How does a small country like Iceland continue to attract the future tourists/travellers?

Hermann Haraldsson, CEO OMD Nordic

”So many men, so little time”

Miquel Brown, 1983

”Such a big topic, so little time”

Hermann Haraldsson, April 6 2006

Megatrends

Globalisation

IndividualisationTechnology

Prosperity intangiblevalues

CREATIVE MANOMD

Megatrends

Globalisation

IndividualisationTechnology

Prosperity intangiblevalues

The marketers new reality

!New technology

gives us the possibility to seek

information actively

!We have enough money -

therefore we seek new challenges!

!Individualism means

customisation

!Globalisation

makes the world smaller – we

travel more than ever

The new competition

• Globalisation opens up for a wider competition• The competition is no longer only the hotel in the next

city or the museum next door – it is destinations all over the world

Tibet

Iceland

Siberia

Claim: The greatest product in the world!!!

Norway?Iceland?

How is your product (Iceland) perceived?

Icelandic Sagas

Icelandic Sagas

“It stays light all night, it is bizarre.”

“It stays light all night, it is bizarre.”

“It is a completely different environment, snow & ice.”“It is a completely different environment, snow & ice.”

I think of Iceland as hip and modern, I think it’s probably

quite stylish

I think of Iceland as hip and modern, I think it’s probably

quite stylish

“All Icelanders have two jobs in order to afford to

live”

“All Icelanders have two jobs in order to afford to

live” “I imagine that if you look at Iceland from above, it will look

pretty grey. Stones and lava - and always zero degrees”

“I imagine that if you look at Iceland from above, it will look

pretty grey. Stones and lava - and always zero degrees”

“I think of Iceland as an adrenaline type of place -

off-roading on glaciers and so on”

“I think of Iceland as an adrenaline type of place -

off-roading on glaciers and so on”

“They have two types of weather: either it rains or it is about to rain”“They have two types of weather: either it rains or it is about to rain”

“The blue lagoon,

volcanoes, hot springs and Iceland

ponies”

“The blue lagoon,

volcanoes, hot springs and Iceland

ponies”

“Horse riding. Riding small ponies in those strange

mountains”

“Horse riding. Riding small ponies in those strange

mountains”

Quotes from focus groups conducted in NO, DK and UK for Icelandair.

"...and sometimes the worse the weather the more beautifull it looks..."

Viggo Mortensen for Icelandair, 2006

Great nature: Hot springs, volcanoes,

geysers

Great nature: Hot springs, volcanoes,

geysers

Welcome to USA!

• Is this the solution? • Smaller cities in USA profiling them selves by

sensations

”In general there is a very fine line between the sublime and the vulgar - in

Iceland the line is finer than most places“

Qoute from Politiken (Danish daily newspaper)

"Eden - one of the country's most unabashed tourist spots" 

Fodor travel guide

Welcome to Iceland!?

The winning formula

The Winning Formula

!New technology: Connects us to

our equals across boundaries

!We go for

experiences rather than monetary success

!Individualism: We

focus on inner-directedness:

back to basis/creative expressions

!Global – local

We seek the local touch of a country

Authenticity

Authenticity

• Today we see this as a reaction to the fact that we have enough monetary resources. We seek the more emotional values for example represented by individual packages, homemade foods or crafts work done by local craftsmen

• Autenticity is about:– Being original– Real– Genuine

• The sense of authenticity often contributes to a product’s likeability

”In a virtual world, we’ll long for reality even more”

Forbes, ASAP 2000

Focus!!!!

• Treat Iceland as a brand– Focus on the core– Build around the core– Communicate the core

• Utilize the megatrends• Utilize technology - digitalization

– Segmentation– Communication

After all…

"There is no place like home"