The presenation in EDEN meeting in Ankara, Turkey -July 28 2012.

1. online marketing strategy
& use of
social media & technology
by destinations
How destinations can utilize online marketing tools for
increasing their competitiveness
& offer value to their customers?
Themis Papadimopoulos, MBA
Ankara 28/6/2012

2. Our goal?
Competitiveness- sustainability for destinations
My goal today..
CHANGE THE WAY YOU APPROACH ONLINE TRAVEL TILL TODAY

3. The destination
website
reality I
Greece EDEN
2007-2008

4. The destination
website
reality II
Greece EDEN
2009-2011

5. The destination
website
reality III
Turkey
EDEN 2009

6. The destination
website
reality IV
Turkey
EDEN 2010

7. EDEN DESTINATION WEBSITES
brief comparative index
Greece Turkey
• Just a info website • Just a tourism info website
• No relative information • Some relative information
• No goals • No goals
• No customer • Hmm.. customer
• No social media presence • A basic social media presence

8. What are the common
destination websites mistakes?
PLANNING
• No travel
IMPLEMENTATION
• No completed goals
=
philosophy.. • No real time Not so
• No defined goals information good
• No coherent • No updates for
quality – • No participation- travel
necessary sites
user engagement
content
• No
interconnectivity
• Where is the
customer?

9. Marketing = value for (our) customer
destination marketing is how can we give more value
A definition of
to our (potential) guest as a destination & make him DECIDE
to come
So online destination marketing is how can we give more value
to our (potential) guest as a destination ONLINE & make him
DECIDE to come (?)
(& if is planned & long term= sustainable(?)
But today no1. information source is online, so?
Is online mkt= offline mkt??? NO  So let’s define them!!!

10. The travel environment
offline  online
A direct approach to travel

11. The Tourism phenomenon

12. Home Destination(?)

13. what a destination is
Destinations are Theories that
All tourists get amalgams of have recognized
somewhere tourist products, travelers
to do offering
(customers) as
something experience to
(Medlik & the customers
stakeholders are
Middleton 1973) (Murphy et al.2000, very few
p. 44). (except Buhalis 2000 και
Kotler et al.1993).
Travelers
Experience
Place

14. DESTINATION
MARKETING
Planned
ACTIONS
that attract
travelers by
creating
experiences
(?)

15. =

16. Destination attraction elements
activities accommodation
Whatever
destination
attractions decides…
YOU

17. Eg. destination BİTLİS NEMRUT CRATER LAKE
activities accommodation
Whatever
destination
attractions decides…
YOU

18. BİTLİS NEMRUT CRATER LAKE
Destination marketing
accommodation
activities
attractions
Whatever
destination
decides…

19. Marketing??? Where is our happy customer?

20. BİTLİS NEMRUT CRATER LAKE
Destination marketing
X
accommodation
activities
attractions
Whatever
destination
decides…

21. BİTLİS NEMRUT CRATER LAKE
Destination marketing
customer

22. Destination marketing no1
goal is customer satisfaction
activities
accommodation
Marketing
research = Strategic
who is the planning
Whatever
customer destination
attractions decides…
Implementation
Evaluation

23. So… Offline
DESTINATION MARKETING
Offline ACTIONS
that attract (before)
and satisfy (after) the
travelers

24. Offline ACTIONS
that attract (before) &
satisfy (after) the travelers
& WANT TO visit AGAIN
= REPEAT VISIT = THE
MO$T tangible GOAL!!!

25. OK with OFFLINE DEST. MKT- plus…
• It is obvious that there is not such thing as
“destination expert”
• there are processes that a destination can follow, its
up to the stakeholders.
• What is absolutely obvious is that the first step
should do research about the customer
* Can you please explain branding, please?
is there any relation between
destination branding & destination marketing?
What is the difference?

26. Branding BUT Marketing
is for products is for businesses

27. Offline mkt conclusions
• Every destination has its own id, characteristics, procedure
can not be same..
• We have to decide that we want to do it right
• We need a plan and targets.
• And follow it- execute it correct.
• The first thing we need is…
KNOWLEDGE < RESEARCH
(knowledge in strategy is always the
sustainable competitive advantage, right?)
LETS GO TO ONLINE destination marketing…
• How do we know that travel websites complete their
targets? Which are our targets?

28. ONLINE DESTINATION MARKETING

29. is a bit more complicated…
we have more & new parameters here!

31. The questions are many

32. Formulas are more…

33. Information is much more!!

35. Online Life cycles are enormous

36. Travelers are more than ever!!!

37. USER share Online awards!!

38. What does this mean?
• What has changed?
• Simply that the power NOW is the hands of
the customer- user and NOT traditional
destination stakeholders
It is USER GENERATED
AND WHAT ALL THESE HAVE IN COMMON???

39. THE USER!! Who now is a prod-uSer!
So what the destination should do for that?

40. ONLINE DESTINATION MARKETING
ONLINE
ACTIONS
that attract
USERS/
POTENTIAL
travelers

41. Why is this change?

42. Technology is everywhere!!

43. Mobile devices
that affect two
things!

47. Technology & information revolution
• Time has changed everything  INSTANT
• Information is mobile and everywhere
• Systems integration  BOOKINGS, SEARCH
• Transactions also mobile  I WANT IT NOW
• Social media is like a telephone line today..
• Social media is not technology… its distribution=
more than necessary!!!
= personalization of services &
constant enviroment CHANGE

48. So today the travelers are our new stakeholders !!

49. A sustainable and competitive destination?
Sustainability = long term planning
Competitiveness = technology adoption
(not only in communication)
KNOW the network!!!
KNOW the user/ customer
KNOWING THE PRESENT IS LIKE KNOWING THE FUTURE

50. ENOUGH with theory
Any SOCIAL practical advice, Mr.?

51. Social… Philosophy
First define the online GOAL!!!!
• Social media is social, you have to offer
through them
• Be real & as instant as you can be
• Assist users as you would like some help
• You need TIME- 2-3 months to see results
• Be adoptive with planning, everything
changes and needs update online

52. Content… is the King!
First define the online GOAL!!!!
• Create unique photos, videos and adopt a
timeline to upload
• Relate your content with destination USP’s
• Relate your content with your dates / events
• Make offers, ask for feedback, not customers
• Interact with the users as much as you can!

53. Social Prerequisites
• Define the …
• Be patient with results
• It’s a learning experience, just like bicycle
• Investing money doesn’t mean that you bring
money, you have to learn WHERE to invest it
• You have to know that you need a PLAN first
and follow up with the implementation
• It doesn’t need a lot, you need to be fully
focused on the CUSTOMER = marketing!

54. Your… social outcome
• Define first your preferred outcome*
• Its like having a new telephone line
• You have to play and learn with YOUR
product, try and fail, there is no other way
(The more you play, the more you learn!)
*Update your goals as you learn
Lets see some goals and online efforts!!

58. Everybody wants a free FB pic!!!
Even Richard
Quest does!!

60. March
– May 2012
Everybody is
NOW
on FB
FB is fair
Users give
you power
Pages have
more

61. Time & tran$action

62. nice… clear what is missing NOW…?

63. Online MKT research is still back…
• Online traveler behavior (travel patterns,
satisfaction etc)
• The relation of online tourism supply and demand
• Destinations as networks (behavioral)
• Infomediaries and their role to the experience
Parameters that need further research

64. And finally…
ISTANBUL BRAND ANALYSIS
Tourists come to Istanbul to visit
heritage sites but they cannot go
everywhere because there is lack of
information.
They need contact with the locals that
they cannot communicate with
them, because of language barriers.
They also feel as walking wallets.
The most important factor that affects
brand equity is the the history of the
ISTANBUL ONLINE POPULATION city, BUT its NOT a success factor
regarding the branding efforts.
Plus, the low brand loyalty is not very
good- they don’t find what they
have been looking for, so they don’t
see any reason for revisiting…
(Stella Kladou PhD Research)

65. Hope I did it!!
Tesekkur ederim!!!
for your invitation
and your attention!
& YOUR TIME!!!!