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Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
lenzo, very good questions.
1) yes, the TDC was very displeased with the web design company which they hired to build their site. I believe they terminated that contract and turned over the web site to LKM. LKM has been tweaking it slightly, but has been working on a much more useful site that is user-friendly. This has been discussed in several of their workshops.

2)The social networking material is being handled in house at the TDC.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Not everyone can attend every single meeting for every single thing - that's why we hire/elect people and pay them $$ to oversee these things and to be the oversight for these things.

Lately, I want a refund.

Do you really believe that? You should have learned by now that giving the government money to oversee something is like paying the fox to guard the hen house.

If you really have concerns about any matters, you should get involved.
 

Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,250
9,279
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
Do you really believe that? You should have learned by now that giving the government money to oversee something is like paying the fox to guard the hen house.

If you really have concerns about any matters, you should get involved.

there are many ways to be involved in our community and not all of them involve attending meetings.

people discussing the issues here on SoWal are people who truly care or they would not be here or offer comment. we expect a range of opinions on most issues, as usual. most everyone contributes something very thoughtful and useful.

I truly appreciate Beach Bimmer and others who bring professional marketing/branding experience to the discussion. It is terrific information and I thank you!

I thank SJ, Bob, SWGB and everyone who has information to share with the community right here. its an important process, imo. Because of you, I'm sure more people will get involved and actually attend meetings.

I am not convinced the meetings are really "Open" to the community at large in any real or constructive way. Maybe I'm wrong. But, that is fine with me - they are conducting meetings, exploring better marketing campaigns, hiring professionals to guide them and overall conducting tourist development business in a professional way. If it was an open process I think we would have known about it and discussed it here long ago. I think the important thing is that it is a matter of discussion here and now, it is a matter of concern, and people are evaluating and sharing opinions - here and elsewhere, and that is a good thing. I have no doubt that our community will have a very important influence on the outcome - whether or not they ever attend a meeting.

btw, regarding the BCC vote last week - I am glad to see our County Commissioners leaving the TDC's job to them to perform. I believe they will get it right eventually, but maybe not - in any case it is their work and they will hear from businesses and constituents, and they will know if a campaign is successful or not. People are making a big deal out of the dollars spent (1.3 M or whatever) - but that is the cost of tourist development business.
 
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Matt J

SWGB
May 9, 2007
24,646
9,496
Based on my non-scientific polling, everyone asked hears "to eat, your beach" the first time every time.
 

Miss Kitty

Meow
Jun 10, 2005
47,017
1,131
69
Based on my non-scientific polling, everyone asked hears "to eat, your beach" the first time every time.

Yep...we all heard that gem from Mr. K last night!
 

Bob Hudson

Beach Fanatic
May 10, 2008
1,066
739
Santa Rosa Beach
It appears that some believe that my issues with this project deal with the cost and cost only. I admit to being a "cost sensitive person", but those basic feelings are always tempered by a realization that you have to spend money to make money. I also believe that we should spend money wisely.

I also believe that history repeats itself when we do not remember how we approached issues in the past.

Please remember the following "plans" that were implemented with great enthusiasm initially but failed miserably.

  1. The infamous "Big Blue Signs"
  2. The 1 year old website that even SJ says is not meeting the needs of vendors, but was sold as the next best thing.
  3. The 1/2 cent bedtax increase that was going to drive visitors into or area by bringing Southwest Airlines. Where are they ?


Key Findings

  1. BSWhas 49% name recognition among core targets and 21% name recognition in expansion markets
  2. Less than half of visitors who have visited the area in the past know where they are
  3. 3% of visitors in 2010 knew they were in Beaches of South Walton
  4. 6% of visitors who actually stayed overnight in BSW thought they were in Destin
  5. Advertising recall amongst competitive destinations are and have remained flat at 21%

Goals From LKM Presentation

  1. Increase the relevance of the BSW message
  2. Reach more like-minded consumers
  3. Reduce the cost to reach each relevant consumer
  4. Drive new awareness in existing and emerging markets
  5. Emphasize frequency in markets with highest potential
  6. Drive qualified traffic to BSW.com and partner landing pages
  7. Provide performance metrics for BSW and its partners on a regular basis

Please review the key findings and the Goals set forth by LKM and then review the presentation and help me understand where any of those issues will be solved by removing "Beaches of" from the current logo and adding a tag line such as "to each, your beach".

Will different pictures and new videos help with any short coming ?

How will this "campaign" solve any issue other than draining the TDC cash register, then starting over again after spending millions of dollars ?

Are we willing to stake the future of tourism growth in South Walton on the approach ?

Will this change help people know where they are ?

I find it unrealistic to make that quantum leap of faith.

This issue is not about Dawn. It is about someone flashing a shinny object (I'm not convinced the object is really shinny) before well intentioned people and saying we are here to solve all of your problems and short comings and those people thinkings "these are professionals and I need to listen to them" and not simply walking up to people and saying what do you think about a tag line, or moniker like "To each, your beach" and watch the look on their face and hear them say "To eat, your beach" what the ******* is that.

"Please remember that the engineers that designed and built the Titanic said it was unsinkable."
 
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Lake View Too

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2008
6,862
8,298
Eastern Lake
Do you really believe that? You should have learned by now that giving the government money to oversee something is like paying the fox to guard the hen house.

If you really have concerns about any matters, you should get involved.

Dang, you're right! I'm going to quit my job and start going to every one of the TDC and BCC meetings. How much does it pay?? :blink:
 
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Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,250
9,279
South Walton, FL
sowal.com

just quickly scanned the presentation. I know from hearing from attendees that this outline does not contain a lot of information that was presented. To be fair, this outline provides the basic points of the project, but it is very incomplete and was used only for discussion of certain points.

I like portions of the South Walton Story - but still.. to each your beach just does not work. I hope they are still early in the process. I'm not concerned about ad campaigns, but I am concerned about the name we project - if it doesn't have the word Beach or Beaches, then we may as well be in South Walton, Idaho.
 
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Bob Hudson

Beach Fanatic
May 10, 2008
1,066
739
Santa Rosa Beach
just quickly scanned the presentation. I know from hearing from attendees that this outline does not contain a lot of information that was presented. To be fair, this outline provides the basic points of the project, but it is very incomplete and was used only for discussion of certain points.

I like portions of the South Walton Story - but still.. to each your beach just does not work. I hope they are still early in the process. I'm not concerned about ad campaigns, but I am concerned about the name we project - if it doesn't have the word Beach or Beaches, then we may as well be in anywhere USA.

That is the PowerPoint that was presented - I was present at three meetings.

Does it included the 2 hour oral presentation given by LKM - no it does not.

There is one thing I am keenly aware of and that is that a viewer of a TV spot, internet ad - or a reader of a newspaper ad or magazine ad is not going to spend two hours listening to someone explain where South Walton is or what "To each, your beach" means or spend the time understanding that the words South Walton are in white type face to represent the sugar white beaches here or that they chose a script font because it had a "warm, Southern feel".

Will the finished product of their efforts look better than the mock-ups - I'm sure they will.

In this case "We Left Home Without It" or another way to say it might be "Where's The Beef".

"You can put lipstick and a pretty dress on a pig, but it's still a pig."

 
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