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.

With the weather getting colder and snow starting to fly, I’ve already started thinking about next summer when temperatures will again reach into the 80s and 90s and I can spend more time outdoors enjoying longer, warmer days. And while I daydream about enjoying the nice weather rather than bundling up and rushing inside to escape the cold, those in the travel industry are already a step ahead of me, with destinations and industry members preparing for the 2012 summer season.

Several industry leaders have already shared next summer’s travel outlook. The U.S. Travel Association is predicting that 2012 leisure travel will increase 1.5 percent throughout the next year. Also, hotel performance leader Smith Travel Research (STR) is predicting slightly slower growth next year for those in the travel industry. STR expects occupancy numbers to increase to 60 percent while room rates see mild increases throughout the year.

In addition to modest travel growth next year, destinations will also encounter consumers with new vacation priorities like increased vacation spending coupled with more intrinsically focused trips.

According to TripAdvisor’s 2012 Travel Trends Forecast, 31 percent of people are expected to spend more on travel next year than they did this year. Seventy-nine percent will spend at least $3,000 on vacations in 2012, while nearly 1 in 5 will spend $10,000 or more.

Another trend will be consumers’ shift to more experiential getaways, with several consumers citing increased interest in cultural trips, cruises and all-inclusive vacations as top 2012 vacation interests. Rather than simply haphazardly crossing destinations or vacation icons off of vacation wish lists, visitors in 2012 are looking for vacations that provide a deeper sense of meaning and more intrinsic, valuable memories both for themselves and their families.

For travel destinations weathering the winter season as best they can, early predictions for the 2012 travel season seem optimistic. With visitors exploring a new type of vacation and spending expected to increase, 2012 could be a year of strong growth.

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.

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.

For those in the travel industry the value of traveler reviews cannot be overstated. Whether gearing up for a cross country flight or booking a one night stay just a few hours from home, travelers everywhere turn to recommendations from friends, family, and, yes, even online strangers, in an effort to minimize hotel hassles or potential vacation nightmares.

Sites like TripAdvisor  and others have carved out nearly unmatched name recognition with travelers looking for hotel and destination reviews. But, combine that well-established user base with  crowdsourced content and new digital technologies, and you create the opportunity for travelers to not only influence visitors in the planning stage with post-trip reviews, but also through real-time information while on their trip.

For those unfamiliar with the term, crowdsourcing involves “outsourcing” the collecting of information, feedback and ideas to an already active and accessible community, giving you more information and content from a variety of personal sources. A buzz word in the advertising industry right now, crowdsourcing has helped establish new company constructions like Victors & Spoils, an entire ad agency using crowdsourcing for creative ideas, and even helped to solve a molecular puzzle in the fight against AIDS.

If users and consumers can utilize the sharing of information to solve problems like these, using crowdsourced content for travel would take the experience of planning a vacation from a personal choice to a collective discussion. Vacations could be even better thanks to recommendations from your own friends or live alerts about events happening at your destination while you’re there.

And some marketers are already on the pulse, anticipating future travelers’ needs and meeting them with crowdsourced content. One example is Trippy, a new travel service launched earlier this month. Using crowdsourced vacation information from your own Facebook Friends, Trippy is able to pull in tips and recommendations from those within your own circle to help you plan vacations a bit more easily.

Even Ogilvy Worldwide’s Public Relations department got in on the crowdsourcing trend by prompting readers to book their next trip using crowdsourced content.

As more users post vacation tips, photos, reviews and recommendations on sites like TripAdvisor and as mobile devices allow consumers greater access to that content any time, the opportunity for marketers to reach out and engage in the travel conversation expands. Creating a space for visitors to meet digitally and share trip ideas will only increase the value of your destination in the minds of your most social travelers.

A few weeks ago while listening to the L&S Webinar on marketing to Generation Y, a co-worker highlighted an interesting finding from the Pew Research Center saying Millennials consider their cell phone to be a “necessary appendage.”  An appendage…as in equal in value to an arm or leg.

While initially this thought surprised me thinking Generation Y has yet again taken the value of technology to its most dramatic peak, the more I thought about it, the more I decided they were right. And not just for Generation Y—but Generation X and even some Baby Boomers as well.

And who can blame us?  Today’s devices allow us to have gaming, email, Internet, and yes, even a flashlight at  the simple touch of an app on our phones or tablets. Tablet usage alone makes up 20 percent of weekly digital media consumption, and with more consumers poised to purchase tablets this year, we’re bound to reach another level in our commitment to technology.

Just think of the implications on the travel industry. Tablets will completely change the way we plan travel and the way we experience travel. Why carry a map when you can carry your tablet that not only shows you a map of your own destination, but others in the region for day trips or extended getaways. You can take pictures and upload them to Facebook or Google+ in seconds. Even the simple art of exploring new restaurants or attractions on your trip will be easier with augmented reality apps like Layar, which overlays hotels, attractions and even dining searches directly over the window view using your device’s camera and GPS.  With Layar, instead of searching for nearby hotels or restaurants, you can just hold up your phone and the search will populate automatically.

With more interactive apps like Layar enhancing the digital travel experience, travelers will continue find new ways to make their trips last a little longer and memories a little more interactive.

As these devices take on new roles in users’ lives and recreate the user experience, so, too, will our connection with these devices change from seeing them less as an interesting tool and more as “a necessary appendage”.  And who knows? When it comes to vacations, tablets just may become the travel companions we refuse leave home without.

Recently, I was assigned one of the most challenging tasks as an intern at Lawrence & Schiller. Go up to strangers while they’re on vacation and ask their thoughts. Ask them specifically what vacation means to them. Though I was a bit hesitant about this task at first, after all I grew up my entire life being told not to talk to strangers; I was amazed at the answers vacationers readily offered.

Vacationers had no problem defining vacation. People expressed vacation meant “being unplugged,” “not having to work,” or “escaping from daily work.” But as I heard these things, I couldn’t help but question if they were really following through on what vacation meant to them?

A recent Adweek/Harris Poll helped answer my question. The study reported that of the 40 percent of Americans vacationing this summer, 46 percent say they will or did work while on their vacation. That means nearly half of American vacationers are working during their time off. Of the 46 percent, 35 percent are monitoring e-mails, 22 percent are checking voicemails, and 22 percent are occasionally taking phone calls for work purposes. These statistics go to show we may have a definition of what vacation means to us, but we do not live up to that definition.

The question that follows is why? Why aren’t we following through with our desire to be “unplugged” while on vacation? People may have differing opinions on this question, but as someone who sees the glass half full; I would like to believe it is a testament to our employers and employees.

We want to be there for others and build success, even if that means taking ten minutes from a five day vacation to check voicemails. So to those who strive to be “unplugged” while on vacation—best of luck. And now that my work here is done, I better get back to my own vacation at the lake. So much for being “unplugged,” but at least I’m not alone!

Do you have trouble unplugging? How do you handle work while on vacation? Share in the comment section below.

Last winter was one of the coldest winters I can remember. With the snowy season and cold temperatures lasting throughout much of May, I was more than ready for the summer season and long-awaited summer vacations. Surprisingly, though, despite other Midwest destinations and winter survivors faring a similar long, cold winter, the warm weather has been slow to spur summer vacations this year with many families and would-be vacationers booking trips later this season than in years past.

According to a new survey from Travel Ticker, while 86 percent of survey respondents are planning on taking a vacation this summer, nearly 70 percent have yet to book their trips. And it’s not due to lost time or tight budgets necessarily. Forty percent of participants said they have more time to travel this year and 26 percent are better-off financially this year than they have been in years past.

Instead, travelers seem more content to simply take things as they come this season and rather than booking early like they have in the past, wait for those end of the summer travel deals. According to the Travel Ticker survey, 22 percent said they are expecting to find better travel deals this summer, and undoubtedly some steals if they book at the right time. And as those in the industry know, nothing tips the vacation scales quite like a great trip at a great price.

Whether travelers are looking for late season travel deals or just using the summer for a bit of a break from the rushed day-to-day, these late season travelers may be just what the industry needs to overcome early season challenges like a chilly spring and regional flooding in parts of the Midwest.

Additionally, with school set to start in matter of days, many families will take the road in the next few weeks to squeeze in those last few summer trips they haven’t gotten around to planning. And while travelers will benefit as some destinations offer impressive vacation deals, destinations can lure late season vacationers by showcasing photo opportunities travelers can capture during their visit. Leveraging these memory-making moments will show families and would-be travelers your destination not only comes with lasting experiences, but ones they can share back home and in the classroom as well.

Picture the perfect girlfriends/guy friends getaway. What comes to mind? A little gambling? Partying the night away? While Las Vegas often serves as the backdrop for movies like the Hangover or Bridesmaids, it seems like Hollywood is turning out more movies with plotlines involving iconic gaming towns that focus more on the entertainment and less on the actual gambling. It’s the endless entertainment offerings of destinations like Las Vegas or Atlantic City that set these locales apart as prime getaways for college buddies and younger travelers in the movies.

Destinations are taking notice, too, with more gaming destinations and casinos looking to capitalize on the party sentiment right now by offering experiences and tours that recreate visitors’ favorite scenes from the movies. For example, while the Hangover Part II takes place in Thailand, some tour operators in the country have started offering “Hangover II Tours” that visit some of the same locations used in the movie.  Even when the first movie came out two years ago, Las Vegas’ own Caesar’s Palace also offered a vacation package centered on the movie’s key themes and title.

It’s not just Vegas that’s the gaming turned-entertainment darling, though. Other destinations here in South Dakota are also looking to provide more in gaming and entertainment for young travelers. Last month Deadwood celebrated its 50th Anniversary as a National Historic Landmark. For those who’ve haven’t been to Deadwood, the town once known for gamblers and gunslingers now offers a wide variety of entertainment like events at the Deadwood Mountain Grand and Old West characters like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Visitors can even watch an Old West shootout right on Main Street.

Whether promoting the traditional Old West, glittering cities with powerhouse casinos or even your own gaming destination, travelers today are looking for experiences that create unforgettable memories that rival movie scenes. The most successful destinations will be those that pair the destination’s own culture with new and unique entertainment offerings.

In just a few days, summer will be officially here and families across the nation will gear up for summer vacations and much needed time away. As the weather gets warmer, though, it gets a little tougher to make it through the day-to-day and wait for those mid-summer vacations. With long, harsh winters making an impact last season in places like the Midwest, it’s no surprise that some consumers just can’t wait until July or August and are instead jumping into summer by taking more weekend getaways and short trips.

According to research from Destination Analysts Inc., since 2009, the number of leisure trips has slowly increased with travelers averaging nearly five trips per year in 2011. With budgets still tight, though, more Americans are looking for shorter stays to give them a break without breaking the bank.

In their annual Summer Travel Survey, TripAdvisor projected similar trends for this year. They found that 12 percent of vacationers are planning to take shorter trips this year, and that 24 percent are willing to travel a maximum of 200 miles to save on gas. Certain destinations, like Chicago, have also already noticed a difference in travel behavior. The Chicago Allerton Hotel has said they’ve already had more bookings than in the past for long weekend trips and stays.

Expedia has also hopped on the weekend bandwagon by teaming up with Groupon to offer nearly 50 percent discounts on last-minute travel deals. These “Groupon Getaways with Expedia” are sure to increase the number of shorter trips this season, as well.

As consumers look to save money this season by either cutting their fuel costs or taking shorter trips, destinations can capitalize on the weekend getaway trend by reaching out to consumers within a closer radius of their destinations. By offering both extended stays and day trip ideas, destinations will win with travelers who are looking for a relaxing summer getaway without the high price tag.

The stakes are high at the start of every campaign. But this year tourism partners in Deadwood knew they needed to lay all their cards on the table to attract more visitors. They needed to send their message to the most receptive audience and fend off the potentially negative effects of the recently passed smoking ban.

As Lawrence & Schiller, the South Dakota Department of Tourism and the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau began working on creative concepts for the year, they evaluated their audience and decided to focus on a specific segment. Traditionally, marketing efforts were aimed at an older demographic who enjoyed the gambling, entertainment and lodging Deadwood offered. We asked ourselves, “what audience makes Deadwood events, such as Deadweird, Oktoberfest and Kool Deadwood Nights wildly popular?” The answer – young adults. An older demographic provides a solid base for Deadwood, but young adults are equally important.

We then asked, “what makes Deadwood unique?” Without a doubt—its history. We developed a series of TV and print ads reflecting the appeal of the historic Wild West on modern circumstances.

• Wild Bill’s Resting Place: Highlights how a modern-day Wild Bill finds his resting place after a long night in Deadwood.
• Calamity Jane: A modern-day Jane may be known more for her clumsy mishaps than her rabble rousing, but she knows Deadwood remains a great place to socialize.
• Shot Down: Today’s Wild Bill is still a gun slinger, but sadly the outcome is the same.
• The Legend: Shows legends can still be made in Deadwood.

The edgy TV spots and accompanying print and radio ads tell young adults that historic Deadwood is a destination for weekends full of special events, fun and friends.

As digital media and highly defined metrics become a larger part of delivering marketing messages, advertisers are looking for ways to relate the metrics of digital media to traditional media.

There are digital ways to track traditional media, but the over-arching metric among all media is still  impressions. This leads to the question, if digital metrics are more detailed, is digital better than the traditional? Not at all! They are meant to work together to target consumers throughout the purchase cycle. This makes knowing when and how to reach your audience essential.

Tara Payne Mueller, digital & media strategist, and Laura Mitchell, digital strategist, discussed how goals and messaging are important in evaluating your campaign metrics in May’s L&S Boot Camp Webinar – Message Delivery: Metrics Across Digital and Traditional Media.

Imagine leaving your wallet at home. No credit cards, no cash and definitely no checks to weigh down your pockets or purse. The only thing you do have is your phone. Soon this will be a reality with the introduction of mobile commerce and near field communication (NFC) technology. Near field communication technology essentially allows consumers to purchase products simply with the swipe of their phone. Despite obvious convenience advantages, mobile commerce is expected to revolutionize the way we purchase products and services, especially in the travel industry.

Earlier this month, Visa announced the release of their digital wallet, a service that allows Visa card holders to purchase products directly from their mobile phones. By incorporating instant purchasing capabilities with mobile devices, Visa has taken a huge leap in providing not only more convenient, but also more time saving services for card holders.

As we saw just last week, Google and Foursquare are both eager to implement NFC to make user check-ins more instant and less user intensive. By utilizing NFC, consumers once timid to try Google Latitude or Foursquare due to the networks’ premises of constant manual updating could now seamlessly check into locations and events without the touch of a button. This bodes well for those in the travel industry as vacationers, too, would be able to check in to attractions, dining locations or hotels without any extra effort.

Mobile commerce also creates greater opportunities for hotels and lodging facilities to reach weary travelers on the road. Expedia.com has already released a mobile app that not only uses a consumer’s GPS location to find lodging in their proximity, but also book rooms directly from their phone.

As mobile commerce develops and smartphones become more widely adopted by mainstream travelers, those in the travel industry must anticipate new consumer expectations. Just as the Internet ushered in the need for travel destination websites, so too will mobile devices lead to more  mobile services for consumers to research trips and book vacations directly from their mobile devices.

Those in the travel industry can prepare best by staying up to date on mobile commerce and anticipating what services consumers will want at their finger tips next.

“Gas Prices expected to drop 50 cents by summer.” “Rising Gas Prices: Many Turn to Alternatives.” “Gas Prices: Why Won’t They Drop?” The recent headlines surrounding gas prices the last few months  seem to tell contradictory stories. Whether summer travel plans are threatened by a price increase or travel industry fears are soothed by a price decrease, gas prices have been at the forefront of both consumer attention and travel industry projections for the past five months.

In an effort to better predict the outlook for summer travel this year, in mid-March, an online poll by USA Today found that more than 75 percent of respondents were still planning to travel this season, albeit with some travel modifications. However, a more recent survey by LowFares.com found that 63 percent had cancelled travel plans already.

With such varied data, it’s understandable why AAA Travel has yet to release projections for the 2011 season. Despite the jarring stats in the LowFares.com survey and comments like, “I have not gone on a vacation in over 10 years. Would love to though, but the cost is simply too high,” there is reason to be optimistic.

Earlier this week, news circulated through the Associated Press heralding that gas prices are expected to peak in May and begin dropping again by June, giving those in the travel industry greater reason to stay positive as the season truly kicks off Memorial Day weekend. Additionally, in its summer 2011 travel forecast, STR noted that it expects summer travel revenue to increase 6.7 percent over last year and hotel occupancy to increase 1.7 percent over last year.

Despite the higher transportation costs and consumers looking for deals and vacation discounts this season, the overall sentiment remains that Americans are planning to travel. Hotels, attractions and others in the travel industry can make 2011 a successful season by providing summer vacation experiences that travelers are willing to drive for and ones they can’t get anywhere else.

Vacations, unique attractions and time together will always be worth more than a tank of gas.

Tom Ulenberg arrived in the U.S. from his home in New Zealand in December of 2010. Upon his arrival, he joined the Lawrence & Schiller team as a production artist. He has explored the area surrounding Sioux Falls and visited Minneapolis, but in late March he made the journey on I-90 across South Dakota to the Black Hills.

Follow along on his adventure across the state, and see South Dakota through his eyes.

Friday

We left our house at 7:30 am. Catching the morning traffic which was worse than usual. It was snowing and a car with a trailer spun out of control on Minnesota Ave., so it was snails pace getting out of Sioux Falls.

My family and I headed west on the Interstate 90, passing mass flooding around the Big Sioux River and stopping at a little town to get petrol – it was old but pretty.

We carried through to Chamberlain and had a look around. We found the ‘Missouri Valley Taxidermy’ a jam-packed shop with the craziest stuff, where I met the once famous Bloodhound ‘Ranger,’ who was the face of Doggie Diapers for some time a few years ago. After doing my best to not spend all my money on furs in this place, we carried on to the St. Josephs Lakota Mission, a museum of the Native Americans, which was interesting.

We crossed the mighty Missouri on an old steel archway bridge reaching the land on the other side. Straight away it is totally different with long rolling hills. We swung north to check out Pierre, the capital, where we had a nice lunch.

Back on 90 we detoured to Highway 240 ‘The Badlands Loop- which is jaw dropping, layers of volcanic ash and soft sediments, no photos compare to seeing this in the flesh!

We stopped in at Wall Drug which is inevitable after seeing the signs for about 300 miles! Got coffee, donuts & hamburger, which were worth the hype.

Entering Rapid City we went for dinner at the ‘Corn Exchange’ a great little restaurant at 727 Main Street, which I highly recommend. They also have a café next door and gave me muffins for the next day!!

Saturday

We woke up to 3-4″ snow overnight and had to scrape snow off car in morning. We made a quick stop at Best Buy to get a US/NZ power adapter.

Our morning was spent exploring downtown Rapid – many nice shops including “Prairie Edge,” which has a an extensive collection of Native American weapons, saddle blanket and drums etc.

I also caught an auction house midway through which was packed with cowboys buying collectible guns and other Wild West memorabilia. I was tempted to enter the bidding wars on some items!

After grabbing a quick coffee, we headed to Mt. Rushmore on Highway 16 with high hopes of a wind to come and lift the fog. Though this drive through Black Hills is worthwhile in itself! As we got further up we caught glimpses of deer in wild. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see ‘the presidents’ with just about total white-out conditions.

We continued our drive along Highway 244 past Horsethief Lake – getting deeper and deeper into the Black Hills and on to Hill City.

Hill City is a old western town with a lot of character and some nice old buildings. We had lunch there and then poked our heads into the Alpine Inn, a really nice old hotel.

We drove on towards Mystic & Rochford looking forward to the next watering hole! We followed satellite navigation’s instructions on the quickest route, which took us through ever narrowing snow filled dirt roads – until eventually one gully too deep, we got stuck in the snow! After some 30 minutes of digging, sitting on the bonnet and putting sticks under tires for traction we got out, would have been a cold night otherwise.

Then after backtracking for a bit we got to Rochford – a one-pub town with about six other buildings. We wandered into the Moonshine Gulch Saloon. A rickety little place that had been recommended to us. We quickly saw why—a loud welcome from the locals as we stepped in, and a self appointed local sheriff frisked me at the door and lead us through! You couldn’t meet friendlier people. Compulsory drinks were had before we continued onto Deadwood. On the way, we went past the Terry Peak ski field turn-off and through Lead, which looked like a good classic ski town.

We arrived in the infamous Deadwood. The town of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. I felt like I stepped back into time on Main Street. We explored a few shops and then ate dinner at Diamond Lil’s – Kevin Costner’s restaurant. It was full of all the memorabilia and photos from his movies.

We drove home through Sturgis and started another eventful duel with nature. The roads had all frozen over so it was a crawl of 15-20 mph all way back to Rapid City, but it was preferable to ending up in the ditch like a few vehicles we saw.

Sunday
No change in the weather so started to make our way back. We stopped off at the Air and Space Museum in Ellsworth and learned all about the jet planes and bombers. We carried on through to Chamberlain, where we stopped for a quick bite to eat, and then drove onto Sioux Falls.

As the grass turns green and the temperature rises, I’m hoping Tom will have another chance to explore our state. His trip reminds travelers who have grown accustomed to our state’s beauty and variety of attractions to get out and explore the great faces and great places of South Dakota. Tell us your favorite South Dakota road trip memory or favorite place to visit in South Dakota in the comments section below.

The Internet and social media have fundamentally changed the pace of business, compressing time and rewarding speed. News breaks over minutes, not days. Companies can develop or refine products and services instantly based on customer feedback or events in the marketplace.

As a result, public relations has changed forever. Traditional media outlets are no longer the inpenetrable gatekeepers. Citizen journalists (whether they think of themselves that way or not) are reporting more updates from more locations than professional journalists could ever hope to cover. And businesses have an unprecented freedom to share their stories directly with key audiences – customers and potential clients.

This shifting landscape provides business with an opportunity never before seen. It’s called Real-Time PR… the mindset of finding and engaging with emerging story lines before they become old news.

Real-time PR was the topic of April’s L&S Boot Camp Webinar. Lawrence & Schiller’s Dave Haan, Director of Public Relations, and Lindsey Philips, PR Coordinator, presented the three “D”s at the foundation of real-time PR:

• Detect conversations about your brand
• Deliver the right messages to the right audiences
• Decrease your response time

Nearly a quarter of people’s time spent online is spent on social networking sites. Whether tweeting content to throngs of Twitter followers or updating their Facebook profile with new vacation images, consumers are spending more and more time on social networks and marketers are taking notice. Social media contests and sweepstakes are becoming a trend on such sites as marketers seek to connect with fans in a more comfortable, personalized medium. Travel marketers have started taking things to the next level by offering vacation getaways and sweepstakes just for interacting with travel brands online.

Last month, online travel giant Expedia.com launched its FriendTrips game on Facebook, a contest that promises to deliver “over $1,000,000 in prizes.” All fans have to do is create a virtual plane bound for one of 13 destinations and invite friends to join them on their virtual journey. With its six-figure incentive, the game is said to be the largest sweepstakes in Facebook history.

Other travel brands have also turned to social media to launch games. Earlier this year Continental Airlines ran a promotion asking flyers to tweet their flight number for a chance to win weekly prizes. Mexico Tourism teamed with Travelocity during the 2010 holiday season with a ‘Where’s Waldo’-esque Facebook game, asking users to spot the Travelocity gnome in Mexican vacation destination photos.

While such contests are breaking ground in the social space, are these contests reaching the right audience?  The answer seems to be a resounding, yes. According to an article by Sparxoo earlier this year, social gamers tend to be women in their 40s, playing games like Farmville on Facebook. This audience is often a prime target for destinations trying to reach busy moms  who plan vacations for their families. With the industry predicting growth into the $6 billion range by 2013, Travelocity and Expedia are on the right track.

Whether your target audience is 40-something moms who are connecting with friends and family on Facebook or urban college students looking to save a few bucks, social media creates a fun and interactive space for travel brands to reach new consumers. By playing in the space one’s audience thrives in, brands can connect with consumers with deeper engagement and foster greater brand awareness and loyalty.

It’s only the beginning of April, but it’s already been an unsteady year for those in the travel industry. Although  early forecasts predicted 1.8 percent growth in 2011, we’ve seen consumer confidence dip in the last month with the turmoil in the Middle East and the earthquake in Japan. Despite other fears ruling the news waves, like rising gas prices and government shutdowns, research continues to show that consumers are still planning to travel this season. A new Y Partnership blog last week showed that consumers are already booking vacations and looking to value destinations this year to provide them a much needed getaway without the high cost.

According to the Y Partnership’s “2011 Portrait of American Travelers™” report, a considerable portion of travelers are interested in finding deals and discounts in 2011. More than 80 percent are looking online for such deals—something travel marketers can leverage to their advantage with strong online calls to action. Google Tends shows a similar sentiment with searches for travel deals inching closer to the volume we typically see in May or June.

With talk of $5 gas in the works for summer and research showing Americans are not yet ready to cut out travel, it’s no surprise that consumers are looking for the best deals. According to AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair, gas is just a small portion of vacation costs, and thus travelers are more apt to look for deals on lodging or dining options.

While the road ahead may seem rocky and uncertain, the opportunity for travel destinations to take advantage of restless, discount-seeking travelers is ripe with possibility. Destinations that take ownership of vacation deals and present incentives to vacationers will reap the greatest rewards come peak traveling season.

What’s more important? Winning awards or reaching business goals?

At Lawrence & Schiller we love holding the hardware, but our emphasis has always been delivering results for our clients. Which makes this award season such a treat. Clients are seeing positive results and earning accolades.

Telly Awards

It started with “Hey Sara”, winner of a Silver Telly award for Midcontinent Business Solutions. The spot is part of a series produced for Midcontinent’s Phone & Data Services and Television Advertising Sales. The campaign has been so effective and recognizable, Midcontinent has extended it into 2011.

Pollie Awards

Billed as the “Oscars of political advertising”, the Pollie Awards are presented by the American Association of Political Consultants. Big budget commercials for campaigns in large states compete along small budget efforts from rural areas. Going up against the best in the business, two different commercials created by Lawrence & Schiller for the 2010 election earned special recognition.

• Gold Pollie – Television Ad, More Than 60 Seconds, “Meet Dennis Daugaard” – Dennis Daugaard for Governor
• Silver Pollie – Statewide, Republican, Non-Gubernatorial Race, “Elevator Speech” – Dusty Johnson for P.U.C.
• Honorable Mention – Governor, “Meet Dennis Daugaard”

Of course, the best result came in November when both Dennis Daugaard and Dusty Johnson won by large margins. If you’d like to hear more about the Pollie Awards, listen to this interview with John Pohlman and Micah Aberson who had the honor of walking on stage in Washington, D.C. to pick up the awards.

Addy Awards

Each year, ad agencies around the country enter their best work in hopes of winning an ADDY® award – one of the industry’s most recognizable honors. This year, Lawrence & Schiller’s clients won a total of 35 different awards.

Best of Show – Electronic
Great Western Bank | National TV Campaign | “Best of Both TV Campaign”

Best of Class – Non-Traditional Marketing
South Dakota Tourism | Non-Traditional Advertising | “Mt. Rushmore Macy’s Day Parade Float”

Best of Class – Television
Great Western Bank | National TV Campaign | “Best of Both TV Campaign”

Best of Class – Public Service
South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – TV | “Marked For Life TV”

Best of Class – Radio
Workplace Technology Center | Local Radio | “Sucky I.T.”

Gold Addy Awards

1. Great Western Bank | National TV Campaign | “Best of Both TV Campaign”
2. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – TV | “Texting TV”
3. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – TV | “Rollover TV”
4. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – TV | “Marked For Life TV”
5. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – Out-of-Home | “DUI/DOA Billboard”
6. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – Non-Traditional | “Helmet Tattoo Street Graphics”
7. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – Campaign | “Helmet Tattoo Street Graphics”
8. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – Non-Traditional | “Marked For Life Street Team”
9. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – Mixed Media Campaign | “Marked For Life”
10. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Elements of Advertising, Sound | “At The Scene Radio”
11. South Dakota Tourism | Non-Traditional Advertising | “Mt. Rushmore Macy’s Day Parade Float”
12. South Dakota Tourism | Consumer or Trade Publication | “Every picture tells a story”
13. South Dakota Tourism | Interactive Media: Online Campaigns | “Web banners/Website”
14. University of South Dakota | National TV Campaign | “USD – One Smart Move Campaign”
15. Workplace Technology Center | Local Radio | “Sucky I.T.”
16. Lawrence & Schiller | Self-Promotion Invitation | “Friday Evening HoHo”
17. Lawrence & Schiller | Self-Promotion Mixed Media Campaign | “Friday Evening HoHo”

Silver Addy Awards

1. Great Western Bank | National TV, Consumer Services | “Best of Both – Business TV”
2. Lowell Hanson | Interactive Media: Website, Consumer HTML, Products | “Flying A Ranch for Sale”
3. Sanford Health | Newspaper Campaign, Color | “Sanford Strip Ads”
4. Sanford Health | Local Radio | “When you’re ready for baby”
5. Sanford Health | Local TV: 60 seconds or Less | “When you’re ready for baby”
6. Sanford Health | Local TV: 60 seconds or Less | “This is what you do”
7. Sanford Health | National TV, Consumer Services | “Sanford Cancer Center – Never Fight Alone”
8. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – Poster | “Stomach Pump”
9. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Public Service – Campaign | “Someone Needs You Mom/Dad Billboards”
10. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety | Elements of Advertising, Cinematography | “Rollover TV”
11. South Dakota Tourism | Campaign: Consumer or Trade Publication | “Every picture tells a story”
12. South Dakota Tourism | Interactive Media: Website, Consumer HTML, Products | “TravelSD.com”
13. Vance Thompson Vision | Local Television, :30 or Less | “Masterpiece TV”

But best of all, are the stories reporting a drop in S.D. highway fatalities, and knowing the Office of Highway Safety’s campaign is playing a role. Or hearing how many people are noticing Great Western Bank’s Best of Both campaign. Or seeing all of the buzz generated after Mount Rushmore float appeared in the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day Parade. Because in the end, results for our clients are what matter most.