Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
“If I knew then what I know now…”
Posted by Lynn Kaniper | Filed under Advertising, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
At the start of the recession, some companies put the brakes on—a response as natural as slowing down when hitting an icy patch on the road. Marketing cuts are understandable when companies face tough choices about retaining staff or slashing budgets. Long-term plans get derailed when key decisions are no longer in the hands of the marketing team. Whatever the reasons, the results were similar: delayed decisions, reduced spending and postponed plans for new strategies. And like hitting the brakes on ice, the outcome wasn’t what these companies wanted.
Now the recession’s thawing. The road ahead looks a little smoother. And those who stopped moving forward are struggling to catch up. As companies dust off their marketing plans and update the media schedules, you can hear them lament: “If I knew then what I know now…”
As hospitality marketing experts, we know a slowdown is not the time to apply the brakes. In fact, it’s a time to strategically rev up your marketing message to capture the market share left behind by others. Clients who took our advice on this aren’t playing catch-up—they’re out in front of the competition. Here’s how they did it:
Resisting the urge to cut.
When business slows, cutting advertising and marketing reduces business even more. Instead, switch to marketing strategies that can be accurately tracked, so you’ll get value out of every dollar you spend.Focusing on past and present customers.
If you don’t already have a relationship-building program, now is the time to launch one. If your program is in place, ramp it up with new ideas to reward your customers and show them you appreciate their business. This will pay dividends now—and help you retain business during future slow-downs.Mixing it up.
For best results, use multiple marketing strategies to grow your business. In addition to paid print and online advertising (banner ads, PPC, etc.), try social networking, blogs, podcasts and video. How many of these are you using now?Continuing to build the brand.
Shine your image. Polish your reputation. When business is back, you’ll stand out brilliantly in the crowd. (For more about this, see “Brand Stewardship” on Dana’s blog.)
For more about partnering with Dana to seize opportunities in every situation, contact bprewitt@danacommunications.com.
T+L’s Top Travel Apps 2010
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Technology, Travel, social media
Travel & Leisure has “scoured the virtual aisles of the Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm, and Windows stores for their 53 favorite travel apps”. How many do you have?
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tls-top-travel-apps-2010
What’s Happening In The Wine World, Part II
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Tips and Trends Series, Travel
Bob Prewitt continues his tasting notes from those who know and love wines. (Click here if you missed Part I)
Kimberly Charles is the top public relations professional in the Wine Industry. She represents some of the largest and most prestigious wineries in the World as well as other wine-oriented companies. She is active in the Society of Wine Educators and a frequent judge at wine competitions. She will be at the L.A. County Fair next month.
“The wine business is now consumer-driven. It used to be that all the power was with the proprietors and the wineries. We learned from the great estates, and we learned what they wanted us to know. Now, the consumer is king. Wine is now a democracy and is gradually being imbedded in our culture with an educational component. At the Society of Wine Educators, we are selling record numbers of exam certifications.”
“Women are making beverage choice decisions as frequently as men, and women tend to choose a wine experience versus a beer or spirits experience.”
“There is a sense of adventure—experimentation. I have been in this business for 25 years. It was fun back then, and it is really fun again.”
Eric Welsh is Director of Interactive Services here at Dana Communications. He is our resident expert on all things web and is particularly knowledgeable about social networking. He is also a pretty fair Juice Jockey, as he can talk Gruner Veltliner versus Gewurztraminer, and the Macon versus Marlborough.
“What I take away when I think about the Wine Industry right now is less about the product and more about how we find it. Or more so, how it finds us. Just look at Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV (daily online TV about wine with 80,000 viewers a day and 852,000 followers). It seems that every winery has a Facebook page. I just googled ‘wine social network’ and got 14,300,000 listings in 0.22 seconds. Has there ever been a time in history when we had better connected, educated and shared wine experiences?”
Isabelle Tourneau and I have shared innumerable food and wine experiences all across the continent. She’s fun to break bread with because of her passion for creating and enjoying flavorful experiences. She is endlessly curious about what regional flavors reveal about everything from culture to agriculture—an interest that serves her well in both culinary and oenological arenas.
“Never missing a chance to taste good wine, I know pairing, sipping and sampling are nothing new. But I love how these events are pushing the envelope in ways simple and sophisticated.”
“There’s simplicity in how small wine shops are finding space among the shelves for a little tasting bar, where you can sample and chat about the owner’s latest finds. Simple is also casual “wine socials” where you’re mingling, sipping, nibbling—sans the expert to tell you what you’re tasting. And it’s wine dinners reinvented as community table evenings, where you meet new people and new wines. The keywords here are casual, conversational, interactive, fun.”
“Sophistication is the zeal and knowledge swirling around wine these days. It’s the trendy wine bar that pairs an extraordinary chef and brilliant wine guy whose menu of wines and small plates knocks you off your chic little barstool. It’s asking your server about a wine and getting the response of a truly informed palate. And it’s the wine shop/restaurant combo where everything from reasonable corkage fees to rave-worthy dishes shout out the owner’s enthusiasm for wine and food. The keywords? Passion, craft, an ethos of generosity and sharing.”
“It’s all good. And getting better.”
So now it’s my turn. I certainly agree with what has been stated above. It looks like I have a pretty smart group of wine buddies.
My conclusion is that in 2010, it is really easy and really cool to make wine a part of your lifestyle. It is easy to build it into the fabric of your everyday life, and it is even easier to learn about wines and become knowledgeable about the topic.
You can learn about wines through the social networks and by asking questions in restaurants and wine stores. You can buy great values by staying up with the forced sale of older wines. You can have wines shipped to you across state lines. If you want to keep up with the younger generations, you should tweet, follow Facebook and pay attention to the voluminous discussion of the topic on the Internet.
The consensus here at Dana Communications is that the world of wine has never been better. Join up.
For more about partnering with Dana—or to get to know us over a glass of wine—contact jzech@danacommunications.com.
A Trio of Terrific Summer Wines
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Hospitality News, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
Lois Gruner Veltliner (2008) Austria – medium weight, dry white, fruit forward. GV is the historic, legendary white varietal of Austria. The producer here is Fred Loimer Winery—one of the most highly regarded, artisanal winemakers in Austria. This wine is a great chicken wine and also goes really well with firm bodied fish and Asian wontons, dumplings and meat stir-frys. It holds up to spicy foods too. Great, great value at about $13.50.
Chateau de Montfort Vouvray (2008) France – slightly sweet with a big acid backdrop. I love Chenin Blanc, and this is a great representation of the varietal. You have to have a palate for sweetness to appreciate this wine, but if you do, you will adore it. It attacks with honey and cantaloupe and pears and Grand Marnier. Try it with Asian food or cheese, or just sip it on a pleasant weekend afternoon while you sit by the pool. About $15.
Gruet Sparkling Wines (non vintage, all types) – Albuquerque, New Mexico – the best sparkling wines made in the USA. In fact, in my opinion, these wines are as good as any sparkling wine made in the world outside of Champagne. I am particularly fond of the Blanc de Noirs. They go with anything and everything foodwise—I mean it—and the price/value relationship is unbelievable. About $13.75.
Read What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part II
What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part I
Let me tell you.
Wine is a significant component of the “Hospitality and Travel Lifestyle,” which partially explains our interest in them here at Dana Communications. Another reason we are interested is that we like to drink them. Duh!
Three of us actually have formal training in matters oenological. Eric Welsh’s family owned a prestigious wine store in Lambertville, New Jersey, where he spent a lot of time growing up. Isabelle Tourneau writes about regional foods and has the passion for food and wine pairing that one expects in a professional foodie. I am a founding member of the Society of Wine Educators, which happened when I worked for Wine Institute—the trade organization for California wineries.
So I decided to call around and ask my wine friends, “What is the most significant thing happening in the Wine Industry today?”
The first person I talked with is Robin Kelly O’Connor. RKO is presently Director of Sales and Education for Sherry Lehman, one of the truly remarkable retail stores in the country (located at 59th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan). Previously, Robin spent over a decade working as Trade Liaison for Bordeaux Wines. Robin has an energy and passion for learning about wines like no one else I know, and he has gifted chemical senses—thus a great palate. On numerous occasions, I have seen him correctly identify a wine from a region that most people in the room had never heard of.
His response was, “2009 Bordeaux. They are equivalent to, if not better than, the 2005 and 1982 vintages. And maybe deeper than the 1961 and 1929 vintages.” This is major stuff, as those four years are considered the benchmarks by which all wines are compared, not just Bordeaux.
Then I called Bruce Cass, one of America’s greatest wine educators and writers. Bruce studied pre-medicine at Stanford and uses this scientific training to make the chemistry and biology of wine accessible to the layman. Attending one of his classes is a remarkable experience, as he has an enthralling way of making the complexities of wine understandable. He has also trained his chemical senses so that his palate is world class.
“The ongoing development of direct shipping is my first thought,” said Bruce when I asked about what is happening. “After 20 years of battles, we can now say that we can legally ship across state lines—almost. The Supreme Court will ultimately make the final decision, and that might take another 20 years. But in the last year, we have seen a major movement toward direct shipping.”
He also commented on the wine-consuming behavior of the Millennial Generation and how that is leading to a dramatic increase in wine intake in America. “Millennials drink a lot more wine than Gen-Xers, and they are a big, big group of people—the Baby Boomer Echo. Within the next 5 or 10 years, the US will become the largest wine-consuming nation in the World… Of course, that will last only a few years, when China will take over.”
Then I talked with Laely Heron, owner and winemaker at Heron Wines. Laely has been making wines for 20 years—in France, Spain and California. Her wines are highly regarded for their price/value relationship, and you will see them served by the glass in a lot of successful, wine-oriented restaurants. Laely has traveled to virtually every spot on the planet, is fluent in four languages and conversant in many more and has a uniquely refined palate due to her extensive travels.
Her answer to my question: “We have a glut of product. Over the past years, the industry has overproduced, and we are sitting on product that is expiring and that needs to be sold now. I am seeing a lot of quality, old wine from good vintages being sold by the glass at under-market prices.”
Laely goes on to say that this means two things. First, “The recession will last longer in the wine industry than in most other industries. We are dealing with difficult economic times and an excess of product that is time-sensitive and must be sold soon.” Second, she feels the ability to buy older wines at great prices will continue. “This is not a new phenomenon. Smart buyers have known how to get great deals—particularly online—in recent years. However, the buyers market will only get better. It is a good time to figure out how to find the great bargains that are available.”
We’ll post What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part II next week—check back then.
For more about partnering with Dana—or to get to know us over a glass of wine—contact jzech@danacommunications.com.
20th Century Travel: 100 Years Of Globe-Trotting Ads
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Advertising, Travel
I recently ordered some summer reading, mostly filled with my usual lighthearted beach reads and memoirs. Then I remembered a magazine clipping that I had placed on my fridge a few months back—20th Century Travel: 100 Years of Globe-Trotting Ads. While not a beach read by any means (this book weighs about 10 lbs, I swear!), I couldnt wait to crack it open. I was instantly fascinated by the story of how travel has evolved over time, and by all the creative, especially the ads from the early 1900s. The artwork was beautifully done (by hand, of course) and so detailed. It put into perspective a bit how much time and effort it must have taken for just one piece of artwork, and by contrast, how easy it is for us to take or buy a photograph to use in our layout now. Truly a fascinating read and a great coffee table book that allows you to travel along with the changing times.
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Description from Amazon:
The metabolism of travel changed more in the last century than in the previous half-millennium, a stunning transformation triggered by American wanderlust. In less than 100 years, the U.S. mass-produced the automobile, invented airplanes, freeways, motels, even sent men to the Moon. Travel grew ever faster and easier. Above all, it was democratized — enabling millions to explore distant lands, or see their own more fully.
At the start of the 20th century, only people with extensive disposable income and time to spare could enjoy leisure travel. By the century’s end, journeys took hours, not days, and mass travel — especially brief air flights — became the new normal. Along the way, ocean liners broke speed records, aerodynamic trains roared down the tracks, stylish boat-plane clippers evolved into jumbo jets. Whether aboard high-speed locomotives or ships, jets or Greyhound buses — or when setting their own schedule on the open road — Americans demanded ever greater mobility and wider choice of destinations, thereby setting a new standard for travelers around the world.
A lush visual history of this national wanderlust, this volume features 400-plus print advertisements from the Jim Heimann Collection, which illustrate the evolution of leisure travel — from domestic to global, exclusive to popular, exotic to standardized — and its crucial role in American culture.
With an introduction, decade-by-decade analysis, and an illustrated timeline, this book highlights the cultural and technological developments that transformed travel from a cushioned journey of the elite into a convenient leisure pastime for the general public. 20th Century Travel takes us on a grand tour of travel’s golden age.
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Dana Communications Celebrates 30 Years of Service!
Posted by Eric Welsh | Filed under Dana News, Technology, Travel
We are fast approaching our final months of our year long celebration of 30 years of service!
The New Wonders of the World
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Technology, Travel
Condé Nast Traveler has named 6 architectural marvels the “New Wonders of the World”:
Form plus function is Architecture 101. But a building that not only is a bright spark on the landscape but also has a surface as idiosyncratic as its structure, well, that’s Architecture 2010. The year that film embraced a third dimension, architecture found a fourth: texture.
While they by no means replace (or in some cases even compare to) the “original” Wonders of the World, they are an inviting glimpse into what future generations might look back upon in awe. Read more about these amazing places in the original article here.
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- Guangzhou TV Tower | Guangzhou, China
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- Soccer City | Johannesburg, South Africa
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- Design Museum Holon | Holon, Israel
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- Cooper Union | New York City
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- Za Koenji Public Theatre | Tokyo, Japan
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- Calais Fine Arts and Lace Museum | Calais, France
Photos from the Condé Nast Travler article “The New Wonders of the World” by Eimear Lynch, as seen on Concierge.com.
Magazines Come Alive
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Advertising, Dana News, 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 Julia Zauner | 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.
Airport Traveler: Your guide to making the most of your trip to the terminal
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Tips and Trends Series, Travel
I’m the kind of person who hates to be late—especially when it comes to airports. I always make sure I get there with plenty of extra time, so Im not the crazy girl running through the terminal, hoping to make it onto my plane (you know you’ve totally been that person before…).
Enter Travel + Leisure‘s Airport Navigator: “Smart guides to the best places to dine, drink, shop, and relax at the world’s top airports”
This handy online reference guide lets you know how to make the most of of your extra time in the airport—whether it be because of your own punctuality or from an ever-annoying delay. This guide covers the top airports around the world, so wherever you are traveling, you can find the best place to grab a “non-airport food” bite or where to relax at an airport spa (did you know that Charles de Gaulle in Paris has 7!)
Definitely bookmark this site for future international trips. My only complaint is that it is a bit lacking in the US airports—perhaps there is an app for that?
