Ep 14 Travel Influencer Marketing with guest Alana Zusis | @alanainwanderland
This podcast episode delves into the intricate dynamics of influencer marketing, emphasizing the paramount importance of authenticity and connection within the travel sector. We explore how digital content creation, particularly through photography and videography, serves as a vital conduit for fostering genuine connections between brands and their audiences. Our guest, Alana, shares her profound insights on leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance content creation while maintaining the human element that is essential for impactful marketing. We further discuss the evolving trends in travel marketing, highlighting the significance of hyperlocal experiences that allow travelers to engage more deeply with communities and cultures. Join us as we navigate the complexities of modern marketing strategies and the transformative potential of authentic storytelling in building enduring relationships with audiences.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- 00:07 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
- 04:40 - The Impact of AI in Digital Marketing
- 12:41 - Navigating the World of Travel Marketing
- 20:11 - Balancing Creativity and Strategy in Content Creation
- 27:24 - The Future of Travel Content
- 28:34 - Exploring Cultural Immersion and Local Experiences
- 37:53 - Transitioning to Chicago's Culinary Scene
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- In this episode, we thoroughly examined the implications of recent technological advancements on society.
- We explored the multifaceted relationship between innovation and ethical considerations in modern practices.
- The discussion highlighted the necessity for interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex global challenges.
- We emphasized the importance of critical thinking skills in navigating an increasingly complex information landscape.
- This episode delved into the role of education in fostering a culture of innovation and inquiry.
- We articulated the significance of sustainable practices in shaping a responsible future for technology.
Special Thanks to our guest Alana Zusis - @alanainwanderland (IG)
Powered by BrennSys Technology
Transcript
Welcome to Aqua Talks, where marketing meets bold game changing ideas.
Speaker A:Join your hosts, Larry Aldrich and Maddie Dudley as they explore the art and science of cutting through the noise, capturing attention and fostering meaningful connections with your audience.
Speaker A:Whether you're a destination marketer, government contractor, or simply passionate about the transformative power of marketing, Aqua Talks offers engaging discussions, fresh insights and actionable strategies designed to inspire and inform.
Speaker B:Hello and welcome back to Aqua Talks.
Speaker B:My name is Maddie.
Speaker B:We are the podcast for marketers.
Speaker B:Whether you're just getting started out or you are a marketing pro, I am joined by my co host, Larry Aldrich today who is president and CEO of our sponsor, Brensystechnology, as well as Aqua.
Speaker B:Hi, Larry.
Speaker C:Hi, Maddie.
Speaker C:How are you today?
Speaker C:And hello, Alana.
Speaker C:How are you?
Speaker C:I am doing now when I say your name, is it Alana?
Speaker C:Alana, can you help me with that pronunciation please?
Speaker D:Alana?
Speaker D:We're gonna hit, Alana, the A's very hard.
Speaker D:Like Chicago.
Speaker D:Alana.
Speaker C:We're hitting them A's hard, but you know, they're moving Vegas, right?
Speaker D:What's moving to Vegas?
Speaker C:You said, you said.
Speaker C:We were just talking about baseball and you said we're going to hit those A's hard.
Speaker D:Oh, okay.
Speaker C:The Oakland A's, they're going to be the Las Vegas A's pretty soon.
Speaker D:See, you just one upped my baseball knowledge right there.
Speaker C:We're helping each other out here today.
Speaker D:Perfect.
Speaker C:As long as we don't talk about the Pirates or the Yankees.
Speaker C:My two teams.
Speaker D:So all good.
Speaker D:No opinions there.
Speaker C:Especially the Pirates.
Speaker C:They're not doing very well right now.
Speaker D:Well, you know, the White Sox as well.
Speaker C:We do have the best pitcher in baseball though.
Speaker C:Skeins.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker C:All right, Maddie, let's.
Speaker C:We're talking influencer.
Speaker C:This is influencing right here.
Speaker B:So, Alana, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker B:We're really happy to have you.
Speaker B:We worked together recently, so I've been able to see your work firsthand with one of our clients.
Speaker B:And before we get into any sort of Q and A's, I would love to just hear a little bit about your background and hear about all about you, definitely.
Speaker D:So my passion is photography, but it's definitely veered into more photography as a tool and a means for doing something else, something bigger besides photography, and that is digital marketing.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker D:So I'm very passionate about content creation.
Speaker D:I feel that content creation is that link right between like the hard skills, the creative skills of like technical photography, videography.
Speaker D:Then you also have the community building right where you find the people that share your passions and your interests, that hopefully you're showcasing places to with your beautiful photography, videography.
Speaker D:And then like at the top of my trifecta triangle are the destinations and the brands that hopefully also have that amazing alignment between the values and the passions that you yourself have and that your community has.
Speaker D:And it becomes this beautiful relationship.
Speaker D:So I think my journey into content creation has really been about seeking those connections and the community that I think we all kind of lost during COVID I found that to be an especially kind of lonely, isolating time as a photographer especially, and seeing the way that it hit our local tourism and hospitality, it made me want to lean into showcasing my local Chicago brands and destinations so that when they were putting forth efforts to say, hey, humans, during COVID like, we're here, we're offering outside experiences, right?
Speaker D:Removing dining outdoors, it was about connecting that availability to the people that were craving that so much.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And when it came together, like, that's beautiful.
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker B:That is beautiful.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker C:Speaking of influencer marketing, when we talk about trends, is there a certain trend in influencer marketing that's right now that you're just like really touching you 100%.
Speaker D:For me personally, I've gotten, I think, an early start into how useful AI is in digital marketing content creation.
Speaker D:I knew it was one of those movements where if you don't jump on it early, you're not going to evolve with it as much and make, you know, make those mistakes right in the beginning of how you're going to use like the ChatGPTs and the other AIs to see what's helpful about them, but also what can hurt you.
Speaker D:And the reason why I think it's such a powerful trend is because a lot of us, especially in digital marketing and content creation, we wear so many hats, right?
Speaker D:We have to do so much and we all think to ourselves, I wish we had this virtual assistant, right?
Speaker D:But sometimes, like, I am a solo female, I do everything myself business.
Speaker D:So sometimes, like financially, I can't just hire out a bunch of humans to do all this work for me.
Speaker D:So using AI strategically has really offloaded a lot of organization, right?
Speaker D:Proofreading, copy ideation, those kinds of things.
Speaker D:So it has helped me tremendously to offload that brain space so that I can use, you know, my creativity and like, put that into my community and my clients.
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker D:Because that's what they're looking for.
Speaker B:The human element.
Speaker D:Exactly.
Speaker B:That's what you're good at.
Speaker D:Exactly.
Speaker B:It just comes back to community.
Speaker D:It really does.
Speaker D:I Mean, we're all.
Speaker D:We're social creatures, us humans.
Speaker D:So I think we're always looking for that.
Speaker D:And that's why I think AI, you know, like, for all the doom and gloom, like, the people that are saying, you know, AI is going to replace everyone, you know, like, short of, like, the Terminator scenario, like, it will not.
Speaker D:Because humans, like, we want that authenticity that you can only get from another human.
Speaker D:And if we lose that, I think we're losing, like, pretty much everything that makes marketing.
Speaker D:Marketing.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like, that human connection.
Speaker D:Like, the machines, like, as amazing as they are, they can't do that for us.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:Actually, even if we don't go towards the Terminator, I think it'd really be cool to have a Jarvis and a Friday.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Okay, I could see that.
Speaker B:Jarvis, Interstellar.
Speaker B:Wait, which one is.
Speaker B:Which one's Interstellar?
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker C:You don't know who Jarvis and Friday is?
Speaker B:No, I've heard of the name Jarvis before.
Speaker C:You know who Tony Stark is?
Speaker B:Oh, yes.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Okay, that rings a bell.
Speaker D:Now.
Speaker C:I am Iron Man.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And, you know, when Jarvis got interconnected into vision, then that's when Friday came.
Speaker B:Oh, okay.
Speaker B:So it's like the son of Jarvis.
Speaker C:Chip, you hear Spoiler alert.
Speaker C:Chip.
Speaker C:Where's Chip at?
Speaker C:Chip, are you hearing this?
Speaker D:I think it's time to rewatch the Iron Man.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Somebody needs to start watching the MCU from the beginning.
Speaker D:Excellent.
Speaker B:Well, what do you start with?
Speaker C:You start with Iron Man.
Speaker C:The very first one.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:All right, we'll get.
Speaker C:We'll catch up.
Speaker C:We'll catch up.
Speaker B:I'll do Iron man and come back to you.
Speaker C:We'll get there.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker D:But in the meantime, we'll have to do a podcast.
Speaker D:Part two, like, after Iron Man Rewatch.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:There's before, Iron man and after.
Speaker B:So you talked a little bit about photography and how it got you into content creation.
Speaker B:But, like, tell us about your first gig.
Speaker B:Tell us about how you started posting and.
Speaker B:Yeah, just all that.
Speaker D:So early gigs, I think, included a lot of my photography, kind of became known for, like, brands like, in situ.
Speaker D:I hope I'm saying that right.
Speaker D:I don't know.
Speaker D:It just means, like, in, like, the environment that, like, speaks to the brand.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So, like, I had a lot of Chicago brands that would reach out and say, know, like, we have this product, but we want it photographed in a way that, like, takes it out of, like, the very, like, sterile.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Where you have that, like, colorful, like, screen behind the product or the white screen.
Speaker D:And they wanted it photographed somewhere like, iconic to Chicago.
Speaker D:So I would literally have products, like, packed into, like, a giant backpack.
Speaker D:And I would have all of my photography equipment, and I would be taking the L around Chicago.
Speaker D:And, you know, obviously I'm a local, so I'm very familiar.
Speaker D:Familiar with, like, when tourists think of Chicago, like, what they're thinking, right?
Speaker D:They're thinking the bean, they're thinking the Chicago theater, right?
Speaker D:Like, in the spring, we have our iconic Chicago tulips, where we have, like, a hundred thousand plus tulips on the magnificent mile.
Speaker D:And it's stunning.
Speaker D:So I would be jostling all these products, and I think one of my funniest stories, like, the.
Speaker D:One of my most humbling is I had food type products.
Speaker D:Like, I'm not going to reveal the brand, but I had, like, tasty treats that I was photographing in front of the Chicago theater.
Speaker D:And I felt like I thought through everything, right?
Speaker D:Like, when I think about campaigns, I go so into the details that I'm, like, dreaming about them.
Speaker D:Like, I'm doing, like, campaigns, like, in my dreams.
Speaker D:And I'm like, okay, I've covered, like, every detail.
Speaker D:This is how the light's going to be, right?
Speaker D:This is the timing for when the light's going to hit the product.
Speaker D:But it'll also illuminate the Chicago theater backdrop.
Speaker D:And everything was all set.
Speaker D:And I get these products.
Speaker D:I set everything up.
Speaker D:It's looking beautiful.
Speaker D:And as I'm about to, like, shoot my first shots, I had, I kid you not, 100 pigeons descend and start, like, packing away at the food.
Speaker D:So it's like, it's like the wildlife in Chicago.
Speaker D:I feel like you can't fully account for it, but that was humbling in terms of, like, as much as you plan, like, you need to plan that something's going to go wrong and then just deal with it.
Speaker C:What about the lake?
Speaker C:Everyone talks about Chicago.
Speaker C:You never hear about the lake.
Speaker D:Oh, well, I mean, you'll hear it from me.
Speaker D:I beat the drum of our natural spaces so hard because, I mean, our lake is practically an ocean.
Speaker D:Like, let's be real.
Speaker D:You know, if you don't see the other side, like, is it not an ocean?
Speaker D:It's gorgeous.
Speaker D:You know, on the right days, it's this, like, vibrant, like, turquoise.
Speaker D:And then like a riverwalk.
Speaker D:If you've been absolutely stunning, like, the businesses that have popped up along the Riverwalk, that's.
Speaker D:I mean, you could spend a day out there, and I can literally give you an itinerary for, like, hop from this end of the riverwalk.
Speaker D:You're going to do XYZ and then you're going to end here and then like Robert's Pizza, which is lesser known local gem, at the end, that's where you're going to have dinner.
Speaker D:Oh, and then by the way, in the summer, the fireworks for free are just gonna like pop overhead, you know, when you're done eating pizz.
Speaker D:So yeah, don't get me started on our waterways because I will not stop talking.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think we need to go to a conference in Chicago now.
Speaker C:Actually, Destinations International was in Chicago in July.
Speaker B:Oh, just missed it.
Speaker C:In July.
Speaker D:July, July.
Speaker B:Oh, it's this July.
Speaker B:Oh, gosh.
Speaker B:What month is it?
Speaker B:I have no idea.
Speaker C:We plan on going.
Speaker B:We will, we will.
Speaker C:Definitely we will be there.
Speaker D:I would love to see you both in person if we can make that happen.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:I don't know the exact week right now, but look at the schedule.
Speaker C:It is in July.
Speaker C:I want to say the third week in July, but we'll confirm that.
Speaker D:Perfect.
Speaker B:So love that story so much.
Speaker B:You plan for everything and then just something literally comes from the sky and destroys all of your plans.
Speaker B:We've all been there before.
Speaker B:What current trends are you seeing in travel marketing that are really working?
Speaker B:We talked about AI earlier, but I want to get into maybe TikTok sounds trends or techniques that people are using.
Speaker B:Transitions.
Speaker B:Let's dive into it.
Speaker D:Definitely.
Speaker D:I think sound is very powerful, but it's powerful because again, like connection and feeling, right?
Speaker D:So like it's powerful because it makes us feel a certain way.
Speaker D:So I think the brands that are using like trending audio, right?
Speaker D:Or they're like purchasing access to like these libraries of audio, the brands that are using it very strategically where the audio itself is almost sending a subliminal message, right.
Speaker D:To viewers of this is what we stand for, right?
Speaker D:Like, what is your energy level?
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker D:Like the beat speaks to that.
Speaker D:You know, if there's lyrics, right?
Speaker D:We want to be careful, right.
Speaker D:We want to be very careful with like the snippet that we're choosing.
Speaker D:So it's definitely something that's important and something that I also like, agonize over for my brands, right?
Speaker D:Like, so when they don't want to listen through like, you know, hundreds and hundreds of songs, like, I think that's the beauty of hiring a content creator that aligns with your values is that there's that trust there.
Speaker D:So you know that if I'm selecting audio for you, it's going to showcase your brand very well.
Speaker C:What are some do's and Don'ts of a content creation.
Speaker C:Content creator relations in travel destination marketing.
Speaker D:I think one thing that jumps out at me that I think your team actually does really well and Maddie did so well with Lois on a recent campaign was you work really well with your creators to like build an itinerary that has room to breathe.
Speaker D:And what I mean by that is like, of course your destinations are incredible.
Speaker D:Your clients are amazing.
Speaker D:There's so many local businesses that you want to showcase.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:But having that kind of built in like time, right in between things where like the magic can happen.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And the person that you're working with, like a content creator such as myself, can take one of your business's recommendations, Right.
Speaker D:And pop over there and maybe have that like unplanned for experience that's spontaneous.
Speaker D:I think that's a big do because usually those experiences come through so authentically and also they showcase how in touch your own local businesses are with their communities.
Speaker D:And we'll probably touch on this later, but like, little preview.
Speaker D:When I was in Punta Gorda, I was with Sup Inglewood beach and one of the guides there recommended a local redfish place, like, specifically because the redfish fingers there were so good.
Speaker D:And I've never had redfish and it blew my mind.
Speaker D:It was the tastiest fish and I had this like platter and you know, it's like the kind of dish where you're like, I'm not hungry anymore and you're still eating it because it's so good.
Speaker B:What's the name of the restaurant?
Speaker D:I want to say it's Smokin Jerry's.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I think.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Smokin J's, maybe.
Speaker D:Yeah, I think.
Speaker D:Let's check the notes.
Speaker D:I think Smokin Jerry's.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:I haven't been.
Speaker B:I see.
Speaker B:This is.
Speaker B:You come across hidden gems that we don't even know about in destination while you're there by life having that little bit of extra time.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So your work heavily focuses on short form video and photography.
Speaker B:What makes for a compelling travel story on platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
Speaker D:I think my kind of foundational elements are actionable information and insider info.
Speaker D:So myself as a content creator, I am like a very type a research person.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So like when I research for my own travel, I really like, I like to dig in like, right.
Speaker D:Like I'll go into the Reddit threads and I'll be on like page, you know, four or five.
Speaker D:Like, so I like to research very deeply and I find that my own audience and I think like the people that are, are using social media to plan their travels.
Speaker D:I think they do like to dig a bit deeper.
Speaker D:So if you're providing very actionable information, right.
Speaker D:Like that integrates into their trip and they can visualize like this is the connection point.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:I'm starting at this hotel and then this is the experience I'm going to next.
Speaker D:I'm brunching, right.
Speaker D:Then I'm doing this activity and it sort of like works seamlessly.
Speaker D:That's the level of detail that I think a lot of people are looking for because we're trying to go beyond what people can normally do just through like a quick Google search, you know.
Speaker D:So if you can give them something that makes them feel like they're having like a unique experience, unique itinerary, they're going a little bit deeper and their travels more meaningful that way, I think that's very important.
Speaker D:And I think insider info ties into that really well because there's this movement of traveling more consciously.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like we don't want to keep over saturating like the same destinations, like the same, like big city top three.
Speaker D:So I think when you're giving that insider info, you're kind of helping funnel people into.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like more local businesses, like more local experiences.
Speaker D:And I think that's where what we do with travel, digital marketing, where it could be a really powerful, powerful engine.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:For moving people into like the businesses and experiences that may need it very deeply.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:In order to survive.
Speaker D:And also businesses that are offering something really special for people.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:But that people may not know about because they don't have the same marketing budget as a very large.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like destination.
Speaker D:So I think if you give those fundamentals, like the actionable information and the insider information together, you're going to serve your people, your community, your audience, and they'll come back to you for more.
Speaker B:Yeah, it just comes back sort of.
Speaker B:I feel like your mantra is community.
Speaker B:It's just the thread throughout it all, which I love.
Speaker B:And it's so true that good travel is built on that.
Speaker B:Like you can't fake the culture of a destination.
Speaker B:You can't.
Speaker B:You can't fake that it's all in the community that's established and nurturing.
Speaker D:That.
Speaker C:Yeah, that was pretty interesting.
Speaker C:That was explained very well.
Speaker C:I was still thinking about eating fish, but exciting.
Speaker C:That's just going to stay with me.
Speaker C:You ever talk about food and just get hungry and then it's just like food?
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Your brain is talking about.
Speaker C:And listen, your brain's talking about something.
Speaker C:Your ears are listening, but your stomach.
Speaker D:Is just saying, I think we'll get lunch after this.
Speaker C:Absolutely, yeah.
Speaker C:How do you balance creative storytelling with strategic goals of your clients?
Speaker C:The driving of bookings or the boosting visibility?
Speaker C:How do you measure the success or impact of your partnerships and campaigns?
Speaker C:That was a mouthful question.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker C:Still going back to food.
Speaker D:Let me, let me try to answer it in the, in two parts.
Speaker D:So in terms of balancing the creativity and the strategic, I think as a like, destination focused content creator, for me, like, alignment comes first, right?
Speaker D:So in taking on campaigns, like, Maddie probably experienced this, like, I ask a lot of questions and I do go like into like a discussion, right?
Speaker D:As opposed to like, you may find some creators where you contact them and they're like, oh great, let's do it.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:But I think having that back and forth is important because you want to make sure that there's good alignment both for you and the content creator.
Speaker D:And when you have that foundation of alignment, then everything flows from that very organically, right?
Speaker D:Like when your strategy is well aligned with the passions, the interests of the creator and by proxy the creator's community, then your strategy really is the same thing, right.
Speaker D:As the creative element.
Speaker D:They're going to work together.
Speaker D:So get that alignment first and then you're going to have both very naturally.
Speaker D:And then I would say one added thing to think about that I think we did really well in our campaign together is if you're going to ask something of your audience or if you really want to get people excited, I think giving them an incentive, especially one that's like a win win for your brands, is very smart.
Speaker D:Like, I love seeing DMO clients and my PR clients thinking creatively about what can we offer in terms of like, let's do a giveaway, right?
Speaker D:Like if we're talking travel, people get so excited.
Speaker D:We're in that Covid rebound where people want to have a trip on the books.
Speaker D:They want something to look forward to and give.
Speaker D:Like providing a giveaway that's like either a hotel stay or a travel voucher for them to try an airline that they may not have tried, a route that they may not have tried, gets them excited about the trip and the destination.
Speaker D:And then when they get excited about the destination, right?
Speaker D:Like that all funnels right to all the local businesses that are in that destination.
Speaker D:So it's really about getting people excited to come to a region because, like, what else are we doing but trying to get people to see the magic and the beauty of the places that we Already have fallen in love with.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Have you used tactics before, like a code or like, like if you book this, then you get a discount or other things like that to help track bookings?
Speaker D:Definitely.
Speaker D:Discount codes are good for sure.
Speaker D:The simpler the better.
Speaker D:There are some downsides of like affiliate codes and discount codes as being a good proxy because they've done some studies on this and despite how close of a relationship a community has with a creator, they've been shown to not really use their codes right.
Speaker D:Unless it's like a really juicy discount code.
Speaker D:So that just boggles my mind because I'm like, why wouldn't you write if you can get like a discount?
Speaker D:And you're like, right, supporting like the efforts of creation and bringing these destinations to you.
Speaker D:But for some reason humans psychologically are not that great with like, right.
Speaker D:Like using a code.
Speaker D:Unless I think you make the process so seamless.
Speaker D:And this is, I think, where maybe we still have a ways to go.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:With like social media where it can integrate more seamlessly into like the end user experience of finalizing a booking.
Speaker D:I still think there's like a disconnect a lot of times between.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like mentally noting the discount code if it doesn't auto populate in the link and then having to like remember that and then.
Speaker D:Right, right.
Speaker D:If they're not ready to make a booking then, and it was in a story and then the story expired.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So there's so many variables.
Speaker D:And Instagram does not make it easy to link out.
Speaker D:Like we can't really link out through posts.
Speaker D:So I think that's also somewhere where, you know, hopefully meta.
Speaker D:Meta.
Speaker B:If you're listening, they're always listening.
Speaker D:They're always listening.
Speaker D:So you know, Mark, Mr.
Speaker D:Zuckerberg, I think that's something that we can do that will definitely help brands is like if we just make that funnel much easier for the user to actually use an experience, then yes, I think, Maddie, I think the idea is good.
Speaker D:I think in practice it doesn't work that great.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:I'm gonna have to read some of those studies after this conversation.
Speaker B:That's great.
Speaker C:So with the importance on authenticity and social, how do you ensure that your content doesn't come across too staged or make sure it's more polished, doesn't come across too staged.
Speaker D:I think I am naturally a little bit goofy.
Speaker D:So I think as much as I prepare and I'm like type A and I want to control all the variables, I've accepted having done this with for so long that things are going to happen.
Speaker D:And I think actually showing people the things that happen along the way where it's not perfect.
Speaker D:Like, things don't always go right.
Speaker D:And sometimes, you know, like, present you, makes mistakes for future you.
Speaker D:Like, this is me with flights.
Speaker D:Every time I am like, look at this amazing early morning flight.
Speaker D:I'm going to have the whole day at the destination.
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker D:Great idea.
Speaker D:And then you're also, like, working there.
Speaker D:And then you arrive at like, you know, six in the morning.
Speaker D:You haven't slept because you have to backtrack the time it takes Right.
Speaker D:To wake up, get ready, go to the airport.
Speaker D:So you make these.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like, as humans, we all obviously make mistakes in, like, planning or execution, whatever it is.
Speaker D:And I think sharing some of that with your audience, like, it's fine, right?
Speaker D:Like, the experience isn't perfect and people understand that because that's how life is.
Speaker D:And I think that makes your content way more relatable than just like this.
Speaker D:Like, right, the snippet that's absolutely perfect.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:That reminds me of yesterday.
Speaker C:I'm flying here early in the morning, got up at 3am to get to the airport from Pittsburgh to Florida.
Speaker C:Planned on going to the beach.
Speaker C:Great idea.
Speaker C:I get to Florida and it's raining, and I'm in the hotel room staring out the window all day at the rain.
Speaker C:I'm like, I could have did this in Pittsburgh.
Speaker B:Yep, yep.
Speaker D:The weather's going to weather.
Speaker C:So it followed me.
Speaker C:The rain followed me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Alana, where do you see the future of travel content going in the next couple of years?
Speaker B:Let's get out our crystal balls.
Speaker D:Crystal ball.
Speaker D:Okay, the crystal ball predictions.
Speaker D:We were talking a lot about connection and community.
Speaker D:I think that's going to be more important than ever, I think.
Speaker D:I don't know if the term is, like, hyperlocal.
Speaker D:I guess that's probably a good way of saying it.
Speaker D:I think hyperlocal travel is and will continue to be very important.
Speaker D:It's something that I'm doing here for my more local destinations.
Speaker D:Like in and around Chicago is basically taking people that are in a big city and then showing them everything that's right.
Speaker D:Like, just hop outside of here.
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker D:Like, leave your little bubble and like, I promise you, you're going to have such a special experience.
Speaker D:You're going to meet people and business owners that you otherwise would not have met that are so connected to what they're doing and passionate about their products and services.
Speaker D:You're going to have a very different experience.
Speaker D:And I think it's going to make your Travels that much more meaningful.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:When you can take yourself out of necessarily like a big city, go into more local communities, have a more cultural immersion type experience.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like, I guess the analogy in Chicago is, you know, I'm telling people, like, if you have not been to Chinatown, you need to go because we have one of the like, largest, most amazing Chinatowns in the United States.
Speaker D:We also have Asia on argyle with incredible Vietnamese food.
Speaker D:And we have so many of these, like, interesting neighborhoods.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:So if you just leave downtown, you're going to have a very different, more cultural experience.
Speaker D:So I think that trend is a great one.
Speaker D:I love it, I support it, I am part of it.
Speaker D:I'm proud to be part of it.
Speaker D:And it's not going away.
Speaker C:One of my favorite styles of cooking is dim sum.
Speaker C:I worked in an industry quite a few years ago where I worked and part of my sales tour territory was San Francisco, Oakland and Emeryville in California.
Speaker C:And my sales counterpart, counterpart was from Shanghai.
Speaker C:And he told me all about the, the style of cooking, dim sum.
Speaker C:He took me to some authentic restaurants that had like great dim sum.
Speaker C:Dim sum, excuse me.
Speaker C:And it's.
Speaker C:He had to order for me because they only spoke Cantonese.
Speaker C:And he told me he moved here from Shanghai with a hundred dollars in his pocket.
Speaker C:And I was like, here we go.
Speaker C:One of those stories.
Speaker C:Did you walk barefoot also?
Speaker C:But he flew.
Speaker C:But I had to just see if that was, you know, really how everyone tells that story.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:You heard a story?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Back in my day, we walked to school in the snow.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:Uphill both ways.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:So dim sum, speaking of Chinatown.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Dim sum is my favorite.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker B:We need to find a good spot here.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker D:When you're in Chicago, you know where to go.
Speaker C:I definitely will be looking for that.
Speaker C:So moving forward, walk us through one of your favorite campaigns or partnerships and what made it successful.
Speaker D:Definitely.
Speaker D:Maddie and I just had an amazing campaign together.
Speaker D:I'm still thinking about it.
Speaker D:We did the Punta Gorda, Englewood beach campaign together.
Speaker D:And that is a great example.
Speaker D:I think we were just talking about hyper local tourism connection.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And that trip, I think really embodied.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:You take a smaller place like Punta Gorda and Inglewood Beach, Right.
Speaker D:And you get people excited about it.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:I mean, everyone knows the Miami's and the Fort Lauderdale, but it's such a good example of Florida has so much more to offer people.
Speaker D:They just need to know about it.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:And I was honestly like, I mean, we worked on the itinerary together, but still, like, when I arrived, I Was shocked, like, how much there was to do there and how diverse the offerings were, right?
Speaker D:Like, you could go up in a biplane.
Speaker B:Do you guys know we set her up in a plane?
Speaker B:You had to do it because I won't do it.
Speaker B:Alana.
Speaker D:And I felt like a pilot because they.
Speaker D:It's a two seater open air, and you're sitting in front, the pilot is, like, behind you.
Speaker B:And really, you feel like.
Speaker D:I mean, you know, you feel responsible.
Speaker D:Like, I felt like a co pilot, right?
Speaker D:And it was this incredible adventure.
Speaker D:And you're just like, going, like, up and down, like, the coast in that area, and you get to see, like, Punta Gordon, Inglewood beach, which is, like, just a stunning area.
Speaker D:I think people don't realize that, right?
Speaker D:There's like, the Florida Keys, but then Punta Gorda in Inglewood beach has, like, keys as well and like, these gorgeous marshlands.
Speaker D:So to see it from above, like, I mean, that was.
Speaker D:I don't know.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker D:I would recommend that particular adventure to everyone.
Speaker D:Like, I think that's like, if you're gonna give people, like, one reason to go, like Punta Gorda, Inglewood beach.
Speaker D:Like, you know that Suncoast biplanes, Gareth and Joy, they themselves are little gems, right?
Speaker D:They're like, that couple is a treasure.
Speaker D:And you should, like, honor them by making sure that everyone goes there, right?
Speaker D:And, like, gets up in a biplane.
Speaker D:I think it's so special.
Speaker D:Like, you know, find a special occasion or make up one.
Speaker D:And I would book that activity, like, again in a heartbeat.
Speaker D:And then also sup Inglewood, you know, that I kind of mentioned earlier, another incredible business, like Nicole running that business and her guides.
Speaker D:I think they're all.
Speaker D:I want to get the term right.
Speaker D:They're Florida master naturalists.
Speaker D:So that means they know more about, like, the wildlife and that region than like, anyone else that you'll encounter.
Speaker D:And, you know, one other travel trend I'm a big fan of is, like, sustainable tourism, right?
Speaker D:Like, more eco conscious tourism.
Speaker D:So when you do a tour with someone like Nicole's company with Sub Inglewood, you start understanding the ecosystem there, having a respect for it, understanding why we need conservation in that area, area.
Speaker D:And you can look around and say to yourself, this area is so beautiful, right?
Speaker D:But then, like, having that experience, you build that secondary connection of, I want to keep it this way, right?
Speaker D:And I want to get people to visit this place, but, like, very consciously, right?
Speaker D:Respectful of the wildlife, the plants, the natural beauty of the place.
Speaker D:And I think that's so powerful.
Speaker D:So, I mean, that.
Speaker D:That campaign is Going to stay with me.
Speaker B:Like, yeah.
Speaker B:And not to mention that, like, I love that you had a great time, but your content that you produced in Destination was absolutely amazing.
Speaker B:We loved the photos.
Speaker B:Alana also did a giveaway with her followers where we partnered with Allegiant also, who flew her in from Chicago and they gave away some money to a lucky follower.
Speaker B:But it had great engagement.
Speaker B:And I mean, that's one of the biggest reasons why we wanted to host, host you today on the pod because you are so good at what you do.
Speaker D:Well, back at you, Maddie.
Speaker D:I feel like I could tell from the beginning.
Speaker D:I'm like, Maddie understands the business, she understands the values.
Speaker D:Like, there's great alignment.
Speaker D:And I think like that campaign, like you said, I mean, you should take credit for it.
Speaker D:It was so clever.
Speaker D:It made sense.
Speaker D:It was like, win, win, win, right?
Speaker D:A lot of people that hadn't heard of Allegiance, they didn't realize how easily accessible.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:That part of Florida was from Chicago and other cities that Allegiant flies to.
Speaker D:And also how affordable.
Speaker D:So that like voucher giveaway people got so excited.
Speaker D:And then I think, like, even people that didn't win were so excited because they're like, wait, this is an affordable route from Chicago that gets me to this beautiful, lesser touristed part of Florida.
Speaker D:And then I think, you know, like you were saying, like the creativity aspect, right?
Speaker D:The photography, like absolutely super passionate about the photography, but it's a product of how amazing that destination was and the fact that we let moments breathe in that itinerary, right.
Speaker D:And I could get up on that rooftop at Sunseeker Resort, right.
Speaker D:And wait for that amazing sunset that we got.
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker D:Like that photo of like the, the deep.
Speaker D:It was almost like ruby colored, right.
Speaker D:I think we all have this, like, when human beings, I think, see a sunset and like the reason why I chase them for destinations is because I think there's like this common human element of you see a sunset and it makes you feel a certain way and you can't really put words to it.
Speaker D:And then all of a sudden you have like a feeling about a place you've never been to.
Speaker D:So I was very excited.
Speaker B:Beautiful that we were able to make that happen too.
Speaker C:That sounds like a good time, actually.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker B:What month did you.
Speaker B:What month did you come down again?
Speaker B:I can't remember.
Speaker D:It was.
Speaker D:What month was it?
Speaker D:We were, I want to say March or February.
Speaker B:It was so cold in Chicago is what I'm trying to get at.
Speaker B:It was that was also a big, big part of the campaign was that she posted a picture of her at a pool wearing like a dress that did not have sleeves.
Speaker B:And I think a lot of people got really jealous and got really involved in the giveaway.
Speaker D:People did get excited.
Speaker D:They're like, she has color.
Speaker D:Like, she's fun.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker B:Thank you for, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker B:It's really been such a pleasure working with you, but also just having this, this conversation and looking forward to hopefully working together more in the future.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker C:And hopefully we'll meet you in Chicago and we'll have some more fun conversations in person.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker D:It's a date in July.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And hot dogs without ketchup.
Speaker C:I'm putting ketchup on mine.
Speaker C:Sorry.
Speaker C:They just got to be mad at me.
Speaker B:Vegan hot dogs.
Speaker D:I'm taking you to like the authentic tavern style pizza.
Speaker D:I think.
Speaker D:Can we agree on that?
Speaker D:Like authentic?
Speaker D:If you want deep dish, I'll take you.
Speaker D:I mean, I love deep dish.
Speaker C:Deep dish.
Speaker B:What's the difference between authentic and deep dish?
Speaker D:Well, okay.
Speaker D:I do think deep dish is authentic.
Speaker D:It's kind of what Chicago is known for.
Speaker D:But if you talk to locals, they'll say that Chicago is more of a tavern style city.
Speaker D:So the more local my like old city school.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Like original pizza for Chicagoans is tavern.
Speaker C:Big appetite.
Speaker C:People.
Speaker C:Go get deep dish.
Speaker D:You can get both.
Speaker D:Most of my favorite places will do amazing deep dish and then get tavern style to do a taste test.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Oh yeah.
Speaker C:Oh yeah.
Speaker C:Both of them can get both.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:That's a.
Speaker C:Get a great idea.
Speaker D:Get both.
Speaker B:Both Cheat.
Speaker B:Cheat meals for Larry and I for sure.
Speaker B:Go to Chicago.
Speaker B:Yes, exactly.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:Well, thank you.
Speaker D:Of course.
Speaker B:Again, see you in Chicago.
Speaker C:Thank you, Alana.
Speaker C:And go to aquatacs.com learn more about Alana.
Speaker C:We'll have her her bio how to reach out to her in aquatox.com you've.
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