Creating a brand promise and reaching out to new niche audiences with that promise is key to the growth of any business, including tourism.

Tourism advertising has changed with the times. Even though people still read magazines and news publications to “think” about where they might want to spend their hard-earned dollars, they do their actual booking and planning online.

Consumers today tune out TV commercials with their DVRs and TiVo’s, opting instead to listen to satellite or Pandora radio. Then they tune out those ads as well.

I’m not suggesting you completely abandon traditional ad venues. But maybe it’s time to reconsider the way you integrate digital and nontraditional advertising into your marketing strategy. Read full post...

For every 10,000 companies that claim they offer superior customer service, only 100 or so are actually delivering it.

Recently, while I was on hold with Comcast for more time than it would have taken to buy a new TV, I was reminded of the “old days” when you spoke with a person — a real person.

A new website, GetHuman.com, has become quite popular. On it, you can find tips on how to talk to real people, not recordings, shorten your wait time, and do live chats and get call-backs.

Back in the day when I was still at the Outlets doing marketing, we created campaigns to ensure the store personnel delivered exceptional customer service. We tried cash awards and recognition campaigns, and staged a good deal of “secret shopping.” Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.Read full post...

What happened to old-fashioned communication?

Remember “The Telephone Hour” from the early 1960s Broadway show and movie Bye Bye Birdie? The song depicted a teenager talking to a friend on the phone, then that friend talking to another, and so on. This was — and may still be for many Boomers — the quintessential method of communicating. One friend tells another a story, and then a third friend hears it from the second.

These days, many Boomers communicate via Facebook — its fastest-growing demographic is people over 45. I have embraced Facebook myself. I enjoy catching up with friends and family, seeing photos, learning what’s going on.Read full post...

Tourism and economic development

Tourism. It’s vital for many countries and many island nations. It’s also important for the economic development of the State of Delaware and its neighboring states. Millions of dollars are brought into these states through businesses that serve both tourists and locals, and thousands of jobs are created in service industries associated with tourism.

Whether it’s trips to nearby attractions (25% of the population of the United States is located within a four-hour drive of Delaware) or weekly visits to the lovely beach communities that line the eastern coast of New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula, tourism is key to this area’s economic development.Read full post...