One of the most common challenges from Destination Marketing Organization pros is that they have a hard time telling their destination's story. They know that their jobs are to tell visitors who they are and why a trip to their community is important and yet marketing people get tangled up in telling the story that's interesting.... Read More

Most DMOs spend their resources marketing externally. Afterall, the primary purpose of the DMO is to market the destiantion for tourism, the visitor. Consider this. Do the locals know about all the great content the destination marketing organization has built and put in place? From a robust calendar of events to itineraries, from booking software to websites optimized for mobile devices, from a... Read More

1. Share information - commuicate the news that youcan, so minds don't wander.
2. Say thanks - people want to feel appreciated. A simple Read More

A community brand reflects how others see your destination. The way you frame this perception is all about your branding. Ideally, the internal and external views are identical.

Let's see a show of hands of attractions that have come out of the ground with no real marketing plan. The best intentions went terribly wrong with the attitude of "if we build it, they will come." With the advent of marketing professionals placing the majority of advertising budgets on-line, everything's a game changer. And now suddenly, the audience everyone wants - Millennials - research is suggesting that this consumer wants to be left alone!

Columbus Ga is rebranding itself. After 15-years of a successful brand strategy, it's time. The market is changing. There's the Great Recession. There's been the War on Terror. And so many other factors that make it almost impossible to ignore the fact that today is very different from when our community launched its branding... Read More

As National Tourism Week winds down, I felt it was important talk about what makes mine and your hometown special. What makes us unique? Is it home to the longest urban whitewater course in the world? Is it our museums? Think about it. Columbus has two “national” museums – the National Infantry Museum, the... Read More

Ok. You've had your retreat, outlined the  mission, vision, values, goals, strategies, and metrics... now what? You write the plan. You take all of the information collected and you create the strategic plan or operating plan; what you're going to do. Ours is a "dynamic" document meaning it's constantly being update and revised as... Read More

Measure everything! Part of a successful strategic plan is determining the level of success and accomplishment. The plan should include deadlines, and key performance measures. In other words, precise aspects of the plan. These can be identified after the planning ends, but always, always need to be a part of the plan.

Does your game plan include a strategy? These are the programs and projects for achieving goals; those things that help accomplish the mission. Strategies should be realistic, yet innovative, in setting ways to advance the goals.