Posts Tagged ‘open letter’
open letter: tourism bureaus »
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
I know what you’re thinking: Another open letter? Really? Yes. Really. I had a couple conversations this morning along these lines.
Dear Most of You,
There you are. You’re the be-all, end-all for your destination. You’re where people turn to book their trips, learn about your locale and plan their travel. Except for one thing: you’re not.
Don’t get me wrong, your sites are pretty, filled to brimming with helpful. Some find a lot of value in that but more find value in TripAdvisor (and ilk) with hands-on visitor feedback. Many travelers are going to Travelocity, Priceline, etc. to book their trips.
You’re letting your expertise be siphoned off. There are thousands of sites more specifically pertinent and millions of travelers looking for more.
We’re in an age of conversation, not broadcast. If you’re not talking with us you’re talking at us. We’re ignoring you. Your audience will dwindle as more become internet-savvy.
How large is your staff? 20? 40? 200? Even a small destination’s site could have hundreds of visitors per month. Put them to use; who doesn’t like talking about their travel?
Use Twitter, Facebook, etc. to relay useful tips and articles about your destination to followers. Ask visitors where they like to shop, eat and be entertained. Allow for comments and discussions.
Soon, creating a blog, loading Flickr images and sending tweets to both won’t be enough.
There are political obstacles. Keep your booking engines and link exchanges. If you’re funded through membership, even partially, have your users to mention your name when out and about. (Deals? Incentives?)
Your voice, while important, is not what travelers want to hear. They want to hear the voices of others or to be able to share theirs. Facilitate that conversation, adding your wisdom where appropriate, and your credibility will rise.
Or, you could keep on keepin’ on. You’ll weather the downturn only to be overshadowed. With so many free or cheap options out there to increase your status as a premium source of information, it’s on you.
Good luck.
Draynd
Sidenote: How many of you knew tourism bureaus existed or that you could book travel through many of them? Yeah… exactly my point.
zeitgeist: addendum »
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
Normally, I’d break down the film but Zeitgeist: Addendum is a “documentary” (think, Michael Moore) so instead, here’s an open letter to Peter Joseph (writer, director):
Dear Peter Joseph,
Your optimism in regard to the human animal is reassuring and unfounded. The presentation of the data is entertaining. Some of the facts were obvious, others obscure. The movie itself is fun for the whole family.
You made fine points about our money being worthless and the economic system being unsustainable. I’m all about it. Then you moved on to Utopian and lost me. To think the common folk will realize their oppressed status, have the finances to revolt and establish an advanced society is juvenile but comforting.
Your ideas on the abolition of religion are enlightening in their redundancy. Since there has been logical thought, some have opposed the regressive doctrine of intolerant faiths. Thanks for your diligence in reminding everyone.
The last sequence is laughable. Your mention of Seven World Trade Center was more a shout-out to those that spend their days taking illegible notes in worn notebooks about everything they see than a pointed statement.
You need to change your target market to spread the message beyond word of mouth and hippies. Aim for trust fund kids. They’re out of touch enough with present-day America and have the money to finance your initiatives.
Mostly, though, it’s the weak website you and your compatriots are subjecting my eyes to. I mean, the ideas of the Venus Project are interesting and all but it’s associated site is terrible. Until you find a decent designer, thanks but no thanks.
I wish you luck as one that shares your frustration with current trends and financial assumptions.
Cheers,
Draynd
Seriously though, take a look at this movie. It’s entertaining save for the suffocating hopefulness. The alternative perspective alone is worth at least a skim.
dear comcast dicks, »
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
I’m one of your lowly (premium cable, high-use interweb, digital voice I don’t know the number for) customers. I realize you’re busy so I’ll provide a shortened version: Fuck you!
If you’d like more, please continue reading.
Your On-Demand service was upgraded to sell more dead-air with a branded guide and it blacks out regularly. You’ve boosted interweb to five-years-ago speed. Your content (through producers, obviously) is mostly intolerable (like watching tweens argue over who’s a better MySpace friend). Your attempts to pressure old or techtarded people into buying your service for the switch to digital is admirably abhorrent.
Okay, Okay. You’re right, it’s not just you. All the cable companies and utility providers are shitheads. And yes, we’re using the interweb we do have like toddlers (walking through the library I saw 75% of the screens on YouTube). Still, is that any reason to punish users with sixth-grade-plus usage habits?
What exactly am I paying for? Your service? Your stance against net neutrality? Your product? Your helpful, jovial nature? Not so much… oh. Right. It’s that you’re the only douchebags that can give me the three channels I watch (outside of broadcast) and faster interweb than dial-up or satellite.
For what it’s worth, thanks for that. Thanks for keeping the bar low and expectations lower. Thanks for providing terrible service at vastly inflated prices. Thanks for being just enough as the only one, frustrating and annoying everyone.
Above all, thanks for motivating me to find alternatives to your shit-tastic bundle after my move in the spring.
Contractually, unhappily yours,
Draynd
Note: Our On-Demand was out again last night. I’ve seasons to catch up with. I’m not amused (obviously).