By Dennis A. Marzella

It should be interesting and fun to be a travel marketer in 1997. Consumers will be increasingly yearning to live the "upside" of their lives. They want to fulfill life's possibilities. Do you have a clue to what they want?

THE POSSIBILITY AGENDA

We first heard these stirrings in 1994 when the Yankelovich MONITOR identified a shift in consumer sentiment that signaled the emergence of the Possibility Agenda as a driving force in consumer behavior. The momentum has been building, and in 1997, Americans want to earnestly move forward. They are eager to try new things, explore, and rethink priorities in anticipation of a full, richer life. Travel marketers who heed the message have an opportunity to "own" the cutting edge. They stand ready to move forward themselves.

However, there is a glitch. Attitudinally, consumers are ready "to go," but they are having difficulty getting out of the gate. The challenge to the marketer is to get consumers going. That is the strategic essence of the marketing task for 1997 and beyond. A key to getting consumers out of the gate is to play to a renewed need for novelty and change. Boredom is pervasive, yet excitement in the market place eludes us.

Perhaps more than ever before, 1997 is the time to zero-base your product and promotion strategy to redirect the program to play to the evolving sentiment. Infuse the consumers with "new" and provide an element of fun. According to the Yankelovich MONITOR, "have more fun" is the top of the "top ten" list of things consumers want to do in 1997, and "take a special vacation" falls within the top five. What a creative environment!

RETHINK & LOOK BEYOND

Quite simply put, don't be content with the "same old, same old." Rethink food and beverage programs. For example, have you explored the emerging Florida cuisine? Rethink recreation programs. Do you really believe that most Americans play golf and tennis? The pattern of attributes Americans are looking for in a pleasure travel experience suggests otherwise. Are you up to speed? A research-based approach to understanding consumer vacation interests is essential to crafting recreation programs with impact. Also, look beyond the confines of your resort for creating new day experiences in the surrounding areas with local operators.

Maui, Hawaii is an excellent example where hoteliers tap the potential of the total product experience and add a profit stream vis-a-vis aggressively marketing destination activities. Everything from helicopter trips, whale watching expeditions, and snorkeling trips can be purchased in many resort hotels. In most cases confirmed reservations vouchers can be printed instantly through an on-line reservation system. The examples could go on and on, but you all know what I mean.

A NEW COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Once you have reenergized your product, revisit the communication strategy. You must dramatize the experience-your unique experience. Leo Burnett insightfully called this the inherent drama of the product. As marketers, you must bring it out. Give the consumers what it takes to motivate them to buy the experience. Avoid formula brochures and formula advertising, but test the new approaches before rushing to market, because it is important to make sure the "new" will work for you. Sticking with the tried and true may present the path of least resistance, but it is not necessarily the most fulfilling road to take. A little risk, perhaps, will lead to reward. Be a POSSIBILITY THINKER!