Destination Marketing Strategies

John Swarbrooke

11th ICCRM

Seville, Spain

7-9 July 2005

www.iccaworld.com

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

Index

1 The Changing World of Destination Marketing

2 The Internet and Destination Marketing 3 Destination Advertising4 Destination Marketing and Fashionable

Marketing Terms5 Partnerships and Destination Marketing6 Marketing Research7 Customers and Consumers8 The Future of Destination Marketing

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

1. The Changing World of Destination Marketing

• How has the marketing of your destination changed in recent years?– Why has it changed?

• How have buyers and the market changed, if at all, in the last 5 years?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

The Changing World of Destination Marketing

• Do exhibitions still work as a promotional tool?• Is face to face selling still the key?

• Let's look at the changing nature of the Marketing Mix in Destination Marketing

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

2. The Internet and Destination Marketing

• The 'Internet Revolution' – what does it mean for MICE destinations?

• What makes the difference between a good website and a poor one?

• Let's look at one or two at random ........• What do you think?• How could they be improved?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

The Internet and Destination Marketing

• Key Points:– search engine exposure– links from the destination page– online reservation facility where appropriate– speed of follow-up to enquiries– user friendly– constantly updated– reliability– lively with use of multi-media i.e moving images and

sound– controlled by MICE professionals not technical people

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

3. Destination Advertising

• Destination Advertising Campaigns: do they have a role to play any more?

• What makes a good destination advertisement?

• Look at this random selection of advertisements .....– Who are they aimed at?– What is the message?– How could they be improved?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

4. Destination Marketing and Fashionable Marketing Terms

• What do the following terms mean in reality for the marketing of MICE destinations:– Branding?– Brand loyalty reward programmes?– Relationship marketing and direct marketing?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

5. Partnerships and Destination Marketing

• Is the concept of partnership important in destination marketing in general, and in the marketing of your destination?

• If so, what types of partnership[s] do you have in your destination?

• Who are the partners and who are missing from the partnership?

• Is it a 'real' partnership?• Do you co-operate with other destinations?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

6. Marketing Research

• Is it important to use marketing research to underpin destination marketing strategies?

• What research underpinned your current strategy?

• How long ago was the research carried out?• Do you do continuous research?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

Marketing Research

• Do you research:– the views of non-users?– the satisfaction levels of existing users?– perceptions of your destinations?– national and cultural differences in the market?– trends in consumer behaviour and the market?– the effectiveness of your marketing activities?– your competitors?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

7. Customers and Consumers

• Do you research the views of the Customers or the Consumers or both?

• Who are your customers and consumers?• Which are the most important?

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

8. The Future of Destination Marketing

• Key Points about the future of the market:– terrorist threats and their impact– globalisation of the market– growing competition and the search for competitive

advantage– the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility

11th ICCRM, Seville, 2005

The Future of Destination Marketing

• How do you think MICE destination marketing will change over the next ten years?

• And finally ...............................