboration, networks and ecosystems: Destination British Columbia’s three pillars of strategic tourism marketing
Destination British Columbia (DBC) has set its sights on becoming the most recommended destination in North America. How does the province intend to lead its six regional destinations and even more city and community destination marketing organizations (DMOs) toward a common objective? Grant Mackay, DBC’s Vice President of Destination & Industry Development, has been a tourism […]
Advocacy, content and partnerships: Find out how Destination British Columbia plans to become the most recommended destination in North America
Destination British Columbia (DBC) understands that delivering consistent and high-quality experiences is essential in inspiring word-of-mouth recommendations, and that advocacy drives visitation. In fact, the organization has focused much of its corporate strategy on advocacy and has set for itself a bold objective to become the most recommended destination in North America. Recognizing that the […]
Social media innovation for destination marketers
How is your organization harnessing the power of social content? You don’t need a reminder that the world of content is changing and that visitors are creating content that used to come from the destination marketing organization. But with all that brilliant, user-generated content out there, what do you do with it? At Social Media […]
Need better visitor stories? Improve your place product
“How was your trip?” The answers to this question are the stories your destination’s visitors and residents tell. Travel has infinite variety, but the resulting stories all have one thing in common: memorable experiences. This means that if your destination marketing organization (DMO) really wants to grow awareness and visitation by telling the right stories […]
Learn why Destination Think! Forum is a different kind of conference.
You’ve heard from us about Destination Think! Forum, now we want to share with you a bit more about what makes this event so unique. Forum brings the world’s leading destination marketers together in one place to have a global conversation about our industry’s challenges and opportunities. Over the past five years of hosting international […]
Want to improve visitor experience? Serve your guests by listening online
Your destination will host a major event next month and thousands of visitors are expected to arrive. Given the short-term influx of guests – many who are likely first-time visitors – how can your destination marketing organization (DMO) ensure they experience the best of your destination? Content or community managers can be proactive and create […]
Essential reading list: Word of mouth and the future of destination marketing
Are your destination’s visitors its best marketers? During his talk and panel discussion at the 2015 Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) Congress in Ottawa, Canada, Destination Think! CEO Rodney Payne described the future of destination marketing and the end-to-end customer experience for destinations. “The one thing that matters to your destination more than anything […]
The end-to-end customer experience for destinations
Destination marketing leaders have identified the major challenges they face in 2016, and the need for cohesive strategies that address them. As marketers respond to the shift to consumer engagement, evolving consumer behaviour and word of mouth, the need to measure marketing effectiveness and to lead stakeholders to improve the customer journey, it’s now more […]
The Destination Management and Marketing Model part 8: Conversation Starters
Does your destination or tourism business offer the kinds of things that actually get people talking? In this blog, we explain the value of conversation starters, or social objects, that help you ignite the stories that people will tell others.