DANA Weblog

“May you live in interesting times.”

Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Advertising, Dana News, Design, Hospitality News, Interactive, Media, Travel

This is supposedly an ancient Chinese curse. How appropriate a curse is this for all of us today?

As President of Dana Communications, a marketing communications firm that specializes in the travel and hospitality industries, I am in the unique position of getting to talk with lots and lots of key decision makers working in these industries.

Let me tell you. It is very interesting out there right now. Very interesting and very tough.

If you are watching revenues plunge in fourth quarter, you are not the Lone Ranger. If you are projecting decreasing revenues throughout 2009, join the club. If you are on your third round of budget cuts, you are not alone.

These are very interesting times, indeed. So interesting that a client and I were discussing how great it would be if we could go to sleep and wake up in two and a half years.

The mantra from agency people to clients during recessionary times is, “Don’t stop marketing. Don’t stop spending. In fact, this is a good time to gear up your efforts. You can increase market share and dramatically improve your awareness. There are fantastic deals out there in the media because the media needs business.”

This is all true. Yet, let’s face reality. When you are looking at significant deficits, at red numbers, it is not generally regarded as a good time to increase your marketing spend. In fact, given the choice between decreasing staff and decreasing marketing dollars, most people make the same choice and it is not to decrease staff.

However, the strong will survive and there are ways to act strongly in recessionary times.

Below are five ideas for how to best utilize your marketing dollars in a declining economy.

Trade: You have product that is not being utilized. The media has space or time that is not being sold. Trade. Give them what you have and they can give you what they have. For instance, in the hotel business, barter room nights for ad space.
Find Strategic Partners: Products of like brand value can really help each other. You can promote each other to each of your existing databases and through your websites. You can promote events together. You can share costs of advertising and promotions.
Increase business from existing customer base (e-broadcasting): The highest ROI of any marketing communications activity is emailing to your existing customer base.
PPC: The second highest ROI of any marketing communications activity is pay-per-click. And it is totally trackable through Google Analytics.
Social networking: Connecting with customers through the internet requires a tremendous time-of-staff commitment but a minimal cash commitment. “Word of mouse” is becoming one of the most important brand development and awareness creating vehicles available. You probably need to sharpen up your skills in this area anyway.

And we must remember the corollary to the above quote. It is an ancient Chinese proverb that goes,

“Heroes are made over turbulent times.”

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort: Just Do It.

Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Culinary, Dana News, Design, Travel, Uncategorized

Last month my girlfriend Kelley and I traveled to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort for an extended birthday weekend. With promises of endless golf and peppered steaks I couldn’t resist her advances to travel the almost 300 miles from our NY/NJ area home. The drive during the fall months is captivating. I have heard growing up that the Hudson Valley had the best foliage in the East. I must admit, having seen with my very own 20/20 eyes, the colors of Pennsylvania Route I-70 are a close second, almost leaf and leaf.

Nemacolin is owned by Joseph A. Hardy, III, founder of 84 Lumber. His vision for this resort is clearly defined by his understanding of family, fun, food and relaxation. Sculptures abound from inside the wooded hiking trails to the mountain tops of the golf courses. One in particular of Mr. Hardy himself with his hand to his forehead overlooking a valley is truly symbolic. His mantra, “Nothing is impossible”, is a true testament to what he has created.

: Falling Rock

When you arrive in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern PA, you are greeted by 3,000+ acres of sprawling mountain and amazing landscaping. There are 335 perfectly situated guest rooms and a AAA Five-Diamond boutique hotel on property named Falling Rock. Kelley and I traveled to the boutique hotel to check-in and refresh. One of the amenities that they provide upon check-in is a personal butler to attend to your needs while you are staying with them. Brian, our butler, was intellectual, informed, made wonderful suggestions concerning our dining inquiries and was an overall “good guy”

View of Room (for some reason we got two beds?)

The rooms are large with almost floor-to-ceiling views of Mystic Rock, their Pete Dye designed course. Several of the services the butler provides are covered under the cost of the room. Which is a relief to frequent travelers who know when an added service is really nothing of the sort. Upon request, the butler will draw your blinds each morning and run a bath full of soothing bubbles and candles, provide you an assortment of 8 different pillows each evening, provide complimentary beverages through-out the day, and retrieve the newspaper of your choice and deliver it each morning.

: Bath full of Bubbles!!!

After cleaning up, Miles Blundell (a PGA Professional and their National Sales Manager) gave us a tour of the entire property. Miles is younger fellow with dry wit and an understanding of meetings and events. His hospitality was unparalleled and hotel knowledge commendable. With that being said let me just cover the fun that is Nemacolin quickly with this…

- Woodlands Spa
- Mystic Rock / Pete Dye Course
- 18 Hole Links Course
- Shooting Academy
- Hummer Off-Road Driving Course
- Wildlife Academy
- Multi-million dollar art collection
- Cooking and wine classes each night
- A Zoo (Yes, they have lions, bears, mountain goats and even zebras.)
- An antique car collection and boat museum
- David Leadbetter Golf Academy

Now that Miles has shown us everything under the Nemacolin sun he offered us a round of golf. Knowing full well we weren’t of caliber to play the Mystic River course the following day; we mentioned we might be better off with a few lessons. He obliged with bravado by setting us up with Joe Neoparte (sorry if I botched your last name Joe!) of the David Leadbetter Golf Academy. Joe, a native of our area, (Westchester, NY to be exact) knew all about Winged Foot Country Club, our grandparents, and even our favorite place for martini’s on a Friday. After a few minutes of chit chat he tee’d us up and put us in front of the camera. While swinging our 7 irons he gave us minor tips on the fundamentals and then sat us down. By videotaping our swings he could put us on split screens mirrored to professionals to point out proper stance, angles and the finer points of completely missing the ball! By digitally comparing us it helped visualize what we looked like from the outside and make adjustments. Personally, I am aggressive and that was reflected in my swing. He broke me down and the stress left. All of a sudden I was almost swinging with ease. Following our lesson we played the back 9 of their Links course and the next day the front.

: 10th on Links

Breathtaking views and challenging holes. Joe, thank you for your time and the wonderful advice. We look forward to meeting up with you next time you travel home.

: The David Leadbetter Golf Academy

That night we drank at the Amber bar with Carolyn our drink specialist. On rare occasions, like my birthday, I am allowed to drink a few Makers Mark Manhattan’s. The three M’s always make me smile! Located just outside Aqueous, the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired restaurant, the Amber Lounge is a perfect start and finish to the night. Good people, entertaining conversation and mouth watering libations. Aqueous is considered an upscale steakhouse, but they have a wonderfully rounded menu. All items are locally raised and it shows in their rich delivery. I had a peppered porterhouse with blue cheese butter. Lautrec, located in the Chateau LaFayette, is Nemacolin’s pride and joy. The AAA Five Diamond for 2008 restaurant boasts table-side food presentations, custom champagne cart and an ingredient driven menu. The experience is one of a kind.

: The Amber Lounge from the lobby.

That Sunday we went to the “The Shooting Academy at Nemacalin Woodlands Resort”. After we got our rifles and 100 clays we proceeded to our golf cart to hit the range. Setting up on multi-leveled platforms with clays firing from left-to-right I took stance. Bob, a wonderfully entertaining old timer who resides just outside of Pittsburgh, taught us “non-shooters” a thing or two about gun safety and overall respect for the sport. After 50 clays (almost missing half) my shoulder and pride were sore. Kelley had hit more clays with her .20 than I had with my .12 gauge. It was memorable to say the least. Bringing a meeting to Nemacolin is a no brainer. There is something for everyone.

: 28/50

To conclude this entry I’d like to offer others in the New York / New Jersey area this advice—

Do not miss out on the beauty of Nemacolin. It may be 300 miles away but that’s alright. If it were in our backyard we wouldn’t appreciate it as much. Take the drive, use your driver on the Pete Dye course, drive a Hummer on the off-road course, drink a Manhattan if you’re from Manhattan and sit back and look around. It’s real, it’s outside of Pittsburgh and its paradise. Miles, Joe, Ian, Brian, Carolyn and Mr. Hardy thank you for the memories.

- Eric

Room with a view... of Mystic Rock.

*Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is NOT a client of Dana Interactive. Nor is this a paid advertisement.

:: 2008 Magellan Awards | 3 Golds & 1 Silver :: Whoohooo!!!!!

Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Dana News, Design, Hospitality News, Uncategorized

Travel Weekly has announced the winners of its 2008 Magellan Awards, which honor the best in travel, salute the professionals behind it all and comprise a broad range of industry segments. This year’s winning selections include four entries submitted by Dana Communications.

The Magellan Awards receive entries from travel organizations across the US and around the world. Submissions are judged and overseen by a panel of top travel professionals representing the best names and most accomplished leaders in the industry. This year, Dana Communications was honored for the following award-winning entries:

Capture Your Kiawah Moment, a Gold Award Winner in the Destinations–Advertising/Marketing Campaign category, was designed by Dana to market two distinct entities, Kiawah Island Golf Resort and Kiawah Island Real Estate, with the challenge of seamlessly promoting one destination.

Transformation Millennium, a Gold Award Winner in the Hotels and Resorts–Advertising/Marketing Campaign category, was created to promote awareness of the multi-million-dollar renovations underway at the Millennium Biltmore and Millennium Knickerbocker Hotels, with the message that Millennium Hotels and Resorts is improving and evolving its brand.

You’re a Pro, a Gold Award Winner in the Travel Agent/Agency–Advertising/Marketing Campaign category, was an integrated marketing campaign designed to make Travel Professionals aware of StarwoodPro and all it offers, plus promote the Starwood brands that are available at their fingertips at StarwoodPro.com.

WeLoveAgents.com Website, a Silver Award Winner in the Online Travel Services–Website category, was a product of Dana’s challenge to reinvent the existing website for Millennium’s travel agent rewards program, offering a contemporary look with personalized functionality that allows agents to keep track of their points and rewards.

Parenting Disney Style

Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Design, Interactive, Media, Uncategorized

First and foremost, I am NOT a parent. I am, however, an uncle to a seriously amped up niece. My brother and sister-in-law definitely have their hands full taking care of her and their newborn baby girl. When I came across an article written by Chris Crum about the newly launched (Wednesday 8/20/08) social networking site for parents I immediately thought of them.

For parents that work full-time and are trying to “do the right thing” having a network of other parents trying to do the same “right thing” can’t be a bad thing. This isn’t Myspace, Facebook, Hi5 or Swurl…its the Disney Family Network. Parents can find like minded parents with the same issues and try and iron them out together. I have given several presentations on the benefits of social media, social networking and the human machine we call the “internet” and I must say Disney has done it well. Niche social networks aren’t always the most effective, but I think that when you’re online at 2am trying to figure out why your having child issues and find another parent doing the same thing, you have struck social networking gold.

Check it out.

http://family.go.com/community/

Enjoy the Silence

Posted by Ray Shahriar | Filed under Advertising, Design, Interactive

I found this Mercedes banner campaign amusing and thought I would share. Talk about utilizing the space. It works, but I also think the artist got lazy, lol. Keep scrolling down to see the entire image.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies

Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Design, Travel

I sit here tonight in absolute amazement watching the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies. I’m trying hard to recall another Olympics where I was this impressed by the detail, precision and beauty of this event—it’s breathtaking! Im most impressed with the art and graphics involved. There is so much heritage, culture, vibrancy and technology. I could seriously go on and on and post a million photos, but I’d be here all night. Here are just a few:

Today is 08.08.08, the opening ceremony began at 8:00 p.m. here in America, and the number 8 is believed by the Chinese people as a lucky number. There were also 2008 performers on the main stage at any given time.

One of the most interesting pieces that I saw was a painting being created as the ceremony unfolded. I’m really upset that I cannot find a photo to share, but as soon as I do, I will post! There were giant ink pads in the center of the arena. After the countries paraded, they each walked over the ink pads onto a giant canvas, creating a trail of footprints that was slowly becoming a huge living piece of art.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the opening ceremonies, I would encourage you to check out some photos: The Boston Globe or Chicago Tribune.

Text an old friend in an unfamiliar city

Posted by Liz Jordan | Filed under Travel

If you’re visiting a new city and want to know where to get a cappuccino or when a film is playing, just text Google (466453) and type in your request and location (example: coffee shop 10118). You’ll get immediate messages back with listings. Another way to use Google!

Social Networking for Dummies

Posted by Stacy Tomlinson | Filed under Advertising, Interactive, Media

I am probably one of the last people to ask about Social Networking right now - I googled ‘Social Networking’ to read a bit more about it since I feel like I’m totally falling behind the trend and came upon this article letting me know that I’m actually half way there and don’t even know it!

This is some great added value to help us “social worms” turn into “Social Butterflies” ….

Social Butterfly; Work the social networking scene to get the most out of your online presence
Posted July 16, 2008

If you’ve jumped on the social networking bandwagon and are wondering “Is this all there is?” don’t give up just yet. It’s not so much about what you can get out of social networks today but what you can gain tomorrow—when they become personalized. If you’ve ignored the social networking trend up until now, consider this handy list your set of training wheels.

Read 10 blogs. Sign up for a Bloglines account and search for and subscribe to 10 blogs about social networking; you can return to your page on Bloglines to read all the new content. Of course, you can add blogs about your industry and interests here, too.

Comment on 10 blogs. Posting relevant comments on blogs you read is a simple form of social networking. It’s also a good way to get extra visitors to your site or blog.

Join Facebook. You’d be surprised at how many of your existing contacts have Facebook accounts. With its rich set of tools and large community of active users, Facebook is a great place to observe how people interact in social networks. Once you get your feet wet, you can use Facebook to connect with business contacts you don’t bump into often.

Create a MySpace page. This service is embraced primarily by musicians and the younger set, but it’s a great tool for learning how to build a presence outside of your website. It also happens to have a large underbelly contingent, so be warned.

Join LinkedIn. This service has been called “the Facebook for business.” It’s about meeting and connecting with like-minded businesspeople, and it’s great for making connections with people who may otherwise be out of reach.

Visit Ning. This is the largest custom social networking service that allows you to create your own community using a variety of tools branded to match your current site.

Create a Workbench profile. This tip is a little self-serving, as this is my new social business networking site, but it’s a good example of the next wave of personalized business communities for entrepreneurs.

Create a Twitter account. Twitter is pretty silly on the surface: It gives you up to 160 characters to tell your network what you’re doing right now. It feels like a giant waste of time, but a large and active community has formed around this kind of microblogging, and you should understand how people are using it.

Create a StumbledUpon profile. This social network is built around discovering and recommending sites you like. Active stumblers can send a lot of traffic your way. 10. Create a Digg account. Keep updated with what’s happening in the world of business and join other users by submitting content and voting on what you consider most important.

Also consider Flikr, Mixx and Squidoo as places to find and develop niche communities when you’re ready to really get out there. Think of Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace as your labs—get in there and experiment for the future. Then start planning your own personalized social business network.

—By John Jantsch, who is a veteran marketing coach, an award-winning blogger and the author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide.

TravelTube.com

Posted by Stacy Tomlinson | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Travel

I was just looking through Agent@Home and came up on this ad for TravelTube.com where you can post pictures, video and blog about your trips. This originated from TravelTribe.com - I found thought googling the title.

The categories they have listed are for airlines, hotels and resorts, car & rail, cruises, destinations, other and tours. You can get advice from other users on where to go, eat, sleep and what not for any type of vacation whether is it for leisure, with the kids or a nice get away. It looks like they have videos of industry professionals speaking as well.

Companies can also create their own marketing website through TravelTube.com with a URL that is customizable to their property; StarwoodTube.com, KimptonTube.com

Thought it was pretty cool, great form of social networking while also taking a BIG bite off YouTube.com.

The Corona Beach

Posted by Ray Shahriar | Filed under Design

I was navigating thru The FWA and stumbled upon this great site. If you’ve ever seen the tv commercials for Corona, then you will be familiar with theme of this site. It’s really well done with a bunch of hidden features to explore. So take a gander and enjoy.

« Older Entries

DANA Weblog

“May you live in interesting times.”

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort: Just Do It.

:: 2008 Magellan Awards | 3 Golds & 1 Silver :: Whoohooo!!!!!

Parenting Disney Style

Enjoy the Silence

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies

Text an old friend in an unfamiliar city

Social Networking for Dummies

TravelTube.com

The Corona Beach

Network With DANA

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