2. Select your business type in the middle of the page.

4. Choose “Register my business.”

Businesses today have plenty of opportunities to engage with their customers online. Responding to online reviews is an easy way to strengthen consumers’ confidence in your business, especially in the travel industry. Our L&S research shows (depending on the study) that 65-85% of consumers refer to online reviews when making travel plans.

TripAdvisor is the leading online review forum for the travel industry. Below are five key guidelines for responding to customer reviews. Use them to your advantage and build consumer confidence in your destination, attraction or event. Check back tomorrow for a step-by-step look at how to manage your reviews on TripAdvisor.

1. Listen

Sometimes listening is the hardest thing to do without responding. Just remember that complaints your customers have are really about them, not you. They’re about how they feel. How they were let down and what they want. Customers comment on the site because they want to be heard. Listen, find the root of the problem and address it. This shows customers they’ve been heard.

2. Reply Responsibly

Responding to negative reviews is a great way to show customers that you are listening and truly care about your customers’ feedback. A negative review with a response from management can be worth even more than a positive review. The response shows that you can graciously deal with complications if they occur and address them as needed.

Responding to every review is time consuming, but every once in a while you should recognize good reviews. Remember that a timely response is expected. It also shows you are attentive and receptive to feedback.

3. Watch Your Tone

Whether the review is critical or glowing, your reply should always be polite and professional, just as you would handle any other customer service response. Online users want to talk to humans, not corporations, so remember to talk to customers as if they were standing in front of you. Customers will give you a lot of credit for offering a courteous and thoughtful explanation, especially when the criticism is unnecessary.

4. Encourage Reviews

A higher volume of reviews weakens the impact of an occasional negative review. Volume also generally increases consumer trust, so encourage guests to respond and rate their experience online. However, refrain from offering incentives for writing reviews. Such a response may make the guest feel like you are trying to influence them. Incentives are also against the policy of many review sites.

Highlight any positive changes that are the result of customer feedback. It’s important to state that you’ve taken their feedback seriously and made positive changes for future visitors.

 5. Promise To Improve

End your reply with a promise to be better. Give reviewers a sign that you listened, you cared and you want to be better for them and future visitors.

Take a look at this week’s hot topics:

1. Online Ad Spending to Pass Print for the First Time

For the first time in history, online ad spending is predicted to pass print ad spending in the U.S.

In 2012,  eMarketer predicts the projected ad spend winners will be:

• Total ad spending is predicted to grow 6.7% to $169.5 billion in 2012, thanks to this year’s elections and the Summer Olympics.
• Online ad spending is predicted to grow 23.3% to $39.5 billion in 2012.
• Magazine print ad spending will increase to $15.4 billion in 2012, from $15.3 billion in 2011.

In 2012, eMarketer predicts the projected ad spend loser will be:

• Newspaper ad spending will decrease from $20.7 billion in 2011 to $19.4 billion in 2012 with a projected decrease to $17 billion by 2016.

It will be interesting to watch how the paid placement mix continues to evolve. One thing to note, ad dollars that are shifted to the online versions of print publications are not accounted for in the print category; rather, they move into the online advertising category. Therefore, as print viewing continues to grow on tablet and other online devices, we will continue to see this shift. Read the full eMarketer study.

2. 31% of Display Ads Go UnseenWith the shift of ad dollars to online buys, a ComScore study released Wednesday shows that 31% of display ad impressions reported are invisible (out of view of the consumer). For marketers, this means that we need to make sure the impressions we’re paying for are actually within the consumer’s view. And taking it one step further, consider pay-per-performance cost models to ensure that you’re getting the response you desire from your online ad buys. Read the full ComScore study.

3. Your TV May Be Watching

Last week, Laura talked about the Consumer Electronics Show and questioned where the buzz would like – well, it once again focused on webcams, but a much smarter kind. Just as webcams are now at the core of virtually all laptops, tablets and smart phones, TV’s are next. And we’re not just talking about Skype – these smart cameras will recognize you the minute you walk into your living room and automatically log you into your social sites, launch your favorite channels and websites. Now this takes “favorites” to a whole new level. This also provides one-to-one advertising opportunities for the first time on TV’s and could eventually lead to new TV advertising cost models, counting impressions only when an attentive audience actually sees the ad. Fun food for thought.

4. Long Term Positive Effects Shown for Social Media Campaigns

According to a BzzAgent study, the average social media campaign lasted 8 weeks and was typically successful in increasing consumer intent to purchase and likelihood to recommend to others. But what happened three months out or a year after a campaign ended?

Here’s a time series of the positive consumer opinion of a product which was the target of a campaign:

• Pre-campaign: 40%
• Post campaign: 80%
• 3 months out: 78%
• 6 months out: 77%
• 9 months out: 77%
• 1 year out: 75%

Not only was there a significant short-term impact, but a year later the advocates were just as enthusiastic about the brands as they were when they first participated in the campaigns.

Micah Aberson, Lawrence & Schiller’s Vice President of Client Service, is featured in the latest issue of Sioux Falls Business Magazine.

Read about the importance of consulting marketing experts to help develop successful plans that yield positive results. And remember to pick up a copy of this month’s Sioux Falls Business Magazine.

Last week, Lawrence & Schiller’s famed business cards were featured on the iBrand Studio blog in a post entitled, “30 Creative Circle Business Card Designs.”

We’ve heard many comments about our unique business cards throughout the years. They’ve been compared to coasters and used as office frisbees. But the most popular question is, “Can I fit this in my wallet?” We like that question because at L&S we like to stand out from the crowd. We don’t want our business or a client’s business to get “lost in the shuffle.”

Take a look at our business card and other circular designs at iBrandStudio.com.

Oh, and drop us a line if you’d like to find a place for our card in your wallet.

The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety kicked off its latest campaign as the state continues its plunge into the winter season, a time of year that is notorious for its hazardous driving conditions. The campaign — which urges drivers to move over for emergency vehicles — is made up of a series of interviews conducted with Highway Patrol Officers who were involved in severe accidents caused by motorists “overdriving” the road conditions.

Last year alone, the Office of Highway Safety responded to a total of thirteen such accidents; mishaps that could have been avoided had the other drivers slowed down and moved over for the response crews. South Dakota’s “Move Over” Law requires drivers to slow down at least twenty miles per hour less than the posted speed limit and merge into the farthest lane from the flashing yellow lights of emergency vehicles.

The campaign will be supported by a series of billboards and posters, with the posters being placed in areas like truck stops and interstate restrooms. Scroll down to watch all three of the spots. And remember, moving over for emergency vehicles isn’t just a courtesy. It’s the law.

I love the holidays. Every day brings something new, with parties, decorating, delivering gifts and serving. In advertising, holidays are a prime time for promotions, truly a no brainer for our retail clients. What we shouldn’t overlook, however, is what happens after the holidays.

As we sadly pack the decorations away, we get back into our normal routines, and the flood of ads start slow. In the world of retail, you’ll also notice once full price items are now on sale.

With the demand for ad space letting up, media, too, will go on sale after the holidays. Some stations looking to get numbers on the books early in the year may have ‘fire sales’ or one day sales blitzes offering packages for committing to a whole year of advertising. Other stations and publications aren’t quite as forward, but sales can be found nonetheless. Typically in the first quarter, inventory allows room for negotiation, and ads are less likely to be pre-empted.

This year, while your competitors are recovering from the holiday rush, why not take advantage and stay in front of your audience by continuing to advertise? Another bonus – grabbing your audience’s attention early in the new year is a great way to get ahead of the political ads we’ll start seeing later in the year.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about new year ad buys in the comment section below.

Happy post-holiday buying!

The American music service market is crowded, and reaching customers where they listen is becoming increasingly complicated. As a result of the fragmentation, advertisers today are faced with a dilemma. Going the route of traditional radio could mean missing out on reaching younger consumers who avoid the old-school model. Concentrating an entire radio advertising plan on online opportunities could mean missing out on local radio.

Let’s take a minute to look at the characteristics of the available listening platforms.

Pandora

Pandora is arguably the most successful Internet radio option for users that is supported by advertising. Pandora boasts 80 million users, and ComScore estimates about 19 million unique listeners on a monthly basis. While this is a small percentage of the entire adult population – it is an audience of active listeners. Users are required to listen to an ad to continue listening for free, and the company has made it a priority to make sure ads don’t infringe on the listening experience for users. They utilize fifteen second ads with companion banners, which don’t give advertisers much time to get their message across. Also, while Pandora’s age demographics span the spectrum, the median age is young compared to traditional radio.

Spotify and Myxer

Spotify and Myxer are up-and-coming online music services (or ankle biters depending on how you see it). Spotify has shown considerable growth since its 2008 inception – with about 10 million users worldwide, and a modest 3 million U.S. users. The trend is expected to continue upward supported by a Facebook partnership that debuted in September 2011. Experts don’t expect that partnership to be exclusive, and competitors may have a chance make inroads with Facebook and other social media platforms.

Myxer entered the crowded market earlier this year with Myxer Social Radio, which allows friends to thumbs up or thumbs down your music taste, song by song.

Traditional Radio

And what of traditional radio? I would call traditional radio, local; if not for the two radio giants, Cumulus Media and Clear Channel Radio, who control a combined 1,372 stations across the U.S. One major advantage of using traditional radio is having the option to choose how long your commercial will be. Controlling the length of a spot can be important depending on the message you’re delivering. Some say this form of radio is dying, but according Arbitron September 2011 data, the U.S. market increased by 1.7 million listeners 12 years old and above over the previous year.

The standard traditional radio model hasn’t changed significantly in a long time, but over the years many stations and groups have been toying with Internet radio by streaming live radio on individual station websites. Now Clear Channel Radio is taking Pandora and other Internet radio options on full-force with the acquisition of iHeartRadio.com. The model will allow users to listen to free, streaming audio from 800 live broadcasts and digital-only radio stations, from 150 cities across the U.S. The network will be ad-free until April 2012.

What to Know

Ways to intersperse advertising messages among music will only increase in the near future, but a variety of options is a good thing as long as you establish two things: your goals and your message. Knowing those two things will help you decide which platform or combination thereof will be best in your media mix.

The advent of blogs and social media has given companies a new platform to share information. Prior to these platforms, many companies relied entirely on the news sections of their site to place important information. Announcements about awards, new hires and press releases lived online, and companies were able to keep interested parties up to date on the latest information.

Social media added another piece to the puzzle. Now you can not only post relevant information in blogs and news sections, but also let people know that you posted it. This is where the ball has dropped with many companies. Many businesses have adopted the practice of posting their news and information, but still haven’t jumped on the social media bandwagon. These businesses are leaving great information about their company on their website, hidden from the eyeballs of their audience.

The process of engaging in new technology can be daunting, and for bigger organizations it can be a process that takes several years to sort out, which is okay. The social media landscape can be very good for business, but if you aren’t prepared, it can also backfire in a hurry. That being said the risk is worth taking.

Today, the decision to start posting important content online, needs to come with a plan to share that content through social media channels. The Internet is a massive beast full of hundreds of companies just like yours fighting you for the next big account or sale. If you are sitting on the sidelines completely, or worse yet spending time and money to post updated content and not share it, it is time to take that next step and join the social media fray.

The important thing to remember is you could have the greatest website with the freshest content, but if you aren’t sharing it on Facebook, Google+ and/or Twitter, people just aren’t going to stumble upon it. Google search of course does wonders and good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important, but there is something about social media that separates it and makes it a stronger tool. That distinction is the ability to truly connect with the people that love your brand or industry. By creating a strong connection, you build trust, and through that trust you will gain business.

An important fact to remember is that with the constant conversation online people ARE talking about your brand, company or small business. By sitting on the sidelines you have no ability to defend yourself or change their mind. Stepping into the fire, however daunting that may be, gives you the opportunity to connect with your customer and make sure that the content you are working hard to post online is getting out to the audience you want to reach.

Over the past few month’s Pandora has been mentioned in case study after case study for mobile marketing best practices. The Pandora app is “the most-downloaded free music program on Apple Inc.’s and Google Inc.’s app stores,” according to Business Week. With the mobile apps popularity in mind it’s no surprise that over 70% of Pandora’s usages occurs on mobile devices. Pandora isn’t just for sitting back and listening anymore. The platform, and others like it, are taking advertising engagement to a new level.

Apps like Pandora are where many consumers are viewing mobile advertisements, allowing marketers to rethink the traditional banner strategy and offer a truly entertaining and engaging way to interact with the brand. These engagement mechanisms can range from playing games, sharing stories, submitting photos or experiencing the product via a mobile device.

Mobile Marketer recently released the most noteworthy 2011 mobile advertising campaigns. Six of the ten campaigns were all ad specific, with 2 of those focusing solely on the Pandora application. The other noteworthy campaigns ranged from SMS engagement to QR opt-ins.

Ads designed for mobile need to offer value to a customer, whether that is a boredom buster like the McDonalds Monopoly game or a product-specific ad that offers a fun way to learn about the company, like the current My Tide campaign.

Just remember, the purpose of downloading Pandora or similar mobile apps is for entertainment – so keep your advertising strategy fun and entertaining for your customers!

When the end of the work week rolls around, I can’t help but get excited. My weekend plans usually consist of a girls’ night out, some relaxation and errands, but then comes Sunday. That is when I break out the green and gold, and change my Facebook status to “Go Pack Go!” Is it strange for a 24 year-old woman to get so excited for NFL Sundays? Not as unusual as you may think.

According to research done by the NFL and Nielsen Company, over 45 million women tune into NFL games each weekend and make up about 44% of the NFL fan-base. That is a large percentage of your audience to ignore – and the NFL recently realized that fact. Over the past couple of years, they have made strides in recognizing an important demographic they previously pushed aside – women.

In 2010, the NFL spent $10 million on a campaign to embrace and expand their ever-growing female audience. More recently, one of their main focuses was to market to women through upgrading their merchandising. Tracey Bleczinski, NFL consumer products vice president, admits, “Ten years ago, our motto was “shrink it and pink it. This year we have as many products, if not more for women as for men.” Not only are NFL retail products changing, but their ad placement strategy is as well. To better reach the once ignored segment, ads for the NFL and NFL merchandise are being placed on female-targeted primetime TV programming, as well as in various magazines like People and Vogue.

The NFL has finally made the effort to reach and engage female fans, and their advertisers are beginning to do the same. Take a look at the brands below that have embraced the female demographic without alienating the males.

Verizon Wireless – While promoting the Verizon Wireless NFL Mobile package, this commercial shows a handful of people (including one female) doing the “Clay Matthews Bicep Flex.” Rewind 10 years back and it would be highly unlikely that a female would be included as a fan in this TV spot.

State Farm – The “State Farm Discount Double-Check” spot featuring Aaron Rodgers shows a couple meeting with their insurance agent to review their policies, making sure they are saving money everywhere they can. Although the wife seems to be oblivious to who Aaron Rodgers is, so is the husband.

Bud Light – The “Dear NFL Football” campaign shows women dressing up, cheering and going crazy for their favorite team right alongside the men. This goes to show that women can be just as much of a mega-fan as the next guy. Did you see that girl dressed in black and silver cheering on the Raiders? Now that is what I call team dedication!

Over time, a brand’s target audience may change, and that brand’s message delivery plan must change right along with it. The same old, same old marketing strategy may not be deemed successful as time goes on, and in my opinion, the NFL has done a great job of bridging the gap between their altered demographic and their already-successful brand.

With just one year to go until the 2012 elections, candidates are already setting up campaign headquarters and producing new advertising campaigns to lure voters to their side of the political line. Although just 42 percent of all eligible American voters turned out in last year’s Mid-term election, with next year being a General Election year, voter turnout will undoubtedly be higher, especially if youth voters turnout in the high numbers we saw in 2008.

With more young people reveling in digital communications and using social networks to stay up-to-date on issues, more campaigns are reaching out to these voters by speaking to them through online chat platforms and social media debates.

Just last week, Mashable reported that Fox News will be hosting a series of debates through Google+ Hangouts, something sure to resonate with younger, digital voters. Previous Google+ Hangout debates have garnered more than 6.1 million viewers according to Nielsen and received more than 18,000 questions for the candidates.

Digital political engagement doesn’t end there, though. Individually, several candidates have realized the influence of social networks not only on the under 30 segment, but also on those digitally active boomers. As a result, several candidates like Mitt Romney and John Thune  have set up active accounts on spaces like Twitter and Facebook and may consider further moves into places like Google+ or Pinterest. Other platforms are also under development to connect voters with the issues that matter most to them in a more streamlined, mobile way.

With the average American population spending 21.7 hours online every week and the expected increase of mobile devices over the next year, the opportunities to reach potential voters in newer, more robust online spaces are huge. Candidates who connect with their audience not only through similar issues and causes, but also the evolving mediums will garner the most respect from their followers and possibly increase their political reach across several social and digital spheres in just a short time.

What is the single greatest thing about DVR? Some of you may disagree with me, but I would say the ability to fast forward commercials! It’s music to the everyday TV watcher’s ears, and a game-changer for the advertising industry.

Now that many viewers can fast forward through traditional 30 and 60 second TV spots, advertisers are looking for new ways to engage with consumers. One newer medium is an interactive element still found on your TV — called bugs.

What is a bug? Well, it much more attractive than the insects we are used to seeing. Think back to watching a TV show on the CW, USA, BRAVO or a football game on ESPN, a bug is that little logo or icon (sometimes moving or with changing text) found in the bottom corner of your screen. Typically these bugs are promoting new or upcoming shows on the network, giving the viewer additional knowledge about the game or show, or encouraging viewers to visit the show’s website to learn more about the show.

Advertisers are looking at bugs as valuable real estate and are finding intuitive ways to incorporate their brand into shows. For example, Microsoft Bing has found a way to insert a bug into the popular CW show Gossip Girl by displaying a bubble that reads “The TV to Bing about series.”

But that’s not the end of it; viewers may see an increase in engagement through the use of bugs. For example, a bug may ask viewers to go online to vote for their favorite character or to poll what they think will happen in the next episode; however, the trick will be to tie the bug back to advertised product.

One way to tie a bug used during a popular TV show back to the product could be by adding further value to an already running product placement in that show. Bugs can reinforce product placements by linking the viewer to the product website through a QR Code or a quick fact about the product. For example, if I see a fabulous coat on an actress and would just like to know who the designer is, bugs are a great way of getting that information out.

Although bugs are currently not very common, be sure to keep an eye out to see where this fun, new advertising medium goes in the next year.

Have you seen a “bug”? Let me know! I’m loving these little guys and would like to hear about what else is out there.

Think of the last story you heard. How did it make you feel? Did you get a good laugh out of a friend’s retelling of an embarrassing moment? Did a tear well up in your eye after hearing of an acquaintance’s battle with cancer?

We hear stories every day. We tell stories every day. But how much thought do we put into those stories?

As a person whose career is based on communication, storytelling is part of what I do, day in and day out. Last week at the Health Care Social Media Summit hosted by Mayo and Ragan Communications, Justina Chen, a corporate speechwriter for Microsoft, encouraged me to take my storytelling to the next level.

Chen reminded us that stories are the way we transfer information from our short-term to long-term memory. My recollection of the information presented at the conference is a perfect example. I can’t recall the five key points of each speaker’s presentation off the top of my head. I can retell the story of two women who met in an online community and brought 80 women together to be part of a groundbreaking research study at Mayo Clinic. I can remember the story of Dozer the dog who joined a fundraising half-marathon and ended up raising more than $25,000. I can also recall the story of an elderly couple who put on a concert in the Mayo Clinic lobby and became a YouTube sensation.

Stories are more than information. They turn a message into a movement. Good stories move us emotionally and cause us to take action. Great stories have some of the same key elements – rise, defeat and redemption.

Justina asked us to take a step back and think about our organizations by asking a series of questions. What is your company’s superpower? What is your company’s kryptonite? Companies, made up of people, face challenges and overcome them. Our job as a communicators is to create a story arch and relay it to a target audience. But how do we pull powerful stories from what may seem like the routine, mundane activities of a company?

The answer? An interview, not a meeting, with the story keepers in an organization. Justina encouraged us to set up an hour to interview a person who can tell of the defeats, victories and progress of their team. The first 20 minutes should be spent getting to know the person by just chatting with them before getting down to business. Knowing the person telling the story will help you create a better story.

Justina told us to keep an open mind while listening to a storyteller in our organization. We need to listen to everything they are telling us, and not just focus on getting that one, perfect nugget. While sitting in their office, we need to keep our eyes open for objects that support the story, such as a napkin on which they sketched a breakthrough idea. Also, we should ask as many questions as we can to draw out details of the story the interviewee is relaying. We also learned we shouldn’t leave the room without getting the names of three other people to interview for more information.

Stories are powerful, but only if they are heard. Think of ways to craft compelling stories about the challenges and triumphs of your organization. As a result, your message will be heard, remembered and acted upon.

(Image of the storytelling process from Justina Chen’s, Microsoft corporate speechwriters, presentation at the Health Care Social Media Summit in Rochester, MN).

It may be just the beginning of November, but the holidays are right around the corner. And with them, holiday travel and winter trips. As consumers aim to get away this holiday season, travel destinations and daily deal sites are already offering incentives to visitors who book their snowy season vacations early.

JetBlue Getaways recently announced a $30 travel deal good for $300 towards a vacation package of three nights or more in December. The deals went fast as consumers in Austin, Boston, New York and Washington D.C. purchased more than 2,500 of the deals. 

With airline costs expected to increase by 10 percent come December, even more consumers will be looking to save where they can throughout the holidays, either by driving to their destination or jumping in on the last minute daily travel deals.

But while consumers may be looking for deals online this year, research suggests holiday spending will actually be up slightly compared to last year despite fears of a double dip recession and high unemployment numbers. According to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, American families will spend an additional $200 per person on their trips this season, meaning more opportunities for travel destinations to recover from first quarter when weather and natural disasters hampered travel to many Midwest destinations.

With 30 percent of Americans poised to take holiday vacations this year, travel destinations that experienced a slower summer have an opportunity to reach out to winter travelers by offering trips available only in the off-peak season. By showcasing what your destination has to offer in the winter months, whether it’s snowy ski runs or a tree lighting celebration, destinations can entice visitors to get away with family and splurge on those weekend trips they may not have been able to take this summer.

The last few times I’ve traveled – both for work and personally – I’ve really felt like the old geezer carrying around my laptop. All the “cool kids” these days seem to be toting a much lighter and more mobile tablet instead.

Last week, my colleague Ashley Timmerman and I presented a webinar exploring the current users of and the marketing opportunities for iPads and tablets .

There are 5 best practices we brought to life with examples:

1. Functionality – use all of the functionality and interactivity of these new devices
2. Give user clear instructions for engaging with your ad or app on a tablet
3. Create new, original content, specifically for tablets
4. Tell your brand story through tablet advertising, and
5. Include a clear call to action, in order to lead users down the purchase funnel

There are tons of new and exciting apps, branding and ads being developed for tablets, including some great work and not so great work. Take a listen to the webinar here.

Then tell us: what app can you not live without? What app do you wish someone would create?

After attending a webinar by AdAge entitled, “Online Behavioral Advertising and Privacy,” I began thinking about all the ways our privacy as online consumers can be violated. A little research led me to the topic of location based targeting, and more specifically, “geofencing.”

Geofencing is the idea of tracking mobile users from a subscriber list based on their location to a particular store and then sending those users a relevant message. To the mobile marketers of the world, this is a dream come true, but to mobile consumers this could be a privacy nightmare.  So how far is too far?  Does geofencing cross the line?

Not yet.  Similar to push notifications, where users can opt-in to receive messages from a mobile app, location-based targeting asks consumers to opt-in to the service. This is significant because 94% of consumers feel that privacy is an important issue of online targeting, as stated in a recent survey by TRUSTe. Today’s consumer likes to be “in the know” about the latest and greatest, but they also do not want to risk losing their privacy. From the same study by TRUSTe, over 50% of consumers are more likely to click and buy if they can control how they are targeted. When given the choice to opt-in or out, consumers will likely have less concern about location-based marketing. And until a company forgets to ask permission, geofencing can be valuable to both the seller and the consumer.

There is a tremendous opportunity for marketers to use location based targeting to increase value to their customers. Placecast – a pioneer of location-based targeting in the US – launched a pilot program in 2009 using what they call ShopAlerts. They found that 79% of people said the ShopAlerts increased their likelihood to visit a store and 65% of people made a purchase as a result of a ShopAlerts message.

The difficulty is making sure the content of the message is, in fact valuable and doesn’t negatively impact the relationship. The message must bring something unique and compelling to the consumer, otherwise, it will cause more harm than good. And why not let the consumer tell you how often they want to be contacted? Following these guidelines will ensure that the contact is both relevant and desired.

So how do you feel about geofencing and other location based marketing strategies? Do you feel your privacy is being violated?  What would make you more apt to opt-in to location based advertising? Tell us what you think!

If you haven’t been keeping up, a host of presidential hopefuls have been duking it out in debates and, more passively, through television advertisements. So, how does one position them self as capable of leading the free world? Let’s breakdown some of the current political ads and see what candidates are doing right and what they should be doing differently if they hope to be living on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Mitt Romney

Seeing as how Mitt Romney is considered a front-runner for the Republican nomination, let’s take a look at one of his campaign ads first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz3XgYLqCjg&feature=player_embedded

The spot itself is hopeful: inspirational string instruments, swooping aerial shots of wheat fields and a speech sprinkled with the word “freedom.” The ad is surprisingly void of any slams on the current administration, which is commendable (though his website has a slew of videos that aren’t as non-confrontational).

My ADvice: Differentiate. Romney certainly looks the part, which is a really big problem. He looks like anybody who has ran for president in the last 75 years. If Mitt wants to win he is going to have to stand out from the pack. I’d prescribe a fun, memorable catchphrase. Something like “Mitt’s Legit” or “dotRom.”

Rick Perry

Perry shot on to the election scene with a substantial following and a significant, though somewhat controversial, record as Governor of Texas. However, the Perry buzz has fizzled a bit since officially announcing his run for the White House. Here’s a recent spot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8EL5Atp_vF0

If this ad does anything well it’s the painting of the current administration as a failure that has produced disastrous (did you hear those wailing sirens?) consequences. The ad loses a bit of steam during the second half by resorting to the expected shots of the Statue of Liberty, flags and roaring fighter jets.

My ADvice: Lighten up. First, lighten up on the advertising production costs. The spot looks cool, but it probably cost more than what a lot of people have made in wages this year. And it doesn’t even let viewers know much about you. Secondly, have some fun Rick Perry. Your state may be infamous for its capital punishment record, but that doesn’t mean you can’t clown around a bit while you’re out campaigning!

Jon Huntsman

Governor Huntsman is further back in the polls but has a loyal following and a strong record as the leader of Utah. A longtime motocross racer, Huntsman is considered by many to be a Republican long shot. Below is one of his early ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biqIuX3uX0U

The best part about this ad is probably the scenery. Everything else is a bit…clunky? The disconnect starts with the narrator. His script tries to balance a vision, accomplishments and a jovial tone, but just comes off as silly (I can’t say I’ve ever heard the colloquialism “…not in it for the balloons.”). Strange copy paired with music you would hear floating out of a piano store in the mall doesn’t bode well for a would-be President…

My ADvice: Governor Huntsman needs to figure out who he is. What is the Huntsman brand? Is he Huntsman the diplomat? Huntsman the businessman? Or Huntsman the former member of high school band “Wizard?” It’s obvious he wants to appeal to a broad range of voters, but what isn’t obvious is who Huntsman wants to be.

The Presidential race is heating up, and as media consumers brace to be inundated with a brutal amount of political advertising, I have a final point for all candidates regarding their inevitable and invasive advertising: Be to the point. Be candid. And spend heavily on memorable catchphrases and well-designed buttons, because those are the things that really stick.

It’s no secret that boomers are living more active and vibrant lifestyles than generations that came before them. In addition to wanting to feel younger and ramping up their leisure activities to include more active adventures, today’s boomers are hitting the road and racking up vacation miles as they search out those one-of-a-kind vacation experiences. And as more boomers become grandparents, they’re taking the grandkids with them to “see the world” and teach them all about it.

According to an article earlier this year, every year nearly 5 million families take multigenerational vacations, a trend expected to grow as economic conditions prompt consumers to tighten their wallets and extended family time comes to the forefront of vacation time.

Even the YPartnership noted the increase in multigenerational travel in their Portrait of American Travelers study earlier this year. According to their research, 30 percent of all leisure travelers are now grandparents. More of them are taking such multigenerational trips, not only to spend time with family, but also to provide experiences today’s hectic families often can’t.

Whether it’s due to busy work schedules, tight budgets or nightly activities for the kids, today’s Generation X-led families are struggling to do it all. Grandparents, however, are stepping in and taking their kids to see the places of a lifetime and often paying for it all. Even for families traveling with both the parents and grandparents, taking multigenerational trips can be a great way to not only spend time together, but also to pool your resources and book a longer or more robust trip.

Although currently the U.S. Travel Association notes that multigenerational travel makes up just 7 percent of the total leisure market, these families are a valuable niche audience for destinations that provide a wide variety of attractions and activities. By leveraging activities the whole family can enjoy—everything from bike riding, to museum-going to cave exploring–destinations can reach out to this unique niche audience and become a travel haven for extended family trips.