WELCOME to the first Four Eyes for 2010.
It’s a pleasure to still be here and a pleasure to continue to bring you, my loyal readers, more of the ins and outs of the media and online world.
It’s gonna be a big year, so let’s crack straight into it!
Since it’s the holiday season, let’s take a look at what’s happening in the Tourism Industry… It is clear that just running ads isn’t enough to truly engage with today’s highly involved and highly connected holidaymakers. Word of mouth has always been a powerful tool for promoting holiday destinations (how many best kept secrets can one country have?!) but with Social Media, word of mouth recommendations can come from complete strangers.
As Jasons Travel Media recently found out, 91% of holidaymakers research their destination online, and 65% read 
online reviews of accommodation and activities. So how will our regions spend the money the Government has allocated to regional tourism marketing? A one-week, broad-reach, everything-to-everyone ad campaign, or an ongoing campaign of engagement and interaction with qualified prospects?
Here are a couple of examples of NZ towns taking promotions to the next level… you have probably seen the Tourism Paeroa campaign (so tongue in cheek I’m surprised they can talk at all), but have you heard about the promotion coming out of Cambridge, raising the profile of the Waipa district and raising funds for a new community centre? Giving away a million dollar house is always effective!
For those of you who haven’t been able to have a holiday, remember you can visit almost anywhere in the world – virtually – with Google Earth, Maps and StreetView. Some people have too much time on their hands, and have found the unfindable… Top Gear’s “The Stig” (seen in a BBC building) and yes… Wally! That’s where he was!
Finally, this “technical problem” shows that even in the age of Web 3.0, broadband cellphones and live streaming HDTV, things can still go wrong. Can anyone tell me what that thing is, that Mr Bowden is frantically pressing buttons on?
Iain’s Interesting Internet Information wishes you a nice weekend!
