Launch presentation of ESRC-funded Digital Destinations project at Bournemouth University School of Tourism

1. Digital Destinations
Developing and sharing best practice
in online marketing

2. Agenda
• About the Economic & Social Research Council
• Introduction to the Digital Destinations team
• Project aims
• The Digital Destinations project – what can you expect and
what do we expect 
• How will it be delivered?
• Tracking customer engagement through social media
• Next steps
• Q&A and networking

3. Economic and Social Research Council
“We are the UK's largest organisation for funding research on
economic and social issues. We support independent, high
quality research which has an impact on business, the public
sector and the third sector. Our total budget for 2012/13 is £205
million. At any one time we support over 4,000 researchers and
postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent
research institutes.”
More information at: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/about-esrc/

4. Digital Destinations team
Dr Philip Alford, Project Lead, BU
Professors Steve Page & Dimitrios Buhalis, BU
Lisa Ashurst, Business Engagement Consultant, BU
Jane Bingham, Programmes Administrator, BU
Maureen McAllister, Founder, McAllister & Co.
Simon Jones, Co-Founder, Digital Visitor

5. The project aims
• The project aims to create templates of best online marketing
practice for the visitor economy sector and to create a
‘learning destination’.
• Position on-line marketing as a central strategy for your
business.
• A strategic approach is essential, effectively managed and
measured
• This programme will help you to maximise your potential and
impact, create and share best practice
• On-line marketing is developing quickly and this programme
will help you identify and develop the best routes for your
organisation

6. On line marketing

7. On line marketing

8. It’s influence is rapid and increasing
Social networking in Europe increased by 10.9% in 2010: The highest seen
in any global region.
75% of consumers don’t believe companies tell the truth in their
advertisements: Consumers are increasingly turning to the opinions of
other consumers for information.
46.7% of consumers do write reviews and 29% of consumers consider
positive reviews as the most likely factor to make them book a holiday
online: 25-40% of people who leave a hotel website do so to read an
online review

9. Quick question
Starting from now, how many people will have
visited Pinterest by the end of our event?
> The Count

10. www.oregonkayaking.net
“Learning is like rowing upstream: not to
advance is to drop back.”
(Chinese Proverb)

11. First steps
• Recruit 60 organisations
• Divided into six 10-strong knowledge clusters
• Each group has a leader / champion / facilitator
• Organisations chosen on basis of application process
– Some information about you and your business
– Information about your current online marketing
– What do you aspire to get from the programme?
– How will you commit to the project?
• Online application available from 19th October to be completed
by 26th October
• Project group notified by 9th November

12. What can you expect?
• Workshops, sharing best practice and action learning groups
• The opportunity to learn from the DD team and your peers
• A final year student taking an online marketing course
• A template for your online marketing strategy
• Access to an online repository of case studies and information
• PR value through project dissemination and promotion
• Detailed analysis of your online marketing performance
• Lots of fun, creative thinking, brainstorming, engagement!

13. What do we expect?
• Your commitment
• Attendance at all events – continuity is key
• Engagement beyond the face to face seminars – online
forums, webinars, action learning, doing your homework
• Access to analytics data (strict confidentiality guaranteed)
• Support your student
• Willingness to co-create and share knowledge
• An open and inquiring mind!
• Preparedness to implement and test ideas and feedback

14. How will it be delivered?
• Four half-day face-to-face strategy seminars in
November, January, March and June
• 3 action learning groups to follow each seminar
• Information and time (for discussion and debate and support)
• Examples of best practice
• A series of webinars on key topics

15. Why Digital Visitor
Digital Visitor specialise in the Travel, Tourism and Leisure sector
both for:
Social media technology
•Application for easy integration into websites providing review
and social media capability
Social media marketing
•Relevant experience for social media campaigns and channel
management in the industry

16. Tracking customer engagement
through social media
Digital Visitor will be providing companies included in the project
with use of their review and social media solution.
•Enables users to upload reviews, ratings, photos, videos and discussions
•Content provides SEO benefits to your own website
•Content can be shared with popular social media channels, users and
organisations
•Solution to aid content gathering
•Easy integration into your own website (some web development time will be
required)
•http://www.digitalvisitorapps.com/demo/index1.php

17. Next steps
• Join the Q&A which is coming next
• Decide if you want to get involved
• Complete the application form!

18. Thanks for coming and for listening
@philipalford
#BUDD
ddp@bournemouth.ac.uk
Tel: 01202 965406