* Submission deadline extended through Friday, September 7 at midnight * Recognizing that many of you are still working on your entries, we are extending the deadline. Hurray! Don’t procrastinate any longer. Submit your innovative campaigns in order to be recognized as one of the best in tourism marketing and to be in the running to win an eTourism Summit Excellence (eTSY) Award. With 13 unconventional awards, there is surely a category where you shine. Winners will be recognized at the eTourism Summit in San Francisco on October 11. |
Award Categories:Video Awards
Digital Content Awards
For more details, visit the eTSY Award application site.
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Miles Partnership Acquires Leading Tourism Storytelling Agency, Odyssey Storyworks
In the news:
Miles Partnership has announced its acquisition of Odyssey Storyworks. Ryan Thompson, founder and CEO of Odyssey, a Dallas-based digital storytelling and content marketing agency, joins leading tourism marketing consultancy Miles Partnership. As Senior Vice President, Thompson will provide expertise in strategy, brand management and oversight of a portfolio of accounts including the Odyssey business unit in Texas.
Related: Move Over UGC…UDC (User Directed Content) for Video is Edited in Real Time (The Travel Vertical, 7/31/2018)
For the second year, Ryan is leading an eTourism Summit Pre-Conference Day Workshop when 24 participants will get the benefit of his instruction, taking skills back home for zero budget video production. Register for the day long, hands-on session when the streets of San Francisco become your backdrop. “Create: Smartphone Video Storytelling for IGTV” on Oct. 9, 2018 is back at #eTS18 by popular demand.
Related: Love Haight: Hands-On Smartphone Video Workshop Returns to Haight-Ashbury (The Travel Vertical, 6/24/2018)
Move Over UGC…UDC (User Directed Content) for Video is Edited in Real Time
A fresh, innovative, UGC iteration comes to town—starting in Dallas. User Directed Content (or “UDC”) is a new approach that’s helping to make and tell stories in a completely different way. Is it authentic, humanized content? Absolutely!]
The Travel Vertical talked to Ryan Thompson, Founder and CEO at Odyssey Storyworks. Using the 50th Anniversary of the Frozen Margarita as the focus and Visit Dallas as the partner, a wild new concept of UGC was put through its beta paces…and brilliantly done, by all accounts.
The Inspiration
The 50th Anniversary of the Frozen Margarita. It was the brainchild of Mariano Martinez, current owner of Mariano’s Hacienda in Dallas. #DidYouKnow? The original frozen margarita machine now permanently lives in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
The Idea
Everybody wants the video, nobody wants the production spend. But what if we could use real people to help shoot video with their smartphones while providing them with real-time professional direction and shot lists? Focusing on the Frozen Margarita, that’s exactly what happened when folks fanned out to hit any and all of the Mexican restaurants/bars along “The Margarita Mile” near Mariano’s.*
*This is Dallas…there are plenty.
The Tricky Bit
“One of the things we’ve tried to do is bring UGC video forward as a storytelling vehicle,” Ryan explains. “But it’s the wild west out there. You can get something terrific or something that’s not appropriate.”
The Planning
The project requires a shot-by-shot needs list, a production facility to receive and upload videos in real time, professionals to provide live direction on angle, lighting, closeups and more to the contributors as they shoot. Skilled editors support project, working through hundreds of hours of content directly provided by consumers.
The Evergreen Aspect
A new video is released very three to four weeks over a period of nine months.
The Bonuses
The real time process replaces a typical three-week shoot. In addition to big cost savings and high shareability, Ryan suggests that, “You end up with the best of professional applied to the best of the spontaneity and enthusiasm of real people.”
Related: eTourism Summit 2018: DMO Case Study Highlights on Day Two Agenda
-> Hear from Ryan Thompson in person at eTourism Summit, Oct. 10-11, 2018. He’ll also be on hand at Pre-Conference Day on Oct. 9, 2018 to guide the Smartphone Video Storytelling Workshop. See the agenda and registration details.
Related: CREATE: Popular Smartphone Video Storytelling Workshop at eTourism Summit
5 ‘Only Slightly Exaggerated’ Questions with Travel Oregon
Thanks to Bound, we present Travel Oregon‘s latest campaign, “Only Slightly Exaggerated,” accompanied by an interview with Bryan Mullaney, Global Marketing Insights and Planning Manager.
It’s unlike anything we’ve seen in a tourism campaign before.
Oregon is Magic
“I want to go there,” is the desired response. You’ll be captivated by the fanciful, colorful, whimsical animation and characters as well as the goals and strategy behind the campaign. There’s even an original score by the Oregon Symphony.
ROI you ask? Bryan indicates that the job “would only be half complete if we didn’t create a bridge between the fantastical experiences of the animation and real Oregon locations travelers can visit.” So…they do.
See the video and read more here.
Related: Travel Oregon and the Robot Fish…It’s Gonna Be Weird
Steal This Idea: Inspired By Iceland Operates the ‘Iceland Academy’
Inspired By Iceland nails it in ‘Iceland Academy,’ a video tourism campaign aimed at ensuring a happy and meaningful experience for tourists.
The interactive online education tool encourages informed behavior from visitors through inspirational, playful, yet informative video classes, with completion goals.
Short, fun videos are presented by ‘tutors,’ eight representatives from tour and adventure sports companies, the Icelandic Search & Rescue Service, the National Culinary Team and other pros.
‘Iceland Academy’ classes are cultural primers on attention-grabbing topics such as:
- How to eat like a true Icelander
- How to avoid to awkwardness in the hot tub
- How not to get lost up a glacier mountain
- Why tourists shouldn’t mess with the treasured moss
- What to pack (and leave behind) for an Iceland vacation
Watch an “Inspired by Iceland” video (76 seconds) with three-quarters of a million views that will:
1) inspire you,
2) produce a smile, and
3) explain why the guy in this photo is wearing a sequined dress.
See “Pack Warm Stay Happy.“
