It was an honor to be a lead judge once again for the US Travel ESTO Awards, a celebration of award winning travel marketing. Judging is now complete, and the 2025 finalists have been announced. Check them out HERE. Although I am very much sworn to secrecy until after the awards ceremony, held at the end of the ESTO conference Aug 17-19 in Phoenix, AZ what I can offer is … [Read more...]
Marketing hot/not list for 2025: 10 big trends
Fire and Ice symbolize temperature extremes, and in the case of heat, what’s “hot” has come to represent what is on trend, and what is not. So here is your 2025 list of TEN big trends in marketing. The HOT/NOT list! Trend #1 HOT: Building relationships NOT: Building audiences For years social media has been all about building an audience. How many followers do you have? … [Read more...]
From unsettled to connected: reflections on the Uprising, a retreat for marketing leaders 2024
I was traveling in Tennessee last week. What brought me there was an opportunity to be a guest at Mark Schaeffer’s event, The Uprising – a retreat for marketers, hosted at RT Lodge, Maryville, on the footsteps of the Smoky Mountains. Exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Appalachian Trail, visiting a travel podcast friend in Johnson City, and being immersed in the … [Read more...]
Disruption
The marketing industry is experiencing really big changes right now – AI, LLMs like ChatGPT, the Twitter rebrand, new platforms like Threads, and the rising power of foreign controlled TikTok. I’m still having a hard time calling the little blue bird “X”. The whole “formerly known as” feels like I’m talking about Prince! Not only is the industry being disrupted, I've been … [Read more...]
Ethics & AI: considerations and tools for marketers
Discussions around artificial intelligence these days seem full of hyperbole. Often the outcome is to drive opinions into one of two directions. AI is evil. It will steal jobs, spread misinformation and leave us divided and destitute while we burn and float away. AI is a gift. Sent from the internet Gods, it will increase our productivity, creativity, and leave us sipping … [Read more...]
