Archive for the ‘Hospitality News’ Category
Now Premiering on Broadway!
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Dana News, Hospitality News, Interactive, Media, Uncategorized
From the Golden Gate Bridge to the sweet Carolinas, Dana is all over the map—and we’ve just moved our NY office to its new home in Times Square! We’re now boasting a brand-new address among the bright lights of Broadway.
To Contact our New York Office, call Jared Zech at 646.666.7016, or jzech@danacommunications.com.
Mark Zuckerberg: Announcement on FB Updates. Social Plug-In’s | “Like” it.
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Social Media, Technology
Dana Communications Joins SoDA!
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Dana News, Hospitality News, Interactive, Social Media, Technology
The Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA) serves as a worldwide voice of digital marketing professionals with a mission to advance the profession through best practices, education, and advocacy.
Dana’s Director of Interactive Services, Eric Welsh, says of SoDA— “This is Dana doing what Dana does best. Staying informed while developing relationships. Our goal interactively has always been focused on trends, participation and delivery to our clients. Our business cards say on the back, ‘knowledge. ideas. relationships’ and we really do practice that.”
Visit Society of Digital Agencies
AdAge Digital 2010 | 6 Foundations of Great Digital Creative
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Interactive, Technology, Tips and Trends Series
Magazines Come Alive
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Interactive, Media, Technology, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
I recently sat down with a relaxing cup of hot tea and opened up the March 2010 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. I was a few pages in when my eyes stumbled across a 2-D barcode. Hmm. Then I read this intriguing line: “Our March issue comes alive on your smartphone.”
Ok—hold the phone (no pun intended)—I just had to know what this was all about!
I grabbed my iPhone and within a few minutes, I had downloaded Microsoft’s Tag Reader app and was on my way to a scanning frenzy! I aimed the little cross-hair target at the barcode in the magazine. As I got close enough, it recognized the code and instantly whisked me away to a landing page with expanded information from the magazine issue, no actual photo required. There I discovered a behind-the-scenes look at the cover shoot, plus multiple videos, a guide of things to do in Shanghai & Hong Kong and much more.
I then began a treasure hunt throughout the entire issue, finding and scanning all of these little barcodes to see where they might take me. I enjoyed watching the video of the gorgeous red Bottega Veneta dress on as it flowed down the runway—something you can’t really get from a still photograph. I also liked how some of the tags acted as instant links. No more writing down that URL to look up later—just scan and go!
I love this new mix of mediums working together and can only imagine where this type of technological thinking will take us in the future. Perhaps we will be able to see a destination photo we like in a magazine, scan it and instantly book a trip. Who knows—the possibilities are endless!
Out of the Bunker and into the Black
Posted by Bethany Diddle | Filed under Advertising, Dana News, Golf, Hospitality News, Interactive, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
Dana recently attended the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida. The Orange County Convention Center was all a buzz with vendors, pros, golfers and media—what a great event! We had the chance to talk to industry insiders and were impressed by their upbeat outlook for 2010. Of real interest to our team was a study released by PGA Magazine, which showed the impact of PGA Professionals on travel decisions…
About 70% of PGA Professionals travel with groups annually. Almost half take three or more trips per year, and their groups average about nine golfers playing about three rounds of golf when they travel together. 75% of these trips are booked more than two months in advance, which is welcome revenue in this era of short-lead bookings.
We were intrigued by the amount of influence PGA Pros have on determining where their groups travel. 86% of golf professionals either select the specific golf destination or narrow the choices to a few on which the group can decide—and more than 70% make all of the travel arrangements. What’s more, the vast majority is asked at least once a week for recommendations on places to stay and play golf.
We’ve all seen the number of golf resorts in the U.S. grow in the past decade, creating a very competitive marketplace. Meanwhile, the number of golfers remains flat, and bookings for corporate group outings have sharply declined. Reaching the 28,000 PGA Professionals who are key influencers on travel is a smart play.
Dana Communications has partnered with Hunter PR to analyze this study’s findings and show how to leverage the influence of PGA Professionals. To see more on these results and learn about getting out of the bunker and into the black, visit www.danacommunications.com/bunker2black.
More with Less
Posted by Jared Zech | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Media, Tips and Trends Series
Are marketing budget cuts here to stay?
With the 2010 budgeting season coming closer to an end, many marketers are facing yet another round of budget cuts after widespread marketing budget reductions over the last two years.
Many marketers hope to retain current budget levels into 2010. Yet, in spite of these substantial reductions, companies are still expecting the same results and performance levels as those prior to the cuts. In other words, they want to do more with less.
We know that many of you have cut expenses in response to budget reductions so as to meet performance goals and expectations during 2009. But can this performance be sustained in 2010 with flat or further reduced marketing budgets? Well, that depends…
Forrester US Interactive Marketing Forecast predicts that social media, email, search and mobile marketing spend will grow significantly in 2010 and subsequent years, while traditional media spend will decrease even further.
What are your marketing plans for 2010? Do you expect your budget to remain flat, increase or decrease?
You’ve likely used various email marketing strategies in the past year, but you may need help exploring the world of social media, search and mobile marketing for 2010—it’s your key to getting MORE WITH LESS!
To learn more about how Dana can help you get more with less, contact jzech@danacommunications.com.
The Importance of Reinventing Yourself (Your Brand) in a Constantly and Rapidly Changing World
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Advertising, Design, Hospitality News, Tips and Trends Series, Updates
I went to a Bob Dylan concert on Monday night at Temple University in Philadelphia. It was awesome.
I first saw Bob Dylan in 1964. That was awesome too.
Yet, I saw two entirely different concerts by the same guy who rendered his music in two entirely different ways.
His essence hasn’t changed. Bob Dylan will always be Bob Dylan, the great singer/songwriter whose songs have been described by Dan DeLuca, Philadelphia Inquirer Music Critic, as “imbued heartbreak with the fatalistic power of myth.”
But he never stops changing the way he goes about presenting himself and his music. This last iteration is spectacular.
Perhaps Dylan’s most famous reinvention was at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when he offended folk purists by appearing on stage with an electric band consisting of Sam Lay, Mike Bloomfield, Barry Goldberg, Jerome Arnold and Al Kooper.
That’s one great band, and history has proven that Dylan’s willingness to experiment and “reinvent” himself at the time was a great idea.
Now he has created a band that is as tight as any band I have heard since The Band. They create an almost three-dimensional, pulsating sound—much of which is based on phenomenal guitar work by Charlie Sexton.
What makes that so special is that Sexton played with Dylan from 1999 to 2002 but was never permitted to let loose because Dylan was playing a lot of lead guitar.
Now Dylan plays mostly keyboards and harmonica and lets Sexton be his lead guitar player and significant partner—a major and important part of the show.
What a great way to reinvent himself at 68 years of age—letting someone else share the lead, allowing the team to shine.
I am sharing this because I think it is important for all of us to understand the importance of reinventing ourselves. In the world of marketing, it is important for all brands to reinvent themselves in order to stay relevant in these constantly and rapidly changing times.
I’m not saying you should change the essence of who you are. All brands should stay true to what makes them special. But if you are not changing, growing and enhancing, then you are slowly dying.
These days, we may find ourselves with our heads down, plowing through overwhelming amounts of work. But it’s important to stop for a moment and pop our heads above the crowd to see where we are and where we want to be.
So take a look at your brand and see if there are ways to make it more relevant to the world of today and tomorrow. As long as you don’t mess with the essence of the brand, change is a good thing.
For more information on partnering with Dana to reinvent your brand, contact bprewitt@danacommunications.com.
Dana Communications Selected to Rebrand and Promote Makena Beach & Golf Resort on Maui, Hawaii
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Dana News, Hospitality News, Interactive
Makena Beach & Golf Resort in Hawaii has selected Dana Communications as its agency of record for branding and marketing its leisure, golf and events business. The Resort, which recently became part of the Benchmark Hospitality International portfolio, is a sister property of the famed Turtle Bay Resort on neighboring Oahu, Hawaii.
Makena Beach & Golf Resort, a scenic 1800-acre ocean-front destination located on the southern shore of Maui, features 310 ocean view rooms and suites, several restaurants and cafés, a weekly luau celebration and venues for special events. Resort recreation includes an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf course and a Peter Burwash Tennis Center. Surrounded by abundant natural beauty, the Resort also features extensive activities such as snorkeling, catamaran trips, kayak eco-tours, outrigger canoe adventures and seasonal whale watching.
Dana is establishing a cohesive branding strategy to reposition and promote Makena Beach & Golf Resort for vacations, meetings, weddings and special events. This strategy will encompass marketing consultation and planning, e-marketing and website support, advertising and graphic design, as well as media planning and placement. Dana Communications is a leading hospitality and travel lifestyle marketing agency currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. Dana has offices in New York City, Princeton, NJ, the Carolinas and San Francisco, CA.
For more information about Dana Communications, please contact John Hawley at (609) 644-2428.
The Mobile Landscape
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Interactive, Media, Technology, Tips and Trends Series
Are YOU staying ahead of the curve?
As an advertising agency, Dana Communications continually strives to be “ahead of the curve.” You might ask, what does this mean? In dictionary terms, “ahead of the curve” is synonymous with “at the forefront of recent developments, trends, etc.” And this is exactly what we aim to achieve. Dana works to deliver the “big idea” technologies that will increase market share for our clients before the competition does.
With that said, it is no secret that the birth of the smartphone has made mobile Internet search a major hot button. The iPhone has had a great impact in this arena—first with EDGE, then with 3G, and now with 3GS connectivity technology. Just think…the iPhone launched in America on June 29, 2007. Since then, it has been upgraded three times and resulted in a great deal of copycat competition.
Juniper Research has predicted that smartphones will account for almost one quarter of all new mobile phones by 2013. ComScore released figures stating that 63.2 million people used a mobile device to get their news in January 2009 alone. It has also been said that 80% of Twitter usage is via mobile devices. These are pretty convincing numbers to indicate that the smartphone market, which was initially considered unable to sustain itself, is now here to stay.
Which leads us back to “the curve.” What do these statistics mean for your advertising efforts?
Well, in the first few years of search advertising (2000-2004), revenue was pretty flat. The space was not crowded, and we could practice different tactics to maximize ROI. But, while the mobile landscape is already evolving, it is still considered to be in its early stages–and mobile search revenue is predicted to increase SIGNIFICANTLY.
Why? Users have a constant, one-on-one relationship with mobile devices (i.e., at the driving range, picking up groceries, traveling to Jamaica, etc.). The user relationship with PCs is vastly different—usage is many-to-one and only feasible when a user has access to it.
Consequently, the mobile phone will become the everyday machine to replace leisure computers. And according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s website, eMarketer has predicted that U.S. mobile search spend will rise from 18% ($57.6 million) of the total in 2008 to 37% ($577.2 million) in 2013.
So…don’t you want to be seen? That’s where we come in—because Dana has the know-how to get you there. For information on how you can stay ahead of the curve, email ewelsh@danacommunications.com.
