Listen On:
It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that we introduce to you our new podcast! This is something that has been on our minds for some time, and we felt now is the right time to launch. The Destination Marketing industry has been a solid supporter of HootBoard technology pre-pandemic. The pandemic has decimated the very communities and businesses that the Destination Marketing industry relies on and serves.
Why are we doing this now?
Needless to say, the Pandemic changes everything. Even when it’s long gone – which it will be – the DMOs will see a tremendous transformation in their business environment, their place in the community, and how they do things. Here are some of the reasons why we chose to do this podcast now.
- The transition from a DMO (purely marketing & sales) to a DMMO (Marketing and management organization) will be immediate. DMOs who have been holding out on recognizing their economic development role will realize they have no choice but to step in these bigger, more prominent shoes.
- Budgets will be soft to put it lightly for the foreseeable future. Having to deal with a more expansive mission on tighter budgets will mean new ways of doing things, having to experiment, and be inventive.
- Marketing will not be the same. Lower budgets mean you can’t just throw money on huge campaigns, and ad-runs. The focus will move increasingly inward. Destination marketers will have to look at the visitor journey more closely and focus on tapping your visitors for free marketing.
While we are not fortune tellers, one thing we can predict for sure: THERE WILL BE A LOT OF LESSONS. With change comes new ways of doing things and a lot of education while we do this. With launching the podcast we just hope to capture, document, and spread these lessons so the entire DMO community can capitalize on these. This will be our way to give back to this amazing industry.
5 Reasons Why You Should Subscribe to the Podcast
1. We are Learning Valuable Lessons from a Variety of Destinations.
One of the great things about HootBoards reach is our ability to engage with areas with different needs. Some areas are more focused on people traveling for contract work, other areas are focused more on tourism and vacation, and other locations have a specific quirk or draw that is unique to their area. We are learning so much! And if you are a destination marketing or visitor information organization, you will learn a lot too.
2. We are Discussing Best Practices
Our goal from the beginning was to learn and share the best practices in the industry. We wanted to be a podcast that you could listen to weekly and learn something new, or confirm knowledge that you already know. Everyone is at a different level of knowledge in the visitor information and destination marketing industry, and we are committed to helping bridge that knowledge gap so we all can succeed.
3. We are Sharing Actionable Items
We want every episode to have an actionable item that you can implement as soon as you finish listening. It can be frustrating to listen to an abstract discussion about marketing philosophy. Don’t get us wrong! We love thinking deeply and digging through data to try and find trends and break down what they can possibly mean. However, that sometimes ends at the thought process and can sometimes not lead into anything useful. In this podcast, we love identifying action items that the listener can use or write down, research, and implement later.
4. We are Getting to Know the Thought Leaders in the Industry
The best part about this industry, in our opinion, is the people! We love interviewing and getting to know the leaders in this space. We want to bring the personalities, the intelligence, and the leadership from around the world. You’ll get to know many of the thought leaders.
5. We are Having Fun!
Let’s not forget this important part. We are having fun learning and getting to know everyone. It’s fun to learn new things, and it’s even more fun to make new friends and colleagues.
So please make the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing Podcast part of your media consumption. You’ll learn a lot of great information and get to know more people in the industry. Don’t forget to subscribe, download, and you can even find our content on YouTube! We are available everywhere popular content is consumed, and we look forward to seeing you engage with us and our channel.
Nominate a guest (or yourself 😉 ) on the podcast: podcast@hootboard.com
