Can Kelvin Bloom Bring Back the Hawaii Tourism Authority From the States Tourism Marketing Abyss?

Living in the worlds most famous destination forI completely understand the usual placement of
vacations (Hawaii) and being a marketing geek, itcollateral that brings attention to beaches,
blows me away that the government fundedwaterfalls, tropical isolation and the overall beauty
Hawaii Tourism Authority is not able to orof the islands but it's the old message in a new
overlooked tapping into the equity of millions uponworld.
millions of satisfied visitors. Marketing 101; it'sHowever, I do see the movement of the HTA's
those who have had a great experience withinitiatives into digital placement of collateral but it is
your product that will tell others.following a downward trend that those who have
The super-power of Hawaii's marketing rests onbeen in the marketing business to long and
the word remarkable: the power of peopleworking with traditional points of distribution.
remarking about their experience then tellingUnfortunately many who have been in the game
others. And to understand the impact of beinga long time are re-proposing old messages and
remarkable and bring the power of softstrategies through new points of media. I straight
marketing into the hands of regular people is thepath to marketing failure is to treat websites like
golden key to re-brand and image Hawaii as aprint, pod casts like radio and social media like TV
travel destination at no cost to the HTA greaterand that is what is going on with the HTA and
than the expense of their annual stationary bill.many of Hawaii's foremost tourist marketing
Use same Advanced Media Marketing concept onpowers.
first time visitors and the marketing machine willIf I sound like I'm about to come up with the
be well greased and completely viral.solution in this article, I'm not - but the answer is
Perhaps the newly seated chairman of the HTA,obvious to me. If it sounds like I'm being selfish,
Kelvin Bloom, will bring them into the present andI'm not - because it's not my job. There is a
start to use the latest methods of marketing.person associated with both HTA and State
Though the HTA are the power players that bringGovernment that knows that I'm on the
major events to the islands that will bring with itperipherals of the issue and as he sees fit, I'll get
global attention (Sony Open, Aloha Bowl, etc.),called in. I'm going to hang back and wait to see if
they fail in the most basic marketingthe HTA gets it and will execute it; I'm hopeful
fundamentals of reaching out in real time to realthey will.
people.I will admit that being that I'm not a part of or
I have emailed my friends around the world andhave been called on to assist any major tourism
have asked them if they have seen anymarketing group, I don't know what plans they
advertising about traveling to Hawaii and they allmight be hatching right now. But what I will say is
said the same thing. They said that in their papersthat time is not on their side. The more economic
it's usually pictures of tropical stuff with a girlfailure that surrounds the tourist industry, the
wearing a lei. And then most of them said on TV,more people will blame. Guess who's going to get
it was the fly-by shots of the islands typicalthe finger.............pointed at them?
scenery; typical.