Archivo de la etiqueta: innovation

Disney/&Pixar link up with VisitScotland a tourism ‘first’

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Disney and VisitScotland form marketing partnership to attract more tourists to the highlands.

A global marketing campaign promoting Scottish tourism is to be based around the launch of Disney/Pixar’s forthcoming animated film, Brave.

VisitScotland’s £7m campaign will be its biggest yet and the first time that Disney has linked up with a country’s tourism organisation on such a scale.

The campaign is currently in development, but promises to showcase Scotland’s scenery, humour and culture. It will feature TV and cinema advertising in the UK, Europe and the US, supported through PR, digital and events marketing, including premiers and screenings that will continue until the film’s DVD release.

Mike Cantlay, chairman, VisitScotland, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to extend the reach of VisitScotland’s marketing activity across the world. This film will be shown in more than 70 countries across the world and will give us the opportunity to convert cinema-goers into visitors in the biggest campaign VisitScotland has ever launched.”

STV news interview http://goo.gl/pWC9U

Mr Cantlay said he expected the new Disney/Pixar to give Scotland even bigger exposure than Mel Gibson’s Braveheart amid challenging times for the tourism industry.

He said: “It’s been a tough trading environment for anyone in tourism, for anyone in any business frankly.

“But Scotland, and the Highlands and Islands in particular, have been remarkably resilient when you consider how really, really tough tourism is around the world.”

Tricia Wilber, of the Walt Disney Company, said: “Brave takes its inspiration from the majesty and mystery of Scotland, and features the voices of many much-loved Scottish stars.

 A song by Dingwall-based Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis features in the film.

“So it’s fitting to create a global campaign with VisitScotland to further bring to life the iconic Scottish landscapes and folklore that inspired the film.”

Scots actress Macdonald provides the voice for Merida, while Robbie Coltrane voices a lord called Dingwall – the name of a town in Ross-shire in the Highlands.

VisitScotland hopes to bring a return on investment of around £140m. The body claims that on average, for every £1 invested in marketing, Scotland sees a return of £20.

 

Costa Rica sounds experience

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What sounds remind you of Costa Rica?

Is there anything more satisfactory than the sounds of a place and the possibility of being you the one who creates them?

This App transports you to Costa Rica. “The goal of the EnviroMixer app is to enable playful, shareable experiences that bring to life Costa Rica’s unique environment and wildlife inhabitants,” said Maria Amalia Revelo, Deputy Manager and Director of Marketing, The Costa Rica Tourism Board. “The EnviroMixer, part of our Gift of Happiness campaign, makes sharing the sounds of Costa Rican happiness that much easier.”

The app is offered for free download as a smaller “gift of happiness” from The Costa Rica Tourism Board. Users, whether travelling to the country through the campaign or not, can experience Costa Rica’s beauty and biodiversity. The app features nine animal sounds and several other nature sounds, including rushing water and an erupting volcano. Users drag each sound into the mixer, and the placement of each animal creates a unique beat with customizable tempo and volume. After creating a mix, users can share it with friends using Facebook, Twitter, and email.

This App allows users to create music using the sounds from Costa Rican wildlife and natural wonders and brings happiness to consumers through the unique sounds of Costa Rica’s flora and fauna.

The app is a free way to experience the wildlife that inspired us to create Costa Rica’s Million Dollar Gift of Happiness campaign, and t brings happiness to consumers through the unique sounds of Costa Rica’s flora and fauna.

 

Lets remember this campaign “Million Dollar Gift of Happiness”…

From October 6, 2011, to February 5, 2012, Costa Rica gave away $1 million worth of gifts of happiness in the form of weeklong Costa Rica vacations to people in the United States and Canada. The campaig promoted Costa Rica as the happiest country in the world and inspired travelers to enjoy the country’s natural beauty and adventure, and share their experiences with their friends via social media platforms.

Three commercials feature Mr Sloth, a laidback spokesanimal hanging in front of iconic Costa Rican scenes, rainforests, mountains, and stunning local architecture, and delivering happy-go-lucky words of praise for his native land in a relaxed, surfer dude-style voice.

Through a contest on the Visit Costa Rica Facebook page, the Costa Rica Tourism Board gave away one trip per weekday. Each winner and one guest will spend 8 days, 7 nights on a customizable trip to Costa Rica. The five trip types are Adventure Happiness, Adrenaline Happiness, Authentic Happiness, Romantic Happiness and Wildlife Happiness. Videos describing each type will be posted on the Facebook page and the Costa Rica YouTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hEjZ7kGKbI

In addition to the Facebook contest, Costa Rica will hand-select 95 other travelers who could benefit from a gift of happiness, who share Costa Rica’s values and who demonstrate the country’s belief in Pura Vida – everything good in life. In total, 255 travelers received free trips to the happiest country on the planet. To promote the country and campaign, They created four videos of Mr. Sloth, the slow-moving spokes-animal who showcases his beautiful, green environment and the relaxed culture of Costa Rica.

Other elements of the campaign include the “EnviroMixer” iPad app,  as well as various print ads, digital and rich media.

Facebook ‘Friends” went from 8 thousand to 51 thousand in a month and a half after launching “Costa Rica’s Million Dollar Gift of Happiness.”

 

 

Kuoni and Augmented Reality: A new engaging way for customer

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We already showed you a campaign of The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, where they had incorporated the  Augmented-Reality Technology as a new way to help engage and tantalize potential travelers to Hawaii like never before.

Now It´s time for Kuoni…

Kuoni claims to be one of the first UK operators to employ ‘augmented reality’ in press and magazine advertising. This allows readers to be prompted to view extra content and video through smartphones and iPads using image recognition technology to give the reader additional content and an enhanced experience of the ad.

Readers will be encouraged to download the app to their smartphones in order to view the ad through their camera, which will trigger a video, providing details of Kuoni holidays.

 

Dynamic creative messaging is being used in online display advertising. More than 240 creative message variations have been created, all based on a consumer’s journey and level of interaction with the Kuoni website. In this way future messaging can be tailored to the individual experience and stage in the booking process.

The use of these advertising methods are part of the operator’s new year integrated marketing campaign under the new ‘Requested by you… Crafted by Kuoni’ brand slogan.

A social media competition on Facebook is also being run, asking followers to create their own campaign poster. Entrants can choose an image from a selection of Kuoni brand images and write their personal holiday requests for a chance to win a £2,000 gift card for their next holiday. The competition runs until February 29.

 

Kuoni head of marketing Naomi Wilkinson said: “With a significant proportion of our online traffic coming from smartphones and tablets, augmented reality felt the next logical step in creating a seamless multi-channel experience for the Kuoni customer.

“Customers have shown us that they interact with Kuoni in multiple ways across all channels, and augmented reality helps to facilitate this journey in a fun and engaging way.”

One of the most interesting features in the app is the first ever integration of a “click to call”. This makes it engaging and fast tracks the consumer journey from print brochure to booking line.

Over the last 3 years Kuoni and MEC have worked together to better integrated online and offline communication channels, with a significant increase in the use of PPC to drive sales and the development of a sophisticated online display campaign. This has involved merging the benefits of partnerships with key sites, brand placements at key times of year and an ever present base of network, DSP and retargeting activity harvesting online interest. Kuoni have seen CPB’s decrease and booking volumes increase through digital channels year on year as a result.

KLM – to let you choose your neighbour via Facebook

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Dutch airline KLM is aiming to make air travel a more social affair with a new service allowing passengers to choose who they sit next to using Facebook and LinkedIn. KLM plans to launch the service next year.

The “meet and seat” service would allow passengers to see the Facebook or LinkedIn profiles of other flyers, who are also using the opt-in service, when selecting their seat.

It’s aimed at passengers finding people with like-minded interests to sit with during long – and potentially boring – flights. Though it is likely passengers would also use the service as an opportunity for business networking or to seek romance (a survey by UK flight search company Skyscanner earlier this year found 45 per cent of passengers admitted to flirting with other passengers during flights).

It is not the first time an airline has encouraged passengers to get to know each other using technology. Some airlines from the Virgin group, including Virgin Australia’s international flights and Virgin America, offer a seat-to-seat text chat service through the inflight entertainment system.

Malaysian Airlines is reportedly introducing a service whereby Facebook will allow passengers to check if they have any friends booked on their flight or visiting the same holiday spot at the same time.

Singapore Tourism Board Unveils Differentiated Marketing Campaigns

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In the past year, STB have been deepening the understanding of consumers in the various regions. This allowed them to develop strategies that are customised to the needs of individual markets. By understanding consumer needs, They can create and deliver better quality experiences to visitors. This is the natural evolution of the YourSingapore destination brand that emphasises the personalisation of experiences.
Earlier this year, STB embarked on various in-market engagements with consumers and trade which have provided an increased understanding of the consumers from these initial launch markets. This, coupled with STB’s market knowledge gleaned from years of operating overseas, enabled the team to develop customised marketing plans. With these insights, STB will also work with industry partners, both locally and in the markets, to develop and package more meaningful destination experiences.
Marketing Plans, based on understanding of consumer needs wich differ by markets will be rolled out in phases, starting with  the New Discoveries campaign in Beijing, China follow by the  top four visitor-generating market: Australia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The consumer marketing approach has resulted in more targeted and integrated marketing campaigns that will comprise PR, above and below-the-line advertising and digital marketing.

Chinese Consumer Insights & New Discoveries Campaign

From conversations with various consumers and trade, STB found that whilst Chinese still come on packaged tours, many are increasingly making their own online bookings and travelling as free, independent travellers. More significantly, they sought a greater depth of travel experiences that include new, unique experiences.
On top of what consumers already know of Singapore’s well-known tourist attractions, They want to help Chinese deepen their understanding of our city, providing them with compelling reasons to visit Singapore again and again, encourage Chinese visitors to look beyond the surface and uncover for themselves the hidden gems.Thats why STB has also partnered with three major travel agencies in China, namely GZL International Travel Service, CYTS and Ctrip to launch a series of New Discoveries packaged tours. In addition to pre-arranged flight and accommodation options, these free and easy tour packages come with a fully personalisable itinerary. Chinese can choose from a menu of dining, culture and retail recommendations, coupled with essential travel services such as car rental and guided tours. Alternatively, semi free and easy tour packages, with guided tour services for the first part of the tour, can help first-time visitors familiarise themselves with Singapore, before they customise their itinerary for the remaining part of the trip.

Have a look to www.yoursingapore.com and discover and create your own travel experience to Singapore…

Perfect Hawaiian Islands moments in Chicago

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The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) turned its attention to Seattle and Chicago throughout September and October, typically blustery months, targeting the cities’ avid travelers and residents with various consumer events and blitzes aimed at increasing visitor arrivals to Hawaii.

HVCB’s campaign, a part of ongoing marketing efforts in North America, focused on Hawaii’s culture, people and history, and the many experiences visitors can have while vacationing only in Hawaii.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, has incorporated the company’s augmented-reality technology into a monthlong marketing saturation campaign that combine print, broadcast, online and outdoor advertising with public relations, consumer events and travel trade outreach.

During the month of October, commuters traveling through Chicago’s busy Clark and Lake Station can use their mobile devises to tap into a selection of videos linked to marketing images hung throughout the station. After downloading the free Aurasma program, users simply point their iPhone4, iPad2, or Android 2.2 devices at the Hawaii posters and “the images come to life.”

“This new augmented reality helps engage and tantalize potential travelers to Hawaii like never before,” Jay Talwar, the HVCB’s senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “Bringing one-dimensional images to life puts Chicago commuters as close to being in Hawaii as possible in a compelling way.”

HaVCB has partnered with London-based Aurasma to incorporate the augmented-reality technology.

In Spain, M2M partner of Total Innmersion,  the global leader in Augmented Reality Solutions with over 1000 executed solutions, is using augmented reality technology as a new innovative marketing tool to offer to their tourism and destinations clients.

Mobile technology for hotel services

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Every aspect of life is imbued with “smart” these days as mobile technology and hand held devices replace older ways of doing things.

For the hospitality industry, there have been many pioneering uses of tablet devices as industry operators were among the earliest adopters to recognize the design features leading to improved service and self-service applications as well as robust employee assistance capabilities and back office functionality.

More and more hotels are adopting recent developments in tablet computers and smartphones to offer guests information in real time in a wide range of unprecedented ways.

After an extensive 24-month refurbishment and redesign, Dorchester Collection’s property, Hotel Bel-Air, has reopened its doors featuring Intelity’s ICE (Interactive Customer Experience™) technology.  This in-room guest service technology will provide guests in the hotel’s 103 guestrooms and suites with the ability to navigate through all offered hotel services with the simple touch of a finger.

Hotel Bel-Air has long been synonymous with prestige and comfort, offering an unparalleled experience.  From the moment guests check in they will now have the power to access and coordinate all of their hotel needs and receive services instantly.

 

Whether ordering in-room dining, accessing information about local attractions or checking into a flight, guests have the power to customize their experience all from the convenience of an easy-to-use interface.  ICE not only brings state-of-the-art technology to the guest, but also fully integrates into the hotel’s management systems resulting in an increase in staff efficiency, a 90 percent reduction in collateral printing and an overall increased level of service and quality.

Charleston Colombia properties a personalized experience this December.

Recognized for their luxurious world-class amenities, as well as a reputation for excellent service, the hotel group will be the first in Colombia to introduce the interactive guest service technology, ICE Touch (Interactive Customer Experience) at the Hotel Charleston Bogotá, Charleston Casa Medina and Charleston Santa Teresa Cartagena.

The award-winning ICE technology will be available via iPads in each of the 211 guestrooms making it possible for guests to order up to 30 guest services with the simple touch of a finger, including room service, spa treatments, information on local attractions, arranging a trip on the hotel’s pleasure yacht and much more.  Each customized guest interface provides direct communication between hotel staff and guests in real time and tracks all requests and activities, minimizing error and increasing efficiency.

At the InterContinental Seoul COEX’s Sky Lounge on the 30th floor, guests can snap a shot of a quick response (QR) code printed on the menu with their smartphones and instantly get information and photos about the cuisine on offer and the chefs running the kitchen.

French restaurant Table 34 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents fine dining options on a sleek tablet computer. After being seated, guests are handed a 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab instead of the usual, paper or plastic menu.

High-resolution pictures of the dishes and introductions to the chefs who will prepare the meals, as well as new promotions happening at the restaurant are easily viewed on the touch screen.

The two InterContinental hotels also present the guests room types and other privileges with the tablet computers. If guests want to upgrade a room when checking in, they can see and compare on the Galaxy Tabs the photos of Club Floor rooms and consequent privileges, such as Club Lounge use and faster checkout service. Tablet computers also extend hotel services.

Hyatt Regency Jeju offers an exclusive “e-book service” sponsored by Ridibooks, the country’s number one e-book service vendor, the service offers guests 42 complimentary books, including travel books to help them make the best of their visit to Jeju.  In addition, books about the economy and business management are available, along with 12 books about self-enrichment, 20 children’s classic stories and ten books for children about building an upright character.  All the books use the Ridibooks application on Hyatt Regency Jeju’s iPads, which are available for rent.

Guests can rent an iPad from the Concierge Desk in the hotel lobby or in the Regency Club® Lounge on which to read the 42 complimentary books and enjoy the autumn, the best season for reading, along with the beautiful nature of Jeju.  The iPads can be rented for periods of four hours once per stay per room, and advance bookings are required.  Guests who list the titles of their choice from among the 42 books with a Ridibooks’s ID on check-out will be presented with the e-book, which they can read in any place at any time.

Hyatt Regency Jeju has offered information about tours of Jeju on its iPads since the summer.  The launch of the iPad rental and e-book service will increase customer satisfaction, and provide even more information about Jeju tours and the hotel’s services.

A lot of Hotels are offering ipad on every room like The Plaza, in New York City, wich provides every guest with an iPad to enhance their 5-star stay.

These days, most of us are lucky if we land a hotel room that comes with complimentary Wi-Fi access. But guests of The Plaza hotel in New York City get something even better: an iPad.

The Apple tablets come loaded with Intelity’s ICE (Interactive Customer Experience) software, which allows the 5-star hotel’s pampered guests to order room service, request wake-up calls, or browse NYC travel guides, among other things. Guests can even adjust their room’s lights and temperature controls directly from the iPad.

Here you have just a few examples of how technology is helping to hotels to offer guests information in real time in a wide range of unprecedented ways…

 

Staying at the world’s deepest Hotel…

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What experiencie to deep within the dark tunnels and cavity shafts of an old Swedish silver mine, guests can sleep in the world’s deepest hotel suite.

The Sala Silvermine is located in Sala (120 km/75 miles from Stockholm) and for a long period of time the mine was Sweden’s largest source of silver, and is now home to an underground hotel room, dining experience, museum, live theater and numerous exploration activities.

The eerie hotel suite accommodates two and is situated 155 meters (509 ft) below the earth’s surface, amidst winding tunnels and deep cavities. The suite is not suitable for claustrophobes, as the dark chamber features a double bed surrounded by three rock walls, candles, seating and little else.

 

This bizarre bedroom, which costs £380a night, comes complete with a luxirious double bed, silver furnishings and champagne platter.

 

But anyone who lives by their phone would be best off staying in one of the hotel’s 14 ground-level rooms as there is certainly no mobile signal down there.

The mine also features two dining rooms in the vicinity of the hotel suite, where dinner guests can experience a banquet in a truly unique environment.

Above ground, in the southern area of the mine, lie several high wire adventure tracks, including ropeways, hanging bridges and other tree challenges. But if you’d prefer to go underground, adventurers have the opportunity to go cave diving. The cave dive offers a limited number of divers access to explore the mine’s underwater environment. The water temperature is constantly a chilly 2 degrees Celsius / 35 degrees Fahrenheit, however divers braving the cold conditions are promised a “spectacular scenery” experience.

 

Brasil sigue innovando en su promoción turística internacional

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Con motivo de la celebración de la Copa del Mundo FIFA 2014, Embratur (Instituto Brasileño de Turismo), sigue desarollando acciones de promoción innovadora del turismo.

Esta vez ha creado una nueva herramienta para promocionar los destinos turísticos de las 12 ciudades sede del Mundial. Se trata del vídeo 360º, que utiliza una tecnología innovadora de captación de imágenes para visualizar, de manera panorámica e interactiva, los atractivos turísticos locales.

Los videos en 360 grados están disponibles en la web, sitio desde donde se puede interactuar con imágenes, tal como si se estuviera visitando el propio destino.

Hasta ahora, han sido producidos videos de cinco ciudades-sede (Río de Janeiro, Salvador, Manaus, Cuiabá y Curitiba) que muestran sus alrededores y el potencial turístico de cada una. Con esta iniciativa, el objetivo de Embratur es incentivar al turista extranjero a conocer otros destinos, más allá de los que albergarán este evento deportivo.

Según el presidente de Embratur, Flávio Dino, por medio de esta nueva tecnología, se mostrará al mundo una imagen diferente de Brasil. ‘Nuestros atractivos turísticos son bellos por naturaleza. A partir de estas imágenes, podremos reforzar otros aspectos como la modernidad y el avance tecnológico’.

Reaching every city on Earth within two hours travel time

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A Formula One tycoon is linking up with KLM to develop a spacecraft which could reach every city on Earth within two hours travel.

This week they will reveal the first British passenger to buy a $A97,000 ticket for a ride on an early version of the craft, providing sub-orbital flights for space tourists.

Their ambition, however, is to pioneer commercial space travel with, they hope, the first scheduled flights within 15 to 20 years.

Michiel Mol, 42, a Dutchman who co-owns the Force India F1 team and made his fortune in computer software, said this weekend: “Being able to travel from London to Sydney in an hour and 45 minutes, that is the future. It is also the reason why KLM joined our firm [Space Expedition Curacao] as a partner.

Passengers, who will be entitled to call themselves astronauts if they reach an altitude of 100 kilometres, will be required to pass physical tests which he says are no more stringent than would be expected of an air steward. The first generation spaceship will travel at 2,200mph, but the second generation will need to reach a velocity of 13,750mph to achieve the desired orbit.

Although Mol concedes this is “a long way off”, he adds that once the craft is in space “where you are going doesn’t make much difference. You need 10 minutes to get into space and maybe half an hour to decelerate and land again, and the rest of the time you are flying at 12,000-13,750mph”.

“Flying from London to Barcelona would still take an hour or so while London to Tokyo would be about 1hr 30min and London to Sydney 1hr 45min. ”

KLM supports the innovative project according to chief executive, Peter Hartman.
“The programme’s aim is to make space flights – the future of travel – accessible in a responsible and sustainable way by developing and promoting new technologies.”

Sunday Times report