→ ‘Work like hell and advertise’
→ America’s favorite cities
→ See the USA on the Web
→ ‘Stay-cation’ make you blanch?
→ Leaf-peepers are coming!
→ The Roosevelt Hotel to return
→ All 'y’all' is the correct plural
→ Golfers’ Top 10 list resorts
→ STS events and dates
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Marketing advice in a tough economy: ‘Work like hell and advertise’
“Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.”
That was the marketing mantra of Cohen Williams, patriarch of Martha White Foods (bluegrass music legends Flatt and Scruggs made Martha White Flour famous), and marketing thought leaders point to that philosophy—especially in difficult economic times.
Editors at American Business Media compiled a list of axioms for hard times, including this one: “When times are good, you should advertise; when times are bad, you must advertise.”
Marketing columnist and advertising agency founder David Bohan focused on that concept earlier this year.
“Historically, the companies that take aggressive action during recessions win,” he wrote in The Tennessean (Nashville’s daily newspaper), citing a study from the American Association of Advertising Agencies that found that companies with even modest increases in marketing and advertising during the last recession saw gains in market share.
Advertising Age columnist Jack Neff reinforced that message with five tips to survive this economy. His first tip: “Don’t cut the marketing and advertising budget. Maintaining or even increasing spending can create opportunities in times when the overall level of spending may be dropping. Your message will more likely be heard during times of less noise.”
Opinionated travelers have voted, and they say Honolulu is tops for romance, New York is best for shopping and San Francisco wins for notable neighborhoods. Perhaps it’s no surprise that a Southern city (Charleston, S.C.) was labeled the friendliest. The poll was Travel + Leisure’s annual “Favorite Cities” survey. See whether your favorite even got on the ballot.
See the USA on the Web
Just how do you tell an entire nation’s tourism story on one Web site? It’s a daunting task, but check out DiscoverAmerica.com for a comprehensive look at America. It samples everything from Acadia to Zion, from aquariums to zoos.
The site is a project of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Travel Industry Association, and it’s aimed primarily at international visitors (hence the versions in French, German, Spanish and Japanese), but it’s a fun site for Americans to skim through, too. No doubt, many front-line tourism employees would like American travelers to read the section about tipping.
Did ‘stay-cation’ make you blanch, too?
Mark Kennedy, features editor and columnist at The Times Free Press in Chattanooga, Tenn., occasionally looks as life from an unusual perspective. His commentary on the 2008 contrivance called a “stay-cation” is good for more than one chuckle. See how he turned his “stay-cation” into a “Rachael Ray-cation,” a “spray-cation” and almost an “e-Bay-cation.”
AROUND THE SOUTHEAST
The leaf-peepers are coming!
Tennessee and Pennsylvania are Americans’ top targets for fall foliage. Each captures 13 percent of fall foliage travelers, according to research by AAA and Ypartnership. Close behind are Massachusetts and New York (10 percent) and then Virginia, North Carolina and Wisconsin (nine percent). The Tennessee fall color hotline is 800-697-4200.
The Roosevelt to return to New Orleans
Hotels are proof positive that reincarnation is real. Consider the impending rebirth of the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans.
The property opened in 1863 as the Grunewald. In 1923, it was renamed in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. It became the Fairmont in 1965, but Hurricane Katrina ended that.
The latest reincarnation is scheduled for late spring 2009 when a $135 million renovation is completed and the hotel opens again with the revered Roosevelt name as part of the Waldorf=Astoria Collection. Look for 505 rooms (125 suites), a fancy spa and fitness center, meeting space and, yes, the famed Blue Room and the legendary Sazerac Bar.
It will be a time to order a Sazerac cocktail or a Ramos Gin Fizz—both New Orleans creations—and remember when WWL used to broadcast live from the hotel that inspired Arthur Haley’s best-selling 1965 novel, “Hotel.”
Southern grammar lesson: ‘All y’all’ is the correct plural
The Southern accent still charms the rest of the nation, according to a national survey conducted by Harris Interactive. A Walter Cronkite “middle of the road” accent was most favored, but talk with a Reese Witherspoon flavor ranked next in line.
four resorts in Southeast
Four of the nation’s Top 10 golf resorts are in the Southeast, according to an online poll in Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine. Pinehurst Resort topped the list for the third time in four years. A Georgia resort was the only newcomer. Tee off here to see all 10.
IMPORTANT STS DATES
+ Next STS board meeting Dec. 15-16, 2008; Amelia Island, Fla.
+ Next nomination deadline for Top 20 Events for festivals/attractions in July, August, September 2009 is Jan. 9, 2009
