The secret to successful email marketing.

March 20, 2025

Filed under: Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Effective Communication — @ 11:17 am

If you ask marketers “what’s the secret to successful email marketing?,” you’re bound to get a slew of answers about mechanics: ideal number of CTAs, optimal distribution time, the best platforms, effective templates, the importance of content calendars, and more.

See that? They go right for PROCESS. They focus on HOW TO DO IT.

Mechanics matter for sure, but they are not the answer to that question.

Because the secret to successful email marketing isn’t about process. It’s about PURPOSE.

What purpose does your ongoing email communication serve in your audience’s lives and how is your email content making their lives better?

These seem like lofty, grandiose questions. And maybe you’re thinking they are TOO lofty for tourism marketing. Like… “We’re not curing cancer here or giving anyone financial retirement advice. The purpose of our emails is to sell tourism packages and get people to come to our destination.”

No… that’s YOUR purpose for sending the emails.

But what’s THEIR purpose for receiving them?

Why do your emails matter to your audience?

Busy, overworked marketers lose that perspective because – quite frankly – it’s easier to focus on one’s own goals. An email marketing program becomes a “thing that needs to be managed.” A tool to sell stuff and/or generate brand awareness. And just one more item on a massive to-do list of competing priorities.

This is what leads to a narrow focus on PROCESS. It becomes, “how can we get these emails out the door more efficiently and with the least amount of time involved?” Enter…spreadsheets, platforms, templates, and habitual processes.

But none of that stuff – however efficient it is – matters if you lose sight of the purpose your emails play in the lives of your recipients. You know why they matter to you. But your email campaigns will only be successful in the long run if you focus on why you matter to them.

In the world of hospitality, this is what’s known as “serving, not selling.” And if you focus on serving their needs, then in the end you will ultimately sell more.

Here’s how you do it:

GET A NORTH STAR

You need a North Star that guides the purpose of your email campaigns – from the recipient’s perspective – and forms the mutually understood basis of your email relationship with them.

For example, are you their…

One stop shop for deals and discounts?
Source of travel inspiration?
Resource for “how to” knowledge?
Source of laughter and entertainment?
Helpful trip planning tool?
Escape from the monotony of daily life?
Source of news for your area?

You could be any one or more of those things – or something else completely – but what’s critical is that you promise to serve a purpose for them, and then you deliver on that promise with every email.

It’s like a pact you enter into with recipients. And the better you uphold your end of the pact, the stronger your relationship with them gets. It fosters trust, forges a bond, and establishes a place for you in their lives.

Can you serve this purpose for them and also achieve whatever YOUR goals are for the email campaign? Absolutely. The magic of a successful email program comes when purpose is satisfied for both sides of the pact. And if you continue to put theirs first, yours will follow easily, whether that’s sales, brand awareness, or referrals.

Lacking this mutually understood purpose, your emails are just a disconnected series of transactional messages to recipients. Each email you send may or may not matter to them depending on how much time they have when it lands in their inbox, whether or not your subject line grabs them, or a host of other factors beyond your control.

But WITH that purpose, which you reinforce and uphold each and every time you send an email, YOU matter to them. You matter for who you are and the place you have in their lives…not because of any one specific piece of communication.

THEN, STICK TO THAT NORTH STAR

Now comes the hard part.

Once you define that North Star, you’ve got to stick to it. It is soooooo easy to lose your way, especially because focusing on the efficiency of the process is so seductive.

Choosing content that upholds the purpose you’ve promised your audience requires time and fortitude. It’s not always quick. It doesn’t always fit into the templates you’ve already got designed. It doesn’t always align with the things you want to promote. Hell, it may not even always provide an opportunity for recipients to “click,” which is the (often misguided) holy grail of email marketing.

But it’s worth it because it cultivates passionate champions for your brand. They are not fair-weather friends. They have a meaningful, engaged relationship with you.

So… every time you’re about to plan a content calendar or draft an email, stop first and ask yourself: does this communication serve the purpose that we promised to uphold? Force yourself to use that lens as you decide what to include and how to frame it.

Will this take more of your time? You bet. But an email relationship is a weighty, meaningful thing that deserves the investment.

Email is a channel you own, unlike social media platforms where you’re marketing on “rented space” owned by someone else. Just look at how the looming US TikTok ban is freaking out marketers and influencers, who are living in fear that their entire audience will disappear in a blink if TikTok goes away. You own your email list and control those relationships, so any investment of brainpower and energy here builds equity with staying power.

One parting thought. While “purpose” is definitely the secret to successful email marketing, having a kickass subject line can’t hurt. Because even those recipients who love you don’t want to be bored to tears by a lackluster teaser. Here’s how to grab their attention with clever subject lines.

Clever signage makes a lasting impression on your guests.

February 11, 2025

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Observations From the Field, This is Cool — @ 10:55 am

If you’re not having fun with your signage, you’re missing a huge opportunity to make a lasting impression on your guests. Why? Because clever signage is unexpected and therefore grabs attention.

I’m not talking about sidewalk chalkboards or temporary menu boards here. I’m talking about permanent signage that does its intended job…but with unexpected humor.

This transforms boring, necessary signage – restrooms, information, directions, rules, etc. – into a marketing tool. It’s an opportunity for you to share a joke, spark a smile, and quite possibly even inspire a social media share. And any brand can have this kind of fun, even a luxury brand. It’s all about being human and approachable.

Need a little inspiration? Here are several examples from around the world.

Seen in a New England church parking lot, this could say “No Parking,” but instead it says…

Seen at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, this could simply say “Ice Machine,” but instead it says…

Seen at Hot Dog Tommy’s in Cape May, NJ, this could say “10am to 6pm,” but instead it says…

Seen at Bennett’s Sandwich Shop in Kennebunk, ME, this could say “No Parking,” but instead it says…

Seen at the Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market in Nova Scotia, this could say “Lamb for Sale,” but instead it says…

Seen during the holidays at toll booths around NYC’s bridges and tunnels, this could say “Don’t Drink & Drive,” but instead it says…

Seen at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport, this could simply say “Pardon Our Construction,” but instead it says…

Seen at Miyahara, a sweet shop in Taichung City, Taiwan, this could just say “Ice Cream,” but in a nod to their building’s legendary origins as an ophthalmology clinic, instead it says…

And we haven’t even talked about BATHROOM signage, which is a prime opportunity to have fun. Check out these clever bathroom signs for a laugh.

The bottom line is this: why waste an opportunity to forge a positive connection with your guests when all it takes is a little thought, a dash of mischievousness, and a desire to make people smile?

Got some fun, permanent signage at your business? Send me a photo and I’ll squirrel it away for the next blog post about signage!

Locals play a key role in tourism marketing.

December 14, 2024

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Branding Strategies — @ 1:02 pm

(Warning: ridiculously adorable baby photo below. Be ready to smile.)

“Tourism marketing” usually implies promoting to audiences who live elsewhere, yet locals play a key role in tourism marketing too. In fact, they play a far more critical role than most tourism brands are willing to acknowledge:

They are influencers, who can either help promote you or help promote AGAINST you.
They are, inevitably, your go-to-market whenever tourism slows (off-season) or gets interrupted (recession, natural disaster, global pandemic, etc.).

So essentially…they can become your greatest ambassadors AND they can save your bacon when times are tough. Surely this makes them an audience worth consistently courting, right?

And yet, in my experience working with tourism brands, I find that locals are often viewed as an inconvenience, and an audience that needs to be “placated” not courted. Tourism brands frequently complain that locals:

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid they’re dishing out…locals feel they know the REAL you and they love calling you out when you try to promote only your “good side.”
Feel entitled ownership of the area and begrudge the entity’s (perceived) power.
Resent floods of tourists coming to the area and disrupting their normal activities.

But if you only care about them when “regular” tourism is down, can you blame them for not loving you? Locals don’t like being your Plan B. Who would?

Instead of treating them like a fair-weather friend, you should consider ways to treat them like a special audience. You want their support, their goodwill, and their vocal promotion in good times and in bad. How do you get it? You need to instill a sense of pride in them about YOU.

This is true for all types of tourism entities…destinations, hotels, attractions, even tour companies and cruise lines within both their home base and the markets in which they operate.

Give locals reasons to take pride in you. And be proud to be associated with you. And want to brag about you to others. Let THEM pour your Kool-Aid.

In some ways, this isn’t about treating them as a tourist whose wallet you’re looking to open. It’s about treating them as a part of your tourism family.

Tasmania, Australia’s island state, does an extraordinary job at this.

The Little Tasmanian program was not created by Tourism Tasmania, nor is it designed to be a tourism promotion program. And yet, that’s one of its hidden super powers.

Brand Tasmania created the program, in collaboration with government partners, to foster early childhood literacy and simultaneously inspire in young children 1) a sense of pride in being Tasmanian, and 2) a sense of confidence that they can succeed in anything they choose.

As part of the program, every newborn in Tasmania gets a library bag filled with Tasmanian branded goodies that are both useful and inspirational. Besides a library card voucher and helpful information for parents, the bag’s contents vary, containing things like a Little Tasmanian board book and playmat, as well as a onesie that proudly proclaims the newborn’s origins:

With this program, Tasmania is creating future tourism ambassadors in its kiddos and current tourism ambassadors in their parents. It’s instilling a sense of pride in the state and giving them positive reasons to share stories. Indeed, I discovered this program because someone shared a photo on LinkedIn of her newborn in his Tasmanian onesie and she was enthusiastic about the Little Tasmanian program.

And Tasmania isn’t alone in cultivating future ambassadors from birth. The Italian soccer team Atalanta gives a newborn-sized signature Atalanta shirt to all babies born in the team’s home town of Bergamo through a program called Progetto Neonati Atalantini (Atlanta Newborns Project).

Newborn gifts may not be a good fit for you or your budget, although I strongly encourage tourism destinations to consider it and look for government or other funding partners. Even for-profit tourism entities (like hotels) who may not have access to government funding can partner with clothing companies, authors, toy companies, bookstores, and more to make it happen.

But aside from newborn gifts, there are other ways to show locals that they are not just your Plan B, but rather they are a valued part of your tourism family. This is true whether you’re a tourism destination or a tourism operator within a destination.

This goes beyond just sponsoring the local little league team and supporting local charities. Show them that they matter to your business. Some ideas:

Lots of tourism entities offer loyalty programs to tourists. But do you have one for locals? You could put together a program with special benefits for locals…you could probably even charge for it if the ROI to them was significant enough.
Offer a special “locals only” drink (at a special price) at your bar. You could offer this every night or just one night or just weeknights or just at happy hours. Whatever works for you, as long as it’s a regular thing, and they have to show their license with a local address to be eligible. Or, they have to be a member of your locals loyalty program if you go that route. (If you’re in a big city, you can make this more of a neighborhood thing with a clear block perimeter.)
Give them a sneak peek of new things…renovations, products, menus, activities, offerings, and more. Experiencing it first makes them really FEEL like part of your tourism family.
If you have consistent annual slow seasons, create value offerings for locals they can count on each year so they plan for it. It doesn’t matter to them if the weather is crappy and a lot of local businesses are closed. I personally would take an “Escape Your Chores” vacation in a heartbeat at the right price. Someone else cleans my room and cooks my meals and I’m not sitting in my home looking at all the closets I keep meaning to clean out and the bookshelves I keep meaning to organize? Sign me up.
How about hosting a “thank you party” at the end of tourism season for the locals?
You could organize a regular “locals only” drawing for swag and other giveaways – hotel rooms, spa treatments, meals, golf rounds, ski passes, and more. If you’re a destination, you can get your local operators to contribute the giveaways…it’s a win-win.

You may say to yourself “why should I give locals discounts when they might pay full price if I didn’t?” That’s because you’re thinking with your REVENUE HAT on, not your MARKETING HAT.

You’re courting the locals, not for their money (though that will come) but for their ambassador potential. You want them telling their friends and family about you with pride. You want them to be an unofficial part of your tourism team, sharing good things about you on social media. And you want them to WANT to see you succeed in your tourism effort…because it is also THEIR tourism effort.

Then, the next time “regular tourism” dips for whatever reason, the locals will feel a sense of community in supporting you instead of resentment over being your Plan B.

And heads up: you definitely want to nip local resentment in the bud before it escalates, or else you may find that locals are banding together and proactively doing what they can to STOP tourists from coming.

For additional tourism marketing ideas:

How to inspire word-of-mouth in tourism marketing.

The use of experience guarantees in tourism marketing.

How to steal travel marketing ideas.

Here’s why marketing geeks rule.

October 18, 2024

Filed under: Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Website Strategies, Customer Service, Marketing Strategies, The Power of Persuasion, Observations From the Field, Media Relations, This is Cool, Social Media, Uncategorized — @ 2:07 pm

Effective, memorable, stand-out marketing always starts with a brilliant idea…and this is why marketing geeks rule in the idea department. Are you one? Your reaction to the three examples shared here will help you know.

First, let’s define “marketing geek,” which – in my world (tourism marketing) – is an affectionate compliment.

A marketing geek takes pleasure in the delivery of ANY successful marketing idea. It doesn’t have to be their own. It doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to be revolutionary. It just has to strike you in such a way that you instantly appreciate all the invisible efforts that brought such a thing to life. It’s like a master chef tasting someone else’s delicious dish and immediately appreciating the culinary choices and skill that went into creating it.

And just like that master chef will be curious and ask questions of the dish’s creator, so too does a marketing geek question things.

We see things “out in the wild” and we’re SO curious about why choices (good and bad) were made. Why that font? Why that timing? Why that name? How did they pull that off? Why the bloody hell did they approve that ridiculous idea that tanked their brand? How long did that take? How much did that cost? And especially…did the marketing folks mean to do that or was it a happy accident?

More than that… we learn from everything we see. Every example we encounter gets stored away – in the creativity pantry of our brains, if you will – and we draw from that pantry every time we need seasoning for a new creative idea.

Take this photo:

On October 8^th, 2024, Jessica Campbell made history by debuting as the first female full-time assistant coach in the National Hockey League.

If you looked at this photo from that historic game and applauded whoever it was that suggested she wear an all-white suit…you’re a marketing geek.

In every photo, Coach Campbell “pops” dramatically while surrounded by a sea of black-clad Seattle Kraken players. And dare we mention that all the other coaches are wearing very dark suits as well? Not even a “slightly less dark grey” among them? You’ll never convince me any of these choices were an accident on the night of her first game, when all cameras would be shining a spotlight on this milestone story.

What do marketing geeks take away from seeing such a photo? A memorable reminder that if you want your photo to tell a marketing story, you need to make sure the right thing “pops.”

Need some tips for that? Learn the secret to a great tourism photo.

Here’s another example.

Like everyone, I’ve been in probably thousands of public bathrooms in my lifetime…restaurants, hotels, stores, airports, rest stops, office buildings, medical centers, libraries, museums, and more.

I don’t remember a thing about the toilet paper in any of them, except that it was – without exception – plain white.

So naturally my attention was grabbed instantly when I saw this toilet paper in the bathroom of a hospital recently:

It wasn’t just that the brand name “Scott” was blatantly showcased on the toilet paper. There was also a graphic pattern on it. It was actually kinda pretty.

So now, in my endless sea of white toilet paper memories, I can honestly say that moving forward, I will forever remember that the toilet paper in the bathrooms of NYC’s Mount Sinai Hospital at 98^th & Madison is NOT just plain white. Kudos to the Scott Paper Company (who probably intended this reaction) and to Mount Sinai (who may not have).

What do marketing geeks take away from seeing something like this? A heightened awareness that things get attention when they are unexpected or highly unusual. And this is especially true when it’s for a mundane, everyday product or experience.

Plus, if my reaction is true to form for marketing geeks, then such an encounter immediately inspires the thought, “what could we do with this?” Because right away, I thought of all our hotel PR and marketing clients and how cool it would be if they had unique, pretty, Instagrammable toilet paper for guests.

(Pssst… worried about costs, hoteliers? So put this toilet paper only in special suites or use it only during certain themed weekends. There is always a way, and in this age of social media, the surprise and delight ROI is worth it.)

The View – Lugano in Switzerland gets the whole “cool toilet paper” thing.

And as a final example, a true marketing geek would take great joy out of an email like this landing in their inbox:

As a medical insurance carrier, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield likely has a lot of dry, seemingly boring, and it’s-for-your-own-good topics in their email content calendar. But that doesn’t mean they need to communicate them in a dry and boring way. I never thought I’d see myself smiling from an email about getting a flu shot, but smile I did. And I quietly gave their marketing team a mental high-five for it.

What do marketing geeks take away from seeing a subject line like this? Inspiration that ANY topic can have an interesting and attention-grabbing subject line if it’s approached the right way.

And come on, people… we’re in TOURISM. Surely if the medical insurance community can do this, we’ve got way more fun fodder in our arsenals to help us deliver on cool subject lines? See here for some tips.

The bottom line is that if you’re not already a marketing geek in this way, it’s not hard to become one…and your ideas will be better for it. Anyone can do it just by looking around, noticing things, and asking yourself “why” and “how” of everything you see. Eventually it becomes a habit and before you know it, you’ll be asking yourself “what could we do with this?” a dozen times a week. And this is why marketing geeks rule.

PS – I collect stellar marketing examples from all industries – not just tourism – to showcase here in this blog and in our newsletter, Tickled Red. So if you see any out in the wild that are worthy of applause by fellow marketers, send me a note/picture about it! I’m totally ready to geek out with you over it and may even use it in a future piece. Reach me at miranda@redpointmarketingpr.com.

What makes a good tourism marketing hook?

August 22, 2024

Filed under: Marketing Strategies — @ 5:54 pm

WARNING: jaw-dropping tourism photo below. Get your bucket list ready.

In the tourism world, a “marketing hook” can be as small as a signature cocktail, or as big as…well, anything. Indeed, the first travel company that offers a four-night-stay on the moon will have a HUGE marketing hook. But clearly, that size hook is not available to everyone.

However, you’re in luck. Size doesn’t matter. What matters is that you HAVE good hooks. And that you know how to develop more (and more and more and more) given whatever circumstances exist.

For the purposes of this article, there are two kinds of marketing hooks: permanent and temporary.

PERMANENT HOOKS

Permanent hooks are built into the DNA of the organization and essentially define who you are. They’re usually BIG, and they can’t change much (if at all) over time. You’re basically locked in to tapping this hook for eternity. If you’re a hotel perched on the rim of the Grand Canyon…that’s your permanent marketing hook. You might have other things to tout – great food, sustainability programs, etc. – but your big, overarching, dominant hook is your location. That can’t be changed.

TEMPORARY HOOKS

Temporary hooks, on the other hand, can ebb and flow as needed. And don’t let the word “temporary” fool you…these aren’t necessarily linked to a duration of time. Rather, temporary means that they COULD be changed at any time, even if they do seem tied to your DNA. You might be a tour company that specializes in off-the-beaten path tours for solo travelers. But you COULD start offering family tours to major cities. Your brand positioning would just need to shift to accommodate the change. Temporary hooks can also be things you start and stop, like programs, trend tie-ins, menu items, seasonal offerings, renovations, and more.

Which is better for marketing, permanent or temporary hooks? Neither, in fact. A permanent hook has the power of evergreen relevance but diminishing news value over time. In contrast, temporary hooks may not have evergreen relevance, but they give you the power of marketing flexibility. You can adapt and evolve your hooks over time and keep your news fresh.

If you don’t have a permanent hook – because let’s face it, we can’t all be a hotel perched on the rim of the Grand Canyon – you can still crush it at marketing with creative and useful temporary hooks.

But even if you DO have a permanent hook, you’ll still need to tap into temporary hooks over time to keep yourself in the spotlight and give folks new things to talk about.

Currently, my favorite example of a permanent marketing hook comes from the Ovo Patagonia. Here’s why:

A glass and steel capsule, where guests stay at the Ovo Patagonia. The egg shaped capsule is set on a vertical rock face with views of snow capped mountains in the distance. This is an excellent example of a permanent tourism marketing hook.

This entire property was designed for an extraordinary and completely unique guest experience, but the property itself is one seriously enviable marketing hook (and on MY bucket list). Guests stay in an “ovo,” a private glass and steel structure with three interior levels and jaw-dropping views of Argentine Patagonia. It’s a completely magical place and it warms my marketing heart that they didn’t skimp on photography.

Ovo Patagonia is new, opening in December 2024, and with a design and experience like this, they can go a long time without needing any temporary hooks to supplement their marketing. But at some point, they’ll likely need fresh news if they want to recapture the buzz spotlight. They could add new ovos to the rock face, bring on a famous Michelin starred chef (even just for a summer…or have a rotating calendar) to elevate the in-ovo dining experience, offer packages with extraordinary experiences “on the ground,” install ovos in other dramatic locales around the world, create a publicity and social media platform for their Chief Ovo Attendant (a title I just made up, because I’m a publicist at heart)… the list is endless.

Winvian, a resort destination in Connecticut, also has an iconic permanent marketing hook, but brilliantly, it comes with a built-in blank canvas for temporary marketing hooks. The property is comprised of 18 distinctly different cottages, each an architectural masterpiece…a treehouse, a helicopter, a greenhouse, etc. But each time they launch a new themed cottage, they can get a pop of news from that temporary marketing hook, which further strengthens the positioning of the permanent one. I bow before such a strategic marketing platform.

Permanent tourism marketing hooks are never accidental or fleeting. They are enmeshed in the entity’s very creation. If you ARE the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, that’s your hook. If you set out to create a hotel like Ovo Patagonia or Winvian, your entire existence is intertwined with the permanent marketing hook.

But if you don’t have things like that in your DNA, you’ve got to make your own. Here’s some temporary marketing hook inspo from the field.

Highlight Interesting Jobs

There are specialty concierges aplenty in the tourism world, and they aren’t all called concierges. This piece by Thrillist highlights unique positions around the world like Cactus Caretaker, Ski Goggles Butler, and even a Resort Aunty.

Create Unexpected Spaces

Take one look at these photos and you’ll know why Oregon’s Portland International Airport is getting so much buzz. No one expects a forest in their airport.

On a smaller scale, but just as pretty, the Sunflower House at Billings Farm & Museum in Vermont provides a temporary marketing hook each August. A maze with 20,000 sunflowers is just so photogenic.

Tap Into Trends

Got a cool grocery store near you? Grocery store tourism is a now thing, my friends. Create a package with a special guided tour.

And towel animals are back at cruise lines and resorts. And the bar has been raised, thanks to TikTok.

Create Partnerships

Lots of resorts offer bike rental. Few offer Moke rental, like the Four Seasons Miami. It’s super cool and matches their vibe perfectly.

Veuve Clicquot has been offering a pop-up Hotel Clicquot for several years in Australia. They take over a luxurious residence and temporarily turn it into a branded hotel for 10 guests. If you have a large house or cottage on your resort property, that’s an opportunity for a pop-up takeover partnership…if not with Veuve, then with another brand that speaks to your audience.

I could go on forever with ideas, but the point is, opportunities for temporary tourism marketing hooks are all around us, all the time. Are these things actually useful programs, real jobs, and necessary design initiatives? Sure. But marketing them makes people pay attention to you, and that allows you to be in the right place at the right time to match up with a potential guest or visitor.

The point is…be different, be clever, have some fun. This is tourism y’all. We’re supposed to entertain people. And you can’t do that if you’re boring.

Still want more inspo?

Hats off to these four ambitious marketing programs.

How to steal travel marketing ideas.

What inspires word-of-mouth in tourism marketing?

Hats off to these four ambitious marketing programs.

July 22, 2024

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Observations From the Field, This is Cool — @ 10:00 am

Ambitious marketing programs that succeed are the envy of marketers everywhere. This is especially true for marketers that face relentless internal roadblocks when trying to shepherd clever ideas to the goal line.

The most common roadblock? Execution logistics. Trying to bring BIG, BOLD ideas to life can be crippling for many companies, despite their dreams of being perceived as cool and clever.

And yet, some organizations DO manage it. This is why, when we see ambitious marketing programs thriving out in the wild, passionate marketers everywhere stand up and cheer.

These four had me cheering recently.

BARTER FOR A PIZZA? YES, PLEASE.

At NYC’s Unregular Pizza, the food is delicious enough to have expanded to four locations in just a few years (ahem, see photo above and tell me you’re not drooling). But that’s not what earned them a spot on this list.

Nestled into Unregular’s DNA is a barter program. Folks can propose to barter something in exchange for a pizza through the restaurant’s website. Barter applications are reviewed regularly and selected entrants are invited in to make the swap. Recent barters have included cartoon illustrations, rosemary sourdough bread, a rare 1929 Standing Liberty Quarter, a handmade bracelet, and an Irish-themed t-shirt, just to name a few.

It’s an utterly brilliant program, yielding social media gold, community engagement, and standout marketing power. Even better, it’s authentic to their brand: Unregular got its start in the owner’s home kitchen during the Covid-19 pandemic. He bartered his pizza creations with friends and neighbors as a way to bring some joy to the lockdown period, and when it transitioned into a “real” business, he kept the barter concept intact. Unregular, indeed.

MANGO-SCENTED NEWSPAPER? DELICIOUS.

Mango season is a thing, and in India the scent of fresh mangos is synonymous with summer. So when Indian quick commerce delivery platform Swiggy Instamart (similar to Instacart or DoorDash in the US) wanted to grab attention for their services, they leveraged that positive association in a BIG way:

They created front page newspaper ads that actually smelled like mangos.

With just 16 words of copy – and two of those the brand name itself – they leveraged two powerful senses to tickle the human desire for instant gratification. The glorious, juicy, and vibrant close up of peeled mangos, the seductive scent of the fruit, and the prominent key selling proposition “delivered in 10 minutes” all combined to make the ad beautifully done.

Was it expensive and complicated to put a scented ad on the front page of the Times of India, one of that country’s largest newspapers? For sure. But the payoff was worth it. People who’d overlook “normal” ads would be bound to sniff this one just out of curiosity. And they’d also be likely to share it with others (“here, smell this!”) because of the novelty. Hands down, a sweet success.

ODD JOBS IN TASMANIA? SIGN US UP.

The marketers of Tourism Tasmania are historically bold and sassy in their campaigns…like, they actually brand their winter as “The Off Season,” which gets an extra cheer from me. So it’s not terribly surprising to find them on this list for one reason or another. And this time, it’s for their Odd Jobs Program.

Yes, you can head to Tasmania to become a Wombat Walker and take this lil’ guy out for his daily fitness regimen. You can also become a Cave Conductor, Oyster Organizer, Paranormal Investigator, Puffer Nut, Sauna Stoker, Soaksmith, Star Seeker, Truffle Snuffler, or Wine Whisperer.

These 10 unusual experiences let people “swap their day job for an odd job,” which makes for enriching, memorable, and sometimes hilarious vacations. The campaign anchor was gathering submissions to award 10 lucky folks an all expenses paid trip to Tasmania to take part in their dream odd job, but the experiences are open to anyone who wants to make it part of their visit to the island, which gives the program marketing legs and staying power.

The landing page for the Odd Jobs campaign is just perfectly done – clean, clever, and provocative. And did anyone else notice that the collection of experiences just happens to highlight the diverse offerings of Tasmania…spa, culinary, wine, culture, landscape, nature, animals, agriculture, and more? <all the savvy marketers in the room raised their hands>

REWARD TOURISTS’ CLIMATE-FRIENDLY BEHAVIOR? SMART.

Copenhagen gets the brass ring here for ambitious marketing programs. 24 (so far) attractions in the city are participating in a trial tourism program called CopenPay. This program essentially gives tourists free stuff in exchange for helping clean up, protect, or maintain the city’s landscape, ecology, and/or environment.

Volunteer at an urban farm? Get a free lunch. Arrive by bike or public transportation to a restaurant? Get a free drink. Commit to collecting waste from the harbor? Get a free kayak rental. Bring some plastic waste to a museum? Turn it into a piece of art at a free workshop.

These and 20 other climate-friendly experiences are available to anyone, whether tourist or local.

The trial program of CopenPay is in full swing and runs for about a month, through August 11. This is super smart because they’ve built in a defined, expected pause to step back and evaluate what needs to be tweaked to make it logistically viable for the long term. And for a trial program, the landing page is really quite good. That bodes well for the success of the program, because if it proceeds to become an ongoing thing, I’m certain the marketing tools will only get better.

CopenPay is the kind of seemingly complex program that would normally die a painful death from execution logistics long before it got off the ground. But if you drill down to the actual elements themselves, it’s basically 24 attractions who’ve created offers that work for THEM within a general framework for a limited period of time…plus a landing page. The international media attention for this “little trial” has been stellar. And the best part? It could have been just as successful with only 10 experiences, and it will be equally fabulous when there are 50. It’s the concept—and the fact that they figured out how to bring it to life—that’s so magical.

All four of these ambitious marketing programs deserve our applause because they overcame what had to be a myriad of challenges to make it to the goal line. I wasn’t there for each concept’s ideation, but sweet lordy, I can hear the objections in my head…

What about insurance? Is that sanitary? Who’s going to read all the applications? It costs too much. Who’s going to manage it? What if we don’t get enough attractions to participate? How do we make sure all our partners who participate get equal ROI? Shouldn’t it be year round? Wouldn’t this be better as an app? We have no money to build an app. People will abuse this and take advantage. And on and on and on and on.

There is ALWAYS a way to bring a brilliant idea to life, no matter how complex it seems. Do it for a limited time, get a partner, start with one element and grow it over time, extend the runway, make it a contest…with the right attitude, there’s just always a way. Study the four examples here for inspo. There’s some serious cleverness to learn from within each program.

But for goodness sake, when you finally do shepherd an ambitious marketing program to the goal line, make sure you have damn good photos to promote it. Here are tips and more tips for that.

Related helpful advice:

The sweet spot between overthinking and under planning.

How to steal travel marketing ideas.

A brilliant tourism marketing case study.

How to sell your least desirable tourism product.

April 17, 2024

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, The Power of Persuasion, Branding Strategies — @ 5:11 pm

Nearly every hospitality business faces this challenge: how do you sell your least desirable tourism product? The smallest hotel room. The worst table in the restaurant. The windowless meeting room. Marketing folks NEVER put those in the spotlight for sale. In fact, they do their best to hide them.

But there’s untapped potential within those “flawed” products…and I don’t just mean by selling them at a discounted rate. With a little branding polish, they could become marketable AND generate more robust revenue streams.

The trick is…lean into the flaws. Don’t try to hide them. Make the flaws the sales hook.

That sound bonkers to you? It’s not, and here’s why.

WHO SELLS FLAWED PRODUCTS SUCCESSFULLY?

While the tourism industry isn’t fully adept at this yet – see below for tips – other industries are raking in the dough from selling their least desirable products. For example:

The diamond industry has “rebranded” flawed diamonds – those with a lot of inclusions, which are imperfections that look like chips, marks, and bubbles – as Salt & Pepper Diamonds. Instead of relegating flawed diamonds to the worthless pile, they virtually champion them. Marketing for these gems includes language like…

These captivating inclusion patterns resemble tiny salt and pepper specks scattered throughout the stone, ensuring that no two are alike and making your stone unique.
Salt and pepper diamonds symbolize the “wild child”…they’re fun and their flaws work to benefit the overall appearance of the gem.
Their quirky look helps couples match their unique love story with a similarly unique diamond, turning their “flaws” into their biggest asset.

In the handblown glass industry, uniformity can’t be guaranteed but there’s a certain standard of quality that must be maintained to make products “sellable.” Luxury brand Simon Pearce does a masterful job at marketing the glassware products that don’t *quite* meet that standard but are still perfectly usable products. Sold under the collection heading “Seconds,” the marketing for these products actually celebrates the flaws:

“Unique beauty lives in imperfection. Each Seconds piece captures a moment of the human hand at work, where unique conditions lead to slight variations and differences, preserved in glass… a thoughtful option for those who value character and an organic quality to their household objects.”

And of course, there’s the booming industry of imperfect foods – from produce to packaged goods and everything in between.

It’s a spectacular win-win that combats food waste. Indeed, there’s a wildly successful brand actually called Imperfect Foods (though they are not alone), and all of their products are considered “substandard” by the businesses that produce them because of:

Cosmetic imperfection
Contains leftover ends and pieces
Size or weight imperfection
“Ugly” produce – tastes as expected but looks deformed
Made with rescued or upcycled ingredients

And yet… there’s a market for them. And no one is trying to hide the flaws. In fact, the flaws ARE the sales hook.

HOW MIGHT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY DO IT?

Generally, the industry sells the least desirable tourism products in one of two ways:

Position it as a “value” item and charge less. This goes for everything from interior cabins on cruise ships to off-season time periods. The marketing focus here is on PRICE.
Provide misdirection by mitigating the perceived flaws with a special benefit. The clever folks in Nova Scotia do this by recasting winter as “lobster season.” They’re essentially saying sure, it’s freezing cold but this is when lobster is the freshest and most abundant… come up and eat!

Those two options require you to either give a discount OR create circumstances for misdirection.

But that third option – leaning into and marketing the flaws themselves – is underutilized and has great potential.

Consider these ideas:

Brand your “low season” and create excitement for what it is.

Vancouver Island promotes their Storm Season. This is not “come here during Storm Season and we’ve got a lot to keep you busy.” This is, “come here to experience the storms.” THAT is a perfect example of leaning into perceived flaws to sell your least desirable tourism product. Suddenly it’s not so undesirable because there’s a hook. You may not have awe-inspiring Pacific Coast storms at your location, so you’ll have to figure something else out. What can you highlight during your low season so you can make some noise about it? Is it Quiet Season, Astronomy Season, Windy Season, Unpredictable Season…hell, even Frostbite Season could have appeal if positioned properly.

Brand your smallest rooms as “Cozy Rooms” or “Tiny Rooms.”

Deliberately PUSH the fact that they’re small. Yes, they can be priced lower than rooms with larger square footage but by branding them, you’re making them more desirable. And you’re also managing expectations up front. You might say that these rooms are a more intimate size, perfect for snuggling up tight with your partner or kiddos. Also, could there be some kind of special perk for folks who book these rooms…one that allows you to sell it at a higher rate? Does the Cozy Room come with a Cozy Blanket to take home? Are the walls of the Tiny Room decorated with dozens of tiny paintings? Do guests of these rooms get a complimentary appetizer or dessert in your restaurant? The possibilities are endless.

Brand your noisiest rooms as “Night Owl Rooms.”

That room near the service elevator, or the one directly over the ballroom or bar area? You know… the one you get the most noise complaints about? How about you call it what it is and promote it as a room for folks who don’t like to go to bed early? This also manages guest expectations and will preempt many complaints. You might also offer a perk here to be able to charge a higher rate – complimentary movies/streaming after 11pm, minibar credit, special late night snack basket.

Brand your worst restaurant table as “The Family Table.”

Or call it whatever name you want – like if your restaurant name is Tom’s Bistro, call it “Tom’s Table” or “The Bistro Table.” The point is position it so that anyone who sits there is like part of the family. This is usually the table right near the kitchen doors and so lacks ambiance… but what if instead, you lean into how it’s closest to the action? Maybe guests at this table get a “whim of the chef” appetizer or amuse bouche that’s not served to the rest of the tables. Maybe someone from the kitchen comes out to chat with them for a few minutes. Like the kind of thing that would happen if the guest really WAS family. And suddenly…presto, you’ve got a marketing hook and you might even generate a waiting list for that table.

Brand your hard-to-find, windowless meeting room as “The Seclusion Room.”

There’s something mischievous about the idea of positioning such a room as a place where secrets can be discussed safely. A place where you won’t be disturbed or distracted. A place where groups can be sequestered for deep thinking, creative brainstorming, and concentrated strategic planning. You can have a little fun with this – playful do-not-disturb signs for the door, have special complimentary amenities available for this room (doodle paper and crayons anyone?), and offer upsells in keeping with the theme like a Seclusion Station with snacks/drinks that makes the meeting self-sufficient. It’s important to note that ANY meeting can book the Seclusion Room – they don’t need to be discussing secrets – but the branding has given the room a personality, and now it seems more desirable.

Got a challenge you don’t see here and want an idea? Drop me a line and I’m sure I’ll think of something. 😉

Most importantly, if you’re going to take an approach like these to sell your least desirable tourism product, you really need to lean into it fully. That means:

Promoting it on your website with the right language, images, and/or videos.
Describing it with the right positioning in your sales collateral.
Ensuring your guest services or sales staff is aware of the positioning and has the right words to sell it.

Need more tips like this? Here’s how to promote your brand’s weaknesses strategically.

How to steal travel marketing ideas.

March 22, 2024

Filed under: Marketing Strategies — @ 11:51 am

Contrary to the legendary commandment “thou shalt not steal,” it’s actually OK to steal travel marketing ideas. More than that… it’s necessary. And if you use the proper etiquette (four tips are shared below), no one will mind.

Why is it necessary to steal travel marketing ideas? Because of this one-two punch:

In tourism, we’re all selling the same sorts of things: summer vacations, oceanfront accommodations, culinary experiences, romantic getaways, learning opportunities, and so on. A tourism brand needs a constant influx of new ideas to set itself apart from its competitors.
And yet…COMPLETELY new ideas are rare. Sure, someday the first tour to Mars will be new (until it’s not). But 99.9% of the time, what you think is a “new idea” is just a variation on what already exists elsewhere. Like…oh you offer swimming with the pigs on your beach? Well, (here) you can swim with stingrays, and (here) you can swim with manatees, and (there) you can swim with dolphins. They are all variations on “swimming with the (creature).”

A painted image of the French writer and philosopher Voltaire alongside his famous quote "originality is nothing but judicious imitation."

It is literally impossible for a marketer to continually churn out completely new ideas. Frankly, a marketer would be lucky to put forth even ONE completely new idea in their lifetime.

Enter… stealing.

If the word “stealing” makes you feel icky, think of it as seeking inspiration. You’re simply taking an existing idea and adapting it to fit your own brand.

But let’s be clear here. I don’t mean innocent coincidences. I’m talking about doing this DELIBERATELY. Regularly. As part of your idea development strategy.

So even if you’re not ok with the word “stealing,” you might have to get comfy with “aggressively seeking inspiration.” Because this is a proactive effort that’s 100% necessary if you want to keep your tourism marketing – and offerings – fresh.

However, there’s a proper way to steal travel marketing ideas. You can’t just mimic EXACTLY what a competitor offers – same name, elements, pricing, timing, etc. – because that truly would be “stealing” and is just not cool.

These four tips will keep your stealing respectful:

#1 – TAILOR IT

Take a competitor’s existing idea and make it exclusively yours. Examples:

Their hotel is offering a family package that includes extra pillows and linens in the room each night to build pillow forts, with a social media contest for the best fort.

YOU think about the idea of kids creating forts and look at the huge courtyard space that your rooms overlook… and see a space for a bunch of small tents. And the idea of “Hotel Camping for Families Weekend” is born. Hire an overnight security guard to keep watch on the tents. Kids get the tents. Parents get the room. You can offer walkie talkies to families whose kids don’t have phones but want to keep in touch (or who just love the novelty of walkies). Build a campfire. Make s’mores. Play games. <charge a fortune, they’ll pay>

Or… their restaurant has a “Wine Down Wednesdays” special with a half-priced second bottle…so you – with your legendary and creative cocktail menu – offer “Tipple Tuesdays” with a half-priced second cocktail. First it was “theirs.” You made it “yours.”

#2 – FIND IT

Research brands just like yours but located in areas well outside of your geographic radius.

This actually *might* be the only scenario where it’s possible for you to completely mimic an idea. Like, does a small Maine inn really compete for business with a small Tasmanian inn? Not likely. Neither of you are trying to make international headlines with your offerings, so the exact same thing can coexist without conflict in two disparate locations.

Get in the habit of studying what brands like yours are offering in other areas. This works for lodging, attractions, restaurants, tour companies, destinations, associations, and more. It helps if you find a place that’s similar to yours – forest, desert, mountain, ocean, etc. – but it’s not necessary. A tour operator in a desert location may have a clever romance tour that could translate equally as well to a mountain location. Inspiration can come from anywhere.

#3 – EVOLVE IT

Use the magic question, “what could we do with this?”

Like a second cousin to “Tailor It,” this entails taking something someone else is doing to the next level. This evolution could be simple, like their restaurant offers a Pasta Lovers Night… and your restaurant evolves that into “Free Pasta Week,” where diners get a complimentary pasta appetizer with a purchase of (whatever).

Or, the evolution could be elaborate and daring. Like the time we suggested that Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks offer a fine dining “Breakfast in the Sky” gourmet experience on their Ferris wheel. Plenty of amusement parks were offering breakfast. We took theirs next level (literally).

Or, plenty of restaurants and catering venues offer an oceanfront dining opportunity. But in Nova Scotia, there’s a caterer that offers dining on the ocean floor. That level of evolution would be hard to beat… <checks notes, finds Dinner in the Sky>…or maybe not.

#4 – SHIFT IT

A competitor is doing something for THIS. You do it for THAT.

They have their chef give a weekly presentation to guests with cooking tips… you have your gardener give one on flower arranging.

They have a resident dog at their hotel, you have a resident dog on your cruise ship.

This is super helpful in the tourism industry because trends – especially media trends – tend to catch on like wildfire. When everyone and their grandma in the tourism industry were first crowning specialty “concierges” in their organization – Romance Concierges were a dime a dozen – we created the Sleep Concierge at the Benjamin Hotel in NYC. Concierges weren’t new, but this was a new type of concierge… and one that touched a pain point lamented by humans everywhere: how to get a good night’s sleep when you’re on the road.

Westin had previously debuted their Heavenly Bed, but the Sleep Concierge – and corresponding Sleep Program – at the Benjamin eclipsed that by a mile in editorial coverage (here’s one of the many New York Times stories about it over the years). That’s because it was an idea that was Tailored, Evolved, AND Shifted. A trifecta of idea stealing, if you will.

The point is, if you’re going to steal travel marketing ideas, don’t be a jerk about it with a blatant rip off. Be creative, use these four tips, and make the ideas your own.

Need more inspiration?

How to Develop Creative Tourism Marketing & PR Ideas

How to Create PR-Worthy Tourism Packages

One Small Question Can Lead to Big Ideas

Do you sabotage your own marketing?

February 22, 2024

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Spending Budgets Wisely — @ 4:25 pm

You may be the best marketer on the planet and still inadvertently sabotage your own marketing.

How?

By being a marketing contradictionist.

Yes, that’s a word we just made up – a marketer’s prerogative, duh – but the meaning is pretty clear. It’s a person who acts in ways that go counter to their stated goals.

Tourism marketers do this often. Sometimes, they’re aware it’s happening but just can’t manage to tame the external forces causing it. But other times, they’re just not aware of their behavior or how it’s obstructing success.

So, the first step is awareness, y’all. Here are five common contradictory behaviors we often see in tourism marketers.

1) BUDGET NONSENSE

What do we mean by “nonsense?” When budgets don’t support the ACTUAL goals and objectives of the marketing plan. Some indicators here:

Budgets spent habitually despite goal evolution. For example, if we hear one more tourism brand say they want to grow their off-season…and then continue to spend the majority of their budget supporting high season…we’re going to scream.

Budgets that are spread too thin. Throwing a little piece of money at an initiative or marketing channel, without enough for it to make an impact, is a waste. Choose fewer things and do them justice.

Budget numbers are carried over from year to year with no particular allegiance to each year’s specific goals. The goals just get shoehorned in to fit the budget. Even if your total budget can’t change annually, you can always redeploy the line items to better support the goals.

Budgets with no contingency cushion. Worthy opportunities will pop up, so prevent “decision agony” by having funds available to take advantage of them.

2) FORMULAIC LOVE-HATE

This is applicable to recurring events and programs. I’ve seen countless marketers do the same…exact…thing every year, every season. It’s so easy to just follow a pre-scripted checklist for an event or package/program and then cross that baby off your list with relief.

But for recurring events and programs to grow – and increase ROI – they need to evolve. A new hook, new element, new name, new ANYTHING. Doing the same-old-same-old each time desensitizes your audience. And come on, marketers…we all KNOW THAT.

Hence the love-hate. We love formulas because they tend to make our jobs easier (oh so much easier when we don’t have to think!), but we hate them because we know they tend to sabotage our marketing success.

3) INITIATIVE PETTING

Second cousin to Budget Nonsense (because lack of money is often a contributing cause), “Initiative Petting” is when a marketer knows the value of a particular initiative but doesn’t devote the time/money to do it thoroughly. We call this “petting” because it’s like giving a dog a quick pat on the head distractedly while focusing on other things. Some common examples here:

Wanting to make a splash with standout PR, but watering down every package and program idea so they’re operationally easy but super duper boring.

Saying you’ve got to beef up your email game…but still writing drafts at the last minute to “just get it out the door,” ignoring previous engagement metrics when planning new content, and not doing any (or enough) lead generation to cultivate your list.

Treating your website like an online brochure (create it once, then let it sit until it gets stale and needs an overhaul) instead of a living, breathing resource that stays fresh.

4) IDEA ENVY

This one’s a snap to explain.

This is seeing cool things your competitors are doing – say, through their press coverage and social channels – and wanting to do equally cool things too. But then continuing to resist doing what it takes – operationally, financially, whatever – to make it happen.

It’s completely fine if you shoot for equally cool things but then realize that for whatever reason, you can’t do it. Budgets, labor, operational feasibility…they all may conspire to block your goal.

But then you have a choice to make: let go of your envy or remove the obstacles. That’s it, those are your two options.

Marketing contradictionist behavior is when you do NOT remove the obstacles but still push ahead unreasonably because you really really want it. In the end, it’s just a waste of time and money… and I’ve seen this happen too many times to count.

5) HURRY UP AND WAIT

We’ve all seen it. Heck, we’ve all DONE it. Push to get creative, copy, press releases, plans, or whatever done ASAP…only to then have them then sit in a pile for an eternity before being finalized and deployed.

Yes, we know there’s a deadline. Yes, we know other people may have moved mountains to deliver those things to us quickly. And yet, we let those items languish.

This kind of behavior isn’t usually malicious, but it can definitely sabotage your marketing. Why? Because it usually causes some kind of last-minute scrambling. And as we all know, last-minute scrambling rarely produces a successful ROI.

* * *

Listen, we’re not perfect at Redpoint. And heaven knows we’ve engaged in marketing contradictionist behavior ourselves on occasion.

But the point is awareness.

If you’re aware that your behavior is contradicting your goals, you can choose whether or not to do something about it. And that can help ensure you don’t inadvertently sabotage your own marketing.

Get more tips here with Five Ways Tourism Marketers Often Fool Themselves.

How to leverage a travel trend.

November 14, 2023

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Spending Budgets Wisely — @ 10:06 am

They’re everywhere you look as year-end approaches…but how do you really leverage a travel trend? Forecasted trends are great for media clickbait, but it’s not always so clear how to turn them into opportunities for your business.

Take the latest 2024 travel trend report from metasearch engine Skyscanner, which the hertelier website does a fabulous job of summarizing here. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, I’ll spare you the click with these highlights. The seven trends Skyscanner forecasts for next year are:

Gig Tripping – traveling to see a concert/show
Main Character Energy – traveling to a destination you’ve seen in a TV show or film
Budget Bougie Foodies – traveling to a destination for a specific restaurant or food experience, but not necessarily a super expensive one
Destination ZZZZ – sleep retreats and sleep tourism
Analog Adventures – disconnect from devices and “switch off”
Celebration Vacationers – travel to mark an occasion like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
Luxe-for-Less – self explanatory

That’s all good and well…but what do you DO with that information? How can you tap into trends like these to grow your guest base and increase your revenue?

Here’s how. When thinking about pursuing a trend, ask yourself these four questions. If the answer to any of them is “no,” then you should probably take a pass.

1) Is this a legit trend?

Not all trend reports are grounded in worthy statistics, so dig a little deeper than headlines and summaries to assess what’s credible and what’s media hype. For example, the Skyscanner report says that the number of people searching online for sleep retreats (and asking what they are) “has increased.” That’s great, but…increased from what? From four people to 10 people?

There is indeed compelling evidence out there that people are becoming more aware of sleeping better and how lack of quality sleep impacts their health. But does that mean they’re willing to spend TRAVEL dollars to find solutions? It’s not a straight line. It might be generally true that more people are considering things like sleep retreats, but that doesn’t mean you can just offer a – for example – “Sleep Better Package” and see your sales skyrocket. The market may not be big enough and you may not be specialized enough to cater to those few who seek it. Also, if you’re going to offer a package like that, you’ll need a better name.

2) Does this trend have staying power? ***

Sometimes, trends are fleeting. And by the time you gear up for leveraging them, they’ve already peaked and gone. So before you go heavily investing time and money into developing programs/packages that lean into that trend, assess how long it will remain “a thing.” Some trends are really evergreen, like in the Skyscanner case: Celebration Vacationers and Luxe-for Less travelers will ALWAYS be around…even Budget Bougie Foodies, though they may not always go by that name. You could tap those trends whenever you want.

But if a popular TV series or film has a connection to your destination? You may only have a short window to capitalize on the Main Character Energy trend. Once the show isn’t splashed across headlines anymore, it’s likely a less appealing time for you to launch an offering tied to it. Not every show/movie hits evergreen fanatic status, the way (for example) the Lord of the Rings movies will perpetually inspire travel to New Zealand. More often, you’ll need to be nimble and quick to harness that trend’s power for your benefit. Get tips on how to maximize your timing here.

3) Can you authentically deliver what those trend seekers want?

You may want to leverage a travel trend, but does the trend naturally align with what you offer or do you need to work hard in order for it to “fit?” If you’re a rural/remote destination or a hotel in a rural/remote destination, you’re a natural for leaning into the Analog Adventures trend. But if you’re located in a big city? You might be tempted to offer some kind of package where the guest locks their phone in a box at the front desk and enjoys a weekend at your property doing “digital detox.” That’s cute, but if someone REALLY wants a digital detox, are they traveling to a big city to get it? Not likely. Then you end up putting stress on your ops team for very little return.

If the trend isn’t an authentic match for what you offer, you’re just going to work twice as hard to create programming for dismal results.

4) Can you make it easy for such trend seekers to find and purchase your offerings?

If you don’t have an easily updatable, searchable, findable, and bookable website, then even if you have the best offer that aligns with a trend, it’s likely no one will see it/book it. And if you’re not doing proactive digital marketing using keywords that such trend seekers are likely to be using, you won’t even be able to lure them to you.

For example, if you REALLY decide you want to launch a Sleep Retreat package like referenced in #1 above, you’ll need to invest some marketing dollars in – say – Google Adwords to find that limited slice of people who are searching for it. So here’s where you need to evaluate ROI: if I need to invest in making this work operationally AND put marketing dollars behind it, is there enough of a credible market who would find my offerings to be a good match for this trend? It’s amazing how often that simple question can stop you from going down an unprofitable path.

Besides marketing through your own direct channels, digital marketing and social media have made this sort of targeting much more accessible for all kinds of trends. You may not have Taylor Swift coming to your area, but plenty of people travel to see their favorite bands. If there’s a venue near you, even if you’re not listed on their website as a local hotel option, you can still do marketing around popular bands who are coming to the area.

*** Before this piece wraps up, there’s ONE exception to the “does this trend have staying power” rule.

If the trend is NOT likely to have staying power, BUT it’s got enough of a shelf life for you to create and promote something relevant, then you absolutely should consider it. Here you might be seeking promotional value, even if you’re not seeking bookings.

And this isn’t just the case with projected annual travel trends…this is the case for ALL trends that pop up and can be leveraged in the travel industry. You just have to jump on them quickly and catch the fleeting wave before it disappears.

For example, remember the dude who drank a half-gallon of Ocean Spray cranberry juice while skateboarding down a highway to the sounds of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams? If, that week when the TikTok video was a viral sensation, a hotel offered a “Dreams” package that included a skateboard, a half-gallon of Ocean Spray cranberry juice, and a $2 statement credit for a song download on iTunes… THAT would have gotten a ton of media coverage. Would people have booked it? Who knows? But it would be pretty operationally easy for the hotel to create and “sell” immediately.

Or, if Cape Cod – a destination famous for its cranberries – were to immediately create a list on its website of the 10 Best Places to Skateboard on Cape Cod…that too is operationally easy and would likely garner press.

But if that hotel or Cape Cod were to offer those things even a month after all the hoopla passed? Yawn.

So, if you want to try to leverage a wildly popular trend that doesn’t have staying power – even if it’s not a travel trend – then just be sure you can get your offer out before the buzz dies down.