Blog
The Rise of Relevant Ads
Advertising has changed dramatically over the 25 years that I have been in the business — the tactics available to marketers, the amount of data behind every strategy, the media options, the blurring of lines between advertising and other forms of communication...
Rules for Destination Marketing Success
Albert Einstein once said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Of course, he only worked in theoretical physics not marketing. I wish that marketing, especially tourism marketing, were simple. But every destination is unique....
I ruffled some feathers at the VADMO Conference
Something happened at the VADMO Conference at The Omni Homestead in April. It has bothered me ever since, weighing heavily on my conscience. I’ve even lost sleep over it. The time has come to deal with it head-on. I think I offended the bird watching community. You...
How to know when a destination needs to rebrand?
One of the most common questions asked of me is “How do I know when it is time to rebrand?” I often say that if you already have enough doubt in your mind about existing brand strategy (or lack thereof) to ask the question then it’s probably time. Hopefully it doesn’t...
If I Had My Way – Travel & Tourism Edition
The hashtag #IfIHadMyWay was trending the other morning. As with every topic on Twitter, some comments were sweet, some were clever and quite a few were political. I chose not to comment at the time, especially with an opinion on politics because I've learned that...
What we need is technology to block lame ads
Google is considering an ad-blocking feature that will filter out specific ad formats that negatively affect the user experience. The types of ads include pop-ups, video ads that auto-play with sound and “prestitial” ads, which are the large ads that show up and cover...
An ADDY Awards Memory from our Art Director
Continuing our look back on favorite ADDY Award winners over the years, today we look at a campaign chosen by Art Director Heather Young.Abingdon, Virginia is located about two hours southwest of Roanoke, where our office is located and about 30 minutes from the...
ADDY Memories (First in a series)
It's ADDY season once again. Of course, I am referring to the American Advertising Federation Awards that are taking place in cities all across America at this time of year. If you are a regular reader of this blog or a friend of Mikula-Harris on Facebook (as you...
A Professional Bucket List
During our 25 years in business, we have achieved some pretty cool things. We've won more awards than I can count. They include local, regional and national awards. Many are from creative competitions while others are from industry-specific associations that judge...
Tactic For Advertising Small Destinations: Go Big or Go Home.
Earlier I was flipping through one of my favorite magazines, National Geographic Traveler. Near the back of every issue is a special section for advertising destinations or guided trips. The ads are formatted so they all look similar. Each advertiser gets a photo and...
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