Back to basics. Meet (or exceed) your customers/guests expectations.

A cool website can be a great marketing tool, but it can also create expectations. And marketers must make sure that those expectations are met (or exceeded). A recent travel experience reminded me of how important it is for businesses (tourism or otherwise) to manage customers' expectations. Last weekend I spent three days in beautiful Huron County in Western Ontario. My wife found the place where we stayed on the Web, but I had seen advertisements of Benmiller Inn before. The Benmiller Inn website indicates that the inn has been awarded a Four Diamond Award and that it belongs to Ontario's Finest Inns. The site and its content creates expectations in the mind of the consumer, and so it did in our minds. But when we got to our room the expectatons were not met. And our $200 dinner at the Inn's restaurant was a disappointment (except for the Carpaccio). My point here is not to criticize the Benmiller Inn, but rather to bring up the issue of creating and managing expectations. I must say here, that the Benmiller Inn was responsive to our comments. Kathy, at the front desk was very understanding in listening to our observations and conveyed them to the Innkeeper. The next day she came and found us and told us that they wanted to upgrade us to a larger room, which we accepted. The room was much better and looked more like the rooms pictured on the website.

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In the past, when customers' expectations were not met by a business (or product or brand), people had very few, if any, avenues to express their disappointment or complaints. But today, as most of us know now, people can Twitter, blog, write on their Facebook wall or their friend's walls. They can write reviews on Tripadvisor and many other sites. Today a complaint can go viral and it can definitely affect the bottom line. So don't forget the basics. Your website should NOT be better than your core offering (in this case the Inn itself). Don't over promise because you will generate expectations you won't meet.

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The Benmiller Inn is a very good Inn in the very small town of Benmiller, Ontario. Some people may not like that it's right next to the road, but once you are in the Inn proper this should not be an issue. The few staff we encountered were very friendly and attentive (except our dinner waitress who seemed somewhat aloof). The first room we stayed at was fine but the air conditioning was not working and it was a bit run down - it did not look the rooms pictured in the website. The second room/suite they upgraded us to was excellent, though we did not spend much time in it. The elegant restaurant has a cozy atmosphere. When we had dinner on a Thursday evening there weren't many customers there (maybe two other tables), but we were looking forward to the meal. Our expectations were high based on the Inn's website. We were not expecting La Pinsonnière, but we were expecting a very good high-end meal. We did not have it. The first steak I ordered was overcooked, my wife's scallops were dry and our daughter's cornish hen was just OK (according to her, I did not try it). We only had two glasses of wine total and the bill came to $200 plus gratuity. Not a very expensive meal (La Pinsonnière can easily be double that), but not inexpensive either. The issue was not the money, but the expectations. The next day we had lunch at the Corner Cafe in Blyth, a local diner in that charming Ontario town. Being a diner kind of place The sandwiches were great and the fries excellent our expectations were very low (sandwiches cost about $4). But we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. Our expectations were exceeded. (I had a Denver, my wife had a Club and our daughter had chicken). So given, these two experiences, we have decided that next time we're in the area, we'll eat at the Corner Cafe and not at the Inn.

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In conclusion, with all the talk about digital marketing and edistribution, Twitter, blogging, Social Media, Mobile marketing, etc., etc., we may forget that the first order of business is to remember what our core offering is and to deliver accordingly. What is the core competency of the business? What is the business', brand's promise? Get back to basics and be mindful of what kind of expectations you are creating in the mind of your prospective guests/customers.

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Jaime Horwitz MBA

Canadian Tourism. March inbound numbers are in. Who's pulling the rug?

Statistics Canada has published canadian tourism figures for the month of March 2009. It would appear that someone (the tourist) or something (the economy) is pulling the rug right from under our collective feet. With very few exceptions (like China), all markets were down, some way down compared to March 2009. This is a reflection of the full impact of the recession and a call to redouble our collective marketing efforts. Hopefully, the government's stimulus package for Canadian Tourism will be spent wisely and will minimize the bleeding. There have been a few signs in North America that the economoy may start to stabilize in anticipation of renewed growth, but the recovery might not be felt until 2010. Millions of people are still travelling, but fewer are coming to Canada. This is how it looked in March compared to March 08 (first number compares to March last year, second number compares to Jan-March period of last year):

USA -5.9% -5.6% (US visits continue to fall dramatically, down a further 30% since 2006)
UK -34.1% -24.1%
Australia -5.7% -5.9%
France +0.7% -1.6%
Germany -6.9% +3.5%
Spain -25% -9%
Mexico -37.7% -20.7%
Brazil -16.8% +6.3%
China +17.5% +15.8%
Hong Kong -13.1% -11.5%
Japan -23.3% -24.1%
India +3.2% +11.6%

source: International Travel: Advance Information Bulletin March 2009

While the current environment will force most tourism businesses to make tough decisions in order to contain costs, this is not a time to eliminate marketing efforts. On the contrary, we must rededicate ourselves to better and smarter marketing. Competitors around the world are making extra efforts this year to attract the tourists that are still travelling this year (and there are millions of them). Stay the course.

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Jaime Horwitz MBA

Spring has Sprung and Summer is around the corner. Travel Canada.

Victoria Day Weekend marks the "unofficial" start of the summer season in Canada. Queen Victoria's day comes around right in the middle of Spring when flowers are in full bloom, birds are looking for a partner, and Canadians have a renewed spring in their step. While this is a very challenging year for many Canadians (and my heart goes out to all those who have lost jobs), let's remember that we have seen difficult times before and always have come out stronger. Canadian tourism is being hit hard by the global economic downturn, but we are still one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world and people will continue to come visit us. Let's make this year visitors ambassador's of our tourism brands; from bellboys (and girls) to hotel managers, to airline personnel to tour guides; let's once again prove to our visitors why Canadians have a reputation as being one of or perhaps the friendliest people in the world. :D

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Jaime

Seth Godin on Tribes: challenge, create culture, connect, commit

Very good food for thought from Seth Godin at TED. (Thanks D'Arcy McKittrick for pointing it out on Twitter @DArcyMcK).

Enjoy,

Jaime

Ban the Seal Hunt. Cutting your nose to Spite your Face - The Canadian Seal Hunt and Canadian Tourism.

For the record. I am personally against the Canadian Seal Hunt. The following post reflects my opinion only and not necessarily that of anyone else in the Canadian tourism industry. I do wonder, however, why don't I hear more voices in the industry talking about this issue. What is the industry's position on the Seal Hunt? Join the conversation.

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I find it appalling and very disappointing that Parliament unanimously approved a motion to use the Winter Games to promote seal products. Talk about cutting your nose to spite your face. The way Canadian governments have defended this practice and dying industry for so long reminds me of 6 year olds, who stubbornly cling to an old useless (and potentially dangerous) toy. What they have done with this motion is provide PETA with more ammunition to bash Canada before, during and after the Games. Besides my personal opposition to the Seal Hunt, I care about the tourism industry very much and I care about Canada's image in the world as well. I know my business has been affected (because people let me know every Spring with not very polite emails or blog comments). This "brilliant" idea from Bloc Québécois MP Raynald Blais to use the Games to promote seal products is not only not helpful to the Canadian Tourism industry, but actually harmful. Expect to see PETA activists along the route of the Olympic Torch. Expect to see YouTube videos, Tweets, Blog Posts, publicity stunts and many other PETA tactics that are not limited by political concerns as much of our tourism promotion is.

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The seal products industry is an industry in fast decline. The market for seal products around the world is sinking (and I don't personally know anyone in Canada who would buy anything containing seal products). This is a fact, whatever your position on the seal hunt may be. According to a long article about the Seal Hunt on the CBC website, the expected price for a seal pelt in 2009 is $15 per pelt. This represents a 78% drop from the price in 2006! Any first year business student would tell you, "get out of this business," the ROI is just not there. Currently, even Russia has stopped the practice, "after Prime Minister Vladimir Puttin called the hunt a bloody industry." (Globe and Mail. A6)

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According to the CBC article, the Seal Hunt constitutes only a fraction of Newfoundland and Labrador's $600 million fishery. Only about 1% of the population there derives some income from the Seal Hunt. "The governments argue that's a substantial number for rural communities, and comparable to other industries." That may be so, in percentage terms, but the writing is on the wall. With the EU ban on seal products in place, notwithstanding Canadian politicians protestations, the market for seal products is just going to decline further. The Canadian Tourism Industry is a multi-billion dollar industry which depends, in good measure, on Canada's image internationally. I don't know of any studies or surveys that quantify the loss of revenue in tourism to Canada because of the seal hunt, but I get the feeling that it's not a pittance.

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Instead of throwing temper tantrums and clinging to a dying industry, Canadian politicians and Seal Hunt advocates should calm down and work to find solutions to the problem. It's not the first time that a region has to deal with changing times, changing tastes, diminishing returns and disappearing industries. In past years, there have been ideas put forth by various people regarding how to help the sealers find other occupations. They too must see clearly that the trend is clear and they better find other sources of income. Could there be opportunities in tourism? I understand that navigating the waters off Newfoundland & Labrador in early spring might be difficult, but what about modifying icebreakers and turn them into seal observation vessels for tourists to go see the seals? What about "adotpion?" I'm just brainstorming here. But I would be willing to "adopt" baby seals every year. If the price of a pelt in 2009 is $15, I'd be happy to adopt ten seals and send $150 dollars to a former sealer who would now "symbolically" protect my adopted seals. Make it 20 seals. Something like this could get traction around the world "Adopt a Canadian baby Seal." We could go out and shoot the seals (WITH a CAMERA) in their habitat and post videos on YouTube showing our "adopted" babies. Weather permitting there could be helicopter rides to go see the seals. I am sure that better minds than mind can come up with alternatives to the seal hunt that would benefit former sealer and start new industries in the region. Besides, my personal feelings about the hunt, I agree with Margartet Wente of the Globe and Mail who writes "The truth is that the hunt is a global embarrasment and nothing short of banning it will change that."

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The eyes of the world will be on Canada for the next several months leading up to the Olympics. What do we want them to see?
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Things Change. Times Change. the Seal Hunt must End. Let me know where to send my cheque.
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Jaime Horwitz MBA

Influenza A H1N1 formerly known as Swine flu not as Bad as Thought

From many accounts in Mexico, the US and around the world, it looks like this new type of Influenza is a lot like regular Influenza. While I agree that authorities should remain vigilant (particularly come Fall), perhaps it's time to get back to the buusiness of promoting travel. Let's keep in mind that worldwide there are some 1,000 confirmed cases, mostly mild, but in Canada alone, according to health officials, regular Influenza causes, on average, 4,000 deaths annually.

Spring is here and Summer is coming. Lots of great events in Canada to promote like Luminato, Montreal's Biennale, Cirque du Soleil's Ovo, Toronto's Indy, Osheaga Festival and more.

Bon Voyage,

Jaime


-- Post From My iPhone

My 10 essential films of all time.

Bell Lightbox the new heart for the Toronto International Film Festival on track to open in 2010. The $129 building should be ready in time for the 2010 festival. While the Festival is perhaps the most important festival (cultural or otherwise) in Canada, it is not the only thing that the Toronto Film Festival Group does. TIFFG has a breadth of programming and activities that celebrate film including many educational initiatives throughout the year. I recently received an email from TIFFG (Noah Cowan, artistic director) asking me to participate in their Essentials of World Cinema Survey. This survey will be a "key component of our inaugural programming for Bell Lightbox." The survey asks for one's "Ten essential films of world cinema." The following is my list, in no particular order:

Battleship Potemkin (Eisenstein)

Lawrence of Arabia (Lean)

Modern Times (Chaplin)

La Dolce Vita (Fellini)

Citizen Kane (Welles)

The Godfather (Coppola)

Les Quatre cents coups (Truffaut)

Kagemusha (Kurosawa)

Napoleon (Abel Gance)

2001 a Space Odyssey (Kubrick)

Popcorn, anyone? Action!
Jaime Horwitz