Blog
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...
Lessons from 25 Years – Rules for Advertising
After 25 years in business, sometimes I feel like the guy in the Farmers Insurance commercials who is never surprised by even the craziest of scenarios. "We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two," he proudly proclaims. In the coming...
2017 Resolutions for DMOs
A short list of New Year’s Resolutions for DMOs in 2017. Get maximum impact out of video. Consumers want to see video of your destination. Actually, they expect it. Video has the power to inspire more than any other medium. Moving images, music, people, laughter and...
2016: The Year in Review
I wouldn’t expect this post to take too long to write. After all, the year itself passed in the blink of an eye. Unless you watched a lot of election coverage, then it seemed interminable. The year started with our team being very busy with client work and ending the...
Our Tourism Clients are Seeing Increased Visitor Spending
This is the season when economic impact statistics for 2015 are being released. The report is out here in Virginia and apparently several other states. My Facebook and Twitter feeds and several industry e-newsletters I read are all filled with stories about how...
Random Thoughts – Tourism Conference, Awards, More
Random thoughts from a busy week of being on the road and attending a regional tourism conference. • The more time I spend in Alabama the more I like it. In addition to driving through much of the state, I have now spent time in Birmingham, Montgomery and Huntsville....
The Importance of Great Photography and How to Make it Even Better
A few days ago was World Photography Day, marking 177 years of the art and science of photography. The value of photography is of special importance to those of us in advertising. The chances of an ad capturing attention and then stirring up emotions are a thousand...
Lessons from being a tourist in a tourist-heavy city.
A few weeks ago I spent a long weekend being a tourist in Washington, DC. I had not been there in quite a few years and had forgotten what a wonderful city it is for tourists. Since I make my living in tourism marketing and branding I guess I'm not a typical...
RFP: It Should Stand for ‘Request for Partnership’
A Request for Proposal is an all-too-common mechanism for purchasing goods and services. When an organization is in need of something — from paperclips to highly-skilled problem-solving consultation — they issue an RFP and receive bids. RFPs almost always require...
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