collaborate to compete

Anna Pollock ©

Collaborating to CompeteMaking IT Work for British Columbia

Anna PollockCEO, DestiCorp Limited

Tourism Industry Conference

Kamloops, February 2003

Anna Pollock ©

My Story

Change forces

New Roles

New Approaches

New ToolsDestination as

Community

Destination as Experience

Customer

Technology

as defined by the customer!

Anna Pollock ©

Technology Enablers The Power is in the Network Changing Travel Patterns Shift of Power to the

Consumer The Experience Economy The Rules Have All Changed

Change Forces

Anna Pollock ©

1. Network Realities- it’s a becoming a wired, wired world…

2. People Power – what does customer-centricity really mean?

3. It’s now a fuzzy, intangible world of experiences – how do you respond?

4. The rules have all changed – new business models are essential

External Dynamics

Anna Pollock ©

Information access: everywhere and “always on” Broadband: WiFi, Bluetooth – changing the

rules Open Standards are levelling the playing field Let’s play Lego! Automation – machines can converse! Peer to Peer, Grid Computing Decentralised, loosely-coupled, highly resilient

architectures Hope for the little guys!

Network Enablers

Anna Pollock ©

?

Ambient Intelligence

Internet as “dial-tone” Access devices converging Not associated with “My” content: “user agnostic” Content + functionality sit on the web Tools for moving info as “bits” Tools to authenticate who we are Tools to pay for services

enabling collaboration, dialogue,

innovation

Anna Pollock ©

We’re traveling further afield More affordable choices (low cost

airlines) Shorter, more frequent trips More impulsive, adventurous,

independent travel More diversity & sophistication More engagement, curiosity and

demand for interpretation, learning and animation

Changing Travel Patterns

Anna Pollock ©

Information access makes everyone a competitor -- potentially commoditizes the product

Localisation & Personalisation – one web site is not enough

Markets are conversations and consumers promiscuous – how well are you listening?

Networking creates “communities of interest”, customers rely more on each other for reliable information

Create “evangelists”! Viral Marketing Transparency, trust and reputation ensure quality

People Power

Anna Pollock ©

From: product centric to customer centric Positioning, pricing, promoting, pushing From paper to web One-way communication Segmentation and targets

To: an infrastructure that enables customers to pull towards them what they want, when they want and where they want it and enter into a two-way dialogue with the supplier

Marketing: When Push Comes to Pull

Anna Pollock ©

What Kind of Economy is it?

Resource Economy

ManufacturingEconomy

KnowledgeEconomy

ExperienceEconomy

ImaginationCustomisation

ConnectivityInnovation

Added-valuemarketing

Cost & PriceEfficiencies

ServiceEconomy

Customer carepeople management

30 years!

Anna Pollock ©

The Experience Economy

OUT IN

Beds/travel packages

Product developers

Marketers

Destinations

Experiences

Story Creators

Story Tellers; dream weavera

Stage Managers

Anna Pollock ©

WHY: It’s Mostly in Their Heads!

FANTASY

EXPERIENCE

Physical Mental Emotional Spiritual

MEMORY

Stimulate

Enable/enrich

Mould / propagate

RETURN

RECOMMEND

Virtual Virtual

Physical

Anna Pollock ©

The “experience” is actually a collection of experiences delivered by independent suppliers yet remembered as a whole

The physical aspect of the experience is fixed in space and time;

Our customers move, we don’t…. and that accounts for our Product obsession Fierce competition Fragmentation and The politics of tourism

While the guest remains oblivious to our boundaries and lives in a world of his own….

So what does that mean?

Anna Pollock ©

If Destinations are the stuff that dreams are made of …...and

Destinations “exist in the eyes of the beholder”and we our truly customer not product centric then our job is to

Enable our guests to fulfill their own private, personal fantasies and create their own stories.

What’s it all about?

Anna Pollock ©

Summary of the Meta Shifts

From ToProduct Customer

Push Pull

Top Down, control Bottom Up, Responsive

Certainty, order Unpredictable, chaos

Rigid, hard Fluid, soft

Physical Virtual

Fragmented Coupled, Integrated

Anna Pollock ©

A Destination not just a physical place or setting but A Collaborative Community whose members:

share a sense of place share a common customer are interdependent and comprise:

Visitors Providers Partners Hosts DMO

Customer sits at the centre Your task as DMO is to enable and stimulate the conversations and relationships

New Ways of Looking at Destinations

Anna Pollock ©

In a Destination Community, customers don’t sit at the end of a value chain, but

At the centre of an orbit! Customers are the gravitational

force pulling suppliers together into a community

Learn to dance with the customer!

Role of Customers

Anna Pollock ©

dream

plan

book

experience

reflect

share

return

Customer’s Intent

Cycle of Need

reject

Anna Pollock ©

Destination Web Participants

Host Community

Providers

Suppliers

Agents

Channels

Partners

GUEST

Anna Pollock ©

DMO’s role is that of “orchestrator” and “choreographer”

Core skill and value lies in building and sustaining relationships With and between providers With and between guests

“Customer Centric” destinations will Get connected Collaborate more than compete Listen more than speak Enable rather than control Obsess about customer care Before, during and after their visit

New Roles in the New Economy

Anna Pollock ©

Destination Web Participants

Host Community

Providers

Suppliers

Agents

Channels

Partners

GUEST

Destination

Anna Pollock ©

Leadership and vision:set the course Awareness and branding Invest in infrastructure:

Connectivity Tools Skills Standards Community

Enabling not controlling regions and cities

Balancing (there ARE limits!)

Role of the Province

Anna Pollock ©

Regional differentiation Awareness & Branding – conveying the

essence Content management & delivery

Customer Care (before, during & after) Provider Support

Distribution Tools & Skills Intelligence sharing

Quality Assurance Implementation Balancing

Role of the Cities and Regions

Anna Pollock ©

Customer Care Make it easy for the guest to find

what they want during the trip Listen to the guest! Share intelligence with others Manage your affairs

Content Inventory Distribution

Cross sell, up sell, refer, collaborate

Role of Providers

Anna Pollock ©

Entire infrastructure is web based, accessible from any device, anywhere, anytime: Get Connected!

Content Management & Distribution: Digitise! standards, exchange

Commerce: Make it easy to buy everything, anywhere

Think Community! Professionals Providers Visitors

Infrastructure Features

Anna Pollock ©

Austria – Tiscover Denmark Ireland France Australia

Other Examples

Anna Pollock ©

Investment in infrastructure not an option

Be driven by the customer’s needs and business process NOT the technology

Commit to open standards and flexibility Create the conditions for innovation and

adaptation Integrate don’t impose, encourage

diversity! Don’t delay! It will take longer than you

think

Lessons from the Leaders

Anna Pollock ©

Confidence Clarity of purpose Customers first Curiosity Connect your Community Content – digitize it! Commerce – make it easy to buy! Collaborate!

8 C’s of Success for British Columbia

Anna Pollock ©

Go for IT!

Because you CAN!

A Last Thought