Your destination’s reputation rises and falls based on the experiences people have and the stories they tell. But how do you know exactly what people are saying? Destination marketers often measure public perception through surveys that provide useful but limited data samples. It’s difficult to consistently track your tourism destination’s performance at scale and build […]
10 million conversations: This city uses sentiment analysis to hear what its people are really saying
As more travellers visit Calgary, Canada, its destination marketing organization (DMO) uses advanced new research to shape strategic planning. The city welcomed almost seven million people in 2017, which reflects a rise in leisure travellers. Meanwhile, what are Calgary’s visitors and residents saying about the city? Starting in 2016, Tourism Calgary began to find out […]
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 […]
Metrics mean relevance: Behold Door County’s data holy grail
Imagine being able to see exactly where your visitors come from, where they stay, and how much money they spend. Your marketing dollars don’t slip through your fingers, because your team can watch how effective their campaigns are on an interactive map. Better intel means that you feel more confident, make better decisions and have […]
Beware bad KPIs: Your DMO may not be reaching its full potential
It’s time to get specific about success. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) need to focus all of their efforts on goals that help them solve problems for their industry, residents and visitors. Then, they need to measure the right results. How else will they know whether their marketing is working? Too many destinations are focused on […]
Are you invested in the right business models?
Today’s destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are wrestling with their relevance. For some, it’s an existential crisis. Their stakeholders are changing, consumer behaviour is leading disruption, revenue streams are drying up and being replaced, and destination marketers find themselves redefining their role. Without a clear value proposition, demonstrating relevance is an impossible task. Finding relevance through […]
How to become a data-driven destination
Nothing makes the case for change more strongly than a reliable set of data applied to a problem. The digital age is awash with data, and today you and your marketing team can track every email opening, every booking and essentially every click your visitors give you. But all this data and insight won’t be […]
4 outdated destination marketing ideas that need to die
It’s time to bust some destination marketing myths. As consumer behaviour evolves, older models for promoting a destination are crumbling and it’s important to know why and what you can do about it. Is your destination ready? Here are four destination marketing ideas whose days are numbered: Idea 1: That there is a business case […]
Net Promoter Score: How destinations can gather insights to improve visitor experience and help operators succeed
Will visitors recommend your destination to their friends? If you’re not sure, it’s time to find out. Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a critical metric for today’s destinations, built upon one simple survey question: “Would you recommend this (destination, attraction, experience, etc.) to a relative or co-worker?” The resulting data can help destination marketing organizations […]
How your DMO can measure success in the new marketing world
Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) often need to measure what they can’t manage. A marketer’s typical job is to create demand for a product, but countless external factors affect visitation, making the effectiveness of destination marketing difficult to measure and communicate succinctly. At Simpleview Summit 2016, Destination Think!’s Chief Strategist & Partner William Bakker tackled this […]
Lead and measure change in your industry through benchmarking
More than ever, your destination marketing organization (DMO)’s success is tied to your industry’s ability to market well and deliver excellent experiences. In this time of transition, the old way of destination marketing is rapidly being replaced with a new environment that demands a completely new approach. The changes destination marketers must know about are […]
Two critical corporate metrics for any destination
Which metrics can best help a destination marketing organization (DMO) make good decisions and demonstrate its value? Without having the right corporate measuring tools, you as a DMO decision maker risk starting down a path that could negatively impact the future of your DMO, your funding, and your industry. Healthy strategies, objectives and priorities should […]