AllegraMeadows

2018 was a strong year for tourism in Vienna. International arrivals totaled around 7.5 million, hotel revenues rose 12 percent in 11 months, and 94 percent of Viennese reported a positive attitude toward visitors. But in this season, the Vienna Tourist Board tackled a new difficulty: negative reviews. While many firms are split on whether to confront or ignore public complaints, Vienna chose a lighthearted tactic, turning so-called “flaws” into strengths by highlighting them in gorgeous photo-based advertising campaigns. In a series of ads mounted in the London underground and in digital bus stops, the Vienna Tourist Board portrayed five fun and beautiful Viennese moments overlaid with mean comments and poor ratings. In one ad , a romantic picture of a couple cuddled in a boat on the serene Danube was captioned “Boooring!” and given zero stars. To highlight how polarizing comments can drag an experience down, the “See Vienna, not #Vienna” ads...

Are you looking to entice a new lead or land a big client? Today’s marketers know direct mail is an especially persuasive medium. According to 2018 direct mail response statistics , direct mail offered a 9% response rate to house lists and a 4.9% response to prospect lists. And one of the most potent tools of the trade is the good old-fashioned sales letter. Want to grab attention with a persuasive, relevant, engaging letter? Here are a few tips: Start with a powerful hook If you want readers to make it past the first sentence, your first paragraph must arouse curiosity, evoke emotion, or resonate with a problem or pain point of a specific individual. People can’t finish what they don’t start, so the opening sentences must be rock solid. Make your sales letter look like a regular letter The most relatable letters are those that feel personal. For a more casual effect, use script font or type-writer styles like New Courier or Prestige Elite. Write with a conversational...

With the glut of digital marketing, average media consumers are staggering under the weight of spam e-mail and annoying pop-up ads. The “digital deluge” has also prompted a volume decrease in snail mail, allowing direct mail and print promotions to take center stage. Print pleases the eye and demands an emotional response, and people today are craving something real! Today is a perfect time to feature beautiful print promotions. Need inspiration? There are several proven winners. Rules of the Road Your print promotion doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. Consider the McDonald’s “loving it” brand promotion. In a recent “Wi-Fries” ad , the fast-food giant hoped to entice customers to come, eat, and to stick around a bit. Using the McDonald’s signature “clown red” hue as a backdrop, the ad positioned curved, freshly cooked French fries in the shape of the wireless internet symbol as the focal point. The fries said it all, but a set of small McDonald’s arches in the bott...

Bill Gates first met his mentor at a dinner organized by his mom. When his mother suggested the connection, Gates thought he would have nothing in common with him, because this contact was just a “ guy who picks stocks .” It turned out that they had more in common than he realized, and over the years, Gates came to view him as a key mentor and advisor. That man? Billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Today, Gates has created software that runs in most of the computers on the planet. He is a billionaire philanthropist who has given away more than $28 billion while working to eradicate polio. And Gates says that one of the most important things Buffet taught him is that success is not found through net worth but by “having people you care about loving you back.” 4 Keys for Developing a Powerful Professional Mentorship Do you have a professional mentor? If you don’t, this is a great time to get matched with one . The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) is a non-profit or...