Page 5 - RadonicRodgers AdVantage #3

Before even embarking on the strategy for the website, our analysis provided insight to the client stake- holders recommending that they merge the two divisions and re-name the resulting singularly-focused company to Casino Vacations
in combination with a complete re-branding for the casino vacations positioning. This provided a unique singular niche while we identified
and clarified a much stronger set of brand values becoming the corner- stone of our work on the Casino Vacations new brand visual identity initiative recently unveiled. And then, finally, the website strategy and its final implementation, which is what they had initially come to us for: www.yourcasinovacations.com.
So the strategy is to position your- self as narrowly as you can muster, which effectively targets your poten- tial markets that are most interested in your niche by highlighting the ex- pertise credibility that surrounds your offering. By doing this, your prospect customers will come to you looking for exactly the services and products that you offer.
You don’t have to sell them in the traditional sense. They will be highly intrigued by virtue of you being a specialist Travel company providing the insights and Travel products
not otherwise readily available in the marketplace — you will have already been sought out, discovered and researched by a consumer who is ready to purchase.
This principle of focused posi- tioning scales across all Travel and
Tourism industry sub-categories. From coach operators to attractions, tour operators, destinations, cruise lines, hotels and resorts — every sub-industry business category in Travel and Tourism will benefit from a consolidation of its myriad strengths toarriveatapositioningthatistruly differentiating the company or organ- ization over competitors.
”A growing segment of Canadian travel buyers are
truly looking
for something special in their travel purchase.”
Let the world in on your specialty expertise
The Web provides the power to do this more effectively than ever be- fore. Search engine optimization and content are king. Emphasize your expertise and product knowledge on your site by constantly adding content that makes you more “visible” by Web searches for the terms that are pertinent to your niche. The more, the better; everything from articles about your destination’s idiosyncratic experiences, to custom tips on how to buy a specialized Travel product.
Take your temporary Facebook page down unless it has lots of relevant content and useful facts for your prospects. If it does, then beef it up and put even more engaging content on it. Give them the goods. Don’t be shy — put all your knowledge, in- formative insider tips and unique of- ferings that will encourage your fans and savvy travellers to participate
in your social media conversation with reviews, experiences, photos etc., further validating your niche in the community.
Mind you, bravery is required.
Be careful not to descend into prod- uct- pushing in your niche-building exercise. Publish regular blasts
of your e-newsletters with helpful information only, not sales-oriented listings(Feelfreetolinkbacktoyour website listings, but don’t be tempted to diminish the effectiveness of your
newsletter with hard-core product offerings.) Just give them the useful information that is hard to find any- where else. Do you have an opinion that is distinctive? Even better. Write about it and post regularly on your blog site. All this will build traffic to your site from people interested in your particular offering because of the relevant-to-your-niche content with cohesive, yet distinct advice.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. To further build your deep specialization, there are numerous ways to reinforce your niche — everything from online webinars to in-the-flesh public speak- ing at Travel shows and conferences, writing e-books to posting destina- tion-specific cultural recipes, from online Travel guides to guest arti- cle-writing for publications of interest to your market, and many other ex- pertise-building content channels that can establish your authenticity as the pundit in your particular Travel and
Tourism specialty.
Commit to your positioning with a focused identity
Of course, once the groundwork of your positioning is completed, there are the essential factors of brand de- velopment to consider, including your firm’s naming and its visual identity with questions such as:
What will be all the fixtures of your brand story-telling? Does your brand adequately support and com- municate your specialty expertise? Do your employees understand your newly stated brand values and are they regularly reinforced and trained on these values? Do your branding efforts still feel a bit amateurish — not particularly inspiring to your niche nor communicating that you are the knowledgeable specialist in unique Travel experiences that you want to be differentiated on?
As a Travel firm with a voice, you will have something to offer that no other Travel firm (and as you know, there are plenty of them) can truly offer. The experience of selling to prospects who desperately come to you to learn and buy for your specific take on Travel offerings (and the unimaginable control that this offers to you over your pricing) will provide the edge you will need to remake your company into a prosperous and self-sufficient business machine. Is the industry rampant with cut-throat pricing and under-cutting practices affecting profitability? We all know the answer to that. Let them all wrestle and stress among themselves. You haveasmartergametoplay. ●●
* Travelweek’s 2012 Ultimate Travel Survey
LAUNCHED
Muskoka social media campaign
“Take Back Winter!”
BRIEF: Convince Canadians to go up north during one of the harshest winters on record — remember the polar votex and
ice storms? Right!
RadonicRodgers Strategy+ developed a creative online social media campaign that doubled social media engagement and
site traffic. The ultim- ate goal was traffic through the conversion pages that would de- velop into sales for their Tourism stakeholders.
info@radonicrodgers.com — Toll free: 1-800-585-3029 — www.radonicrodgers.com 5