The Evolution of DMOs – A Marketer’s View

Jun 12, 2026 | Advertising, Blog, Tourism, Travel

In the years that we have been involved in destination marketing, three recurring themes have dominated the conversation at conferences and in industry circles. They will most likely be talked about for many years to come.

What’s in a name?


Over the past decade, there has been much discussion about the role of a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) within the community. The local tourism team — regardless of what they are called — should be involved in community building and product development conversations. These decisions greatly impact the visitor experience. Positive visitor experiences are an important first step to future economic activity. In some circles, people have begun wondering if a more accurate name for the associations should be Destination Management Organizations.

I’m not ready to make that leap. The reason undoubtedly stems from my career in marketing. I caution DMOs to never relegate their marketing function to any place other than priority number one. The “if you build it they will come” strategy only works in the movies. Potential visitors need to hear about the destination and need to be inspired to visit. Marketing efforts need to be creative and ongoing. Always.


Be authentic.


This term has been spoken at tourism conferences more than any other, with a close second being, “Hey bartender, pass me another beer.” DMOs are encouraged to use their authentic voice to communicate to the public. We’re told that people are eager to have authentic experiences when they arrive in market.

We agree wholeheartedly with the importance of being authentic. While it’s simple for an individual to be authentic, it’s not always as easy for a destination.

Pulling it off requires two things:


  • Strong branding that perfectly identifies and captures what is special about a destination. The research that should go into such branding will guide the tone used to speak for the brand and discover some of the authentic experiences that visitors will love.

  • Marketing staff (or agency) that is well trained in how to communicate for the brand and the discipline to stay on message. It’s a natural instinct for someone whose job is to attract as many visitors as possible, to want to appeal to every niche market. Adopting different language and tone for disparate niches like contemporary art and four-wheel trail riders can seem downright phony. It’s a fine line to navigate. It’s beyond comprehension that a destination striving to be authentic would use AI generated slop. It can be as harmful to the brand as trying to pass off stunning stock photos that were taken in a different state.

Sustainability


In this context, sustainability is not about energy-efficient, carbon-neutral hotels and attractions. It’s about preserving the quality of a visitor experience. Bar Harbor, Maine is a beautiful and charming seaside community. It becomes a living hell when a cruise ship docks and unleashes a couple of thousands tourists onto the sidewalks and into the cafes. It’s a temporary hell for Bar Harbor because the ship will depart in a few hours. It’s an existential problem for destination where tourists trodding over beaches or trails are causing erosion or killing flora and fauna.

While sustainability has reached critical mass in places like Venice and Barcelona, we think it will be an important topic in our corner of the southeast very soon.


Don’t just make noise, make an impression

May 18, 2026 | Advertising, Campaigns, Tourism, Travel

Between the covers of a regional magazine, known for its beautiful photography and layout, I found examples of tourism marketing that ranged from exceptional to awful. Because the destinations all chose to invest in space in the same magazine, don’t they all benefit from brand exposure to the same readership?

The answer is unequivocally, NO.

“Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they only remember the impression you make,” said legendary advertising guru, William Bernbach.

There were approximately 30 ads throughout the magazine for cities, town or counties, not including ads for festivals or specific attractions, like museums or historic sites. The ads varied in size from a quarter-page to full-page, all of which cost many thousands of dollars.

Among the destinations ads:
  • Ten started with either Visit [insert destination here] or simply their logo. Maybe there was body copy and a web address, but no hook. No concept. No compelling reason to visit, or even read the rest of the ad. 

  • Two ads for mountain destinations used similar headlines using the word “elevate.” They happened to be located on consecutive pages. Ouch. That’s a little embarrassing.

  • One used a three-word headline that was not exactly the dreaded and overused “Eat, Stay, Play,” but it was pretty darn close.

  • Almost all of the above mentioned ads — including the small ones — used multiple photos so tiny that it was barely possible to tell what they were. Yes, I even had my reading glasses on. These advertisers were most likely trying to mollify different constituencies in their community by trying to suggest that visitors will find arts, shopping, live music, outdoor recreation, coffee shops, and possibly even a dog park, sporting goods store and free parking. In the meantime, not a single one stood out or will be remembered by any magazine reader.

I regret to say this, but these destination marketing execs might as well have hiked to the highest point in their county and tossed hundred dollar bills into the breeze. At least then someone downwind might find the cash and put it to good use.

Tourism marketing is ultra competitive. Destinations need to provide consumers with a strong reason to consider visiting. That begins within understanding what your destination’s strengths are, having the resolve to consistently build your brand on those strengths, and then, most importantly, say it in a creative and powerful way.

Plan a Road Trip for National Travel & Tourism Week

May 7, 2026 | Blog, Tourism, Travel

Today, we offer a slight departure from the kind of content we usually share in this space. Our passion is building great brands and helping destinations market themselves with exactly the right combination of data and creativity. We write about these things because we believe they contribute to a destination’s ability to connect with potential visitors.

In honor of National Travel and Tourism Week, we want to tell you about some great places that we think you’ll enjoy visiting on a future road trip. Some, but not all, are our clients. We simply think they are worth visiting.


National Museum of the Marine Corps

You don’t need to be a Marine (or in my case, the son of a Marine) to stand in awe of this great museum. Plan to spend a few hours, because this facility tells a story that spans more than 250 years. Everything about this museum is top-notch, from the volunteers to the architecture. It’s located near Quantico, which is close to Washington D.C., but thankfully, outside the beltway so it is easy to reach.

National Museum of the Marine Corps


Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest
Most people know Monticello as the famous home of Thomas Jefferson. It’s an architectural masterpiece and a must-see for every American. The genius of Jefferson is on full display. The same can be said of the lesser known, but equally as stunning, retreat that Jefferson built in Bedford County. The building and grounds are impeccably maintained to help visitors imagine the founding father himself having a glass of wine on the porch watching the sun set on the Blue Ridge Mountains.


Virginia Air & Space Science Center

This under the radar (pardon the pun) gem is located in Hampton, Virginia. It houses an exceptional collection of artifacts from the space program, including the actual command module from Apollo 12. If you are a fan of aviation, space exploration or science in general, you can get totally immersed in the hands-on exhibits in this museum.

VA Air & Space Science Center
Jackson River Scenic Trail


Jackson River Scenic Trail

This mostly flat, multi-use trail connects Alleghany and Bath counties as it runs along an old railroad bed. Yes, I have biked the Creeper Trail and New River Trail State Park and like them both. While the JRST is not as long as either of those, the scenery is every bit as spectacular. There is ample parking and an excellent outfitter located at the southern trailhead that rents bikes, including e-bikes. Another selling point is that the same outfitter rents tubes, making it possible to spend part of the day biking the trail followed by some relaxation floating in a tube along the Jackson River — all from the same parking spot.

Separating Good Advice from Bad Advice

Apr 22, 2026 | Advertising, Blog, Branding, Campaigns, Print, Social Media, Tourism

With the proliferation of blogs, podcasts, and social media platforms, it’s easy for anyone to be a self-proclaimed expert on any subject and dole out advice. Sometimes, the advice is colossally bad. Imagine my dismay when I recently read some ill-informed counsel in an otherwise respected print media business publication.

A column about marketing discussed how brand building, ongoing SEO and other activities are considered the long game. That is true and these things are important to success.

The writer goes on to say that when more immediate results are desired, perhaps it is time to include advertising in the mix.

“A solid advertising plan can add immediate gratification goals,” according to the article.

What?

First of all, that is a terrible expectation to lay out for a client. Advertising does not provide immediate results, with the possible exception of a one-day only event or sale. It’s a time-honored truth that a potential customer needs to see advertising messages consistently and numerous times in order to move through the funnel from awareness to consideration and eventually to action.

Second, advertising should not be an afterthought or even an option. When executed with strategic thought, creativity and passion, advertising inspires people. It also moves the needle for brands to grow. The Dove “Real Beauty” campaign that launched in 2004 increased company revenue by 10% in the first year alone. Over the next decade, sales increased from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion. The tourism campaign for Pure Michigan had a far-reaching impact well beyond travel. It measurably changed public perception of the state, which spurred interest and future economic development.

Third, it’s all advertising. Advertising in 2026 encompasses much more than an ad in a magazine or a jingle on the radio. Make no mistake about it, communicating with prospective customers online, via social media, or paying to be at the top of a search result are all forms of advertising. Individuals may write blogs and host podcasts simply to share their opinions with the world, but when brands do it to shape attitudes about their products, it’s advertising.

Edwin Atrzt, former chairman of Procter & Gamble and member of the Advertising Hall of Fame said, “No company that markets products or services to the consumer can remain a leader in its field without a deep-seated commitment to advertising.”

Still valid today.

Creativity Propels Bedford County Success

Nov 25, 2024 | Advertising, Blog, Branding, Campaigns, Tourism, Travel, Uncategorized

Every time we have an initial discussion with a prospective client, we think to ourselves, “how much will we move the needle for them?” Not, “can we?” Or, “is it possible?”

Our expectation is that together, we will achieve some level of advertising or marketing success for the client. That confidence and optimism comes from knowing an undeniable truth — quality creative work inspires people to act and that brings results.

Compelling ads, strategically placed, can generate a lot of inquiries or web clicks. That is definitely an important first step toward success. Turning that response into customers and sustaining it over a long period requires a comprehensive approach. And, creative and consistent brand messaging at each touchpoint.

Here is a fantastic success story of how one brand is making massive strides:

In 2018, Bedford County, Virginia, knew that the tourism marketing world is highly competitive in the mid-Atlantic, and especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. They invested appropriately in research-backed branding, followed by a unique and professional advertising campaign. The goal of the ads was to steer traffic to the website, which had to be both stunning and inspiring. The website encouraged people to request a brochure, which also had to portray the beauty of the county. So, Bedford wisely invested in strong creative work that consistently communicated the brand and guided prospects from awareness to action.

Bedford Virginia Case Study samples

A balanced media strategy, which included print, online, out-of-home, social media, video pre-roll and broadcast, lead to impressive web stats. Page views are great, but that’s not the ultimate goal in destination marketing. Let’s look at some numbers that don’t lie.

The brand campaign and website launched in mid-2019, so the calendar year 2020 set the benchmark. A year later, website traffic doubled. The next year it grew by nearly 40%. Then another 40% in 2023. The site is on track for more growth as 2024 draws to a close.

Destination Bedford Va Website Traffic 2020-2024

Each year, the Virginia Tourism Corporation releases economic impact data for every county and independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The annual report includes direct visitor spending, resulting state and local tax collections, jobs supported by travel, and much more.

Here is a look at spending by visitors from the year before the brand launched through 2023:
Destination Bedford Va Visitor Spending 2019-2024

In 2023, direct visitor spending in Bedford County increased by 13.9% over the previous year, the highest rate in the Virginia Mountains Region, which averaged 7.7%, and outpacing the state’s overall growth of 9.8%. The 2023 Economic Impact Report takes a close look at spending compared to 2019, the year before the COVID pandemic. Travel and tourism spending in Bedford County surpassed pre-COVID levels by 23.8%, once again eclipsing the state overall average of 14.7%.

The report contains economic data for over 130 counties and independent cities in Virginia. Many of them draw more visitors and have more travel-related spending, but only a handful can match the year-over-year increases and the five year track record of growth. There are numerous reasons for Bedford County’s tourism growth. Surely, a high-performing marketing campaign — because of a strong brand and compelling creative work — is a vital contributing factor.

Reaching its Full Potential or Wasting Space

Sep 18, 2024 | Advertising, Branding, Print, Tourism, Travel

One of my favorite travel magazines arrived in the mail recently. I started to glance through it while I ate lunch. Because of what I do for a living, I enjoy looking at the ads more than most people. A few ads got my attention for different reasons. Note that I will mention the advertiser by name if I love the work and am offering a compliment. If I am using a specific ad for, let’s just say a teachable moment, I will describe it, but not mention the destination.

Today, I saw an ad in a campaign that I had never seen before. It was from the Tennessee state tourism office. For years, Tennessee has been focused on building their brand on music. After all, every region of the state has rich music heritage, from mountain music in the east to Memphis blues in the west and Music City itself, Nashville, in the center. The ad was stunning in its simplicity. It featured a concert photo of a performer on stage seeming to make a connection with a fan in the audience. The image had a Photoshop effect applied so it wasn’t just another concert photo. It was artistic, with a deep red hue. Definitely attention-getting. Then I saw the headline: “Bring your ears to their knees.” The unique look and clever messaging made this ad effective.

Just a few pages later, there was a full-page ad for another destination. This ad featured the destination logo at the top, followed by a grid of small photos. The photos were decent quality. It was not a terrible layout. Below the photos was a paragraph of copy that started with “Visit __…” I’d share more of what it said, but honestly, that is as far as I got. There was no clever concept to the ad. No brand building. Nothing about that page made me think this destination is worth visiting, or even reading to the end of the ad.

Most people would just turn the page and move on to an article or a better ad. Not me. It made me think. To be more accurate, it made me sad and a bit nostalgic. It reminded me of something many of us probably heard every time report cards were issued at school — “not living up to his potential.” To be fair, those nuns who taught at my school were tough and they expected a lot from every student. That ad simply was not living up to its potential, and, as a result, suggests that the destination is doing the same.

Conclusion: Creativity moves the needle. It always has and it always will. It’s an undeniable fact of modern marketing and advertising. Strong brands win. Great advertising in support of strong brands (yes, there is a difference between advertising and branding, which could be the subject of another post) is the difference between success and failure.

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