Blogger FAMs are not unheard of, but they are gaining ground – mainly due to limited sales & marketing budgets and the rise of online influencers. Recently I was contacted by Club Med Business to taste test their newly renovated Sandpiper Bay resort in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. I’ll be at the resort from April 6 – 10, 2011 along with 3 other bloggers and their partners (please see Disclosure statement below). I was intrigued by the thought of redefining the FAM so I recently spoke with Jacinda Lowry, Director – Groups & Incentive Travel Canada, to understand her thinking behind this initiative…
What is Club Med’s experience with FAMs to date?
Our FAM trips have been quite traditional; with travel agents and/or event planners invited to see our properties. Due to the realities of budgets, your invitees must be aggressively researched and targeted to best calculate and forecast a successful ROI. The chosen participants must have a certain credibility within the market and the ability to influence others. Although they have always been successful, the traditional FAM, in reality, has a limited reach.
So, what are you doing differently with the Club Med Sandpiper’s FAM trip.
We want to create the same experience of a traditional FAM, however with bloggers, who have the ability to share their experience with a larger audience. We have partnered with 4 bloggers total: 3 from Montreal (Brigitte Cardinal, Lyne Branchaud and Marie-Annick Boisvert) and 1 from Toronto. Club Med Business has an easy audience to define: direct and indirect event planners, and a number of these planners are located in French-Canada and the rest of Canada. Each of the bloggers chosen have an established credibility with those niche communities.
How will you know if you’ve been successful?
There are two main objectives: the first is to showcase Sandpiper Bay and the second is to create brand awareness of Club Med Business among the community of targeted event planners. With our strategy in place we are hoping to be able to leverage the event in a way that will have a larger impact with a wider audience of event planners then the traditional FAM. Through the in-person and online experiences, we want to demonstrate the amenities, versatility and flexibility that we have for groups. Even though we have a long sales process, we are expecting an increase in inbound inquiries and requests for group proposals for our Club Med properties.
If all goes well, how would you love to see this evolve in the future?
I would love to see blogger FAMs become a natural part of our marketing campaign; that bloggers become one channel in our multi-channeled campaigns for both brand awareness and resort updates. If this experience has the ROI required to justify a reproduction, it may evolve into a habitual event. Once a resort is newly renovated, or something major has been added we will organize a blogger FAM to get the word out to the community.
There may be some readers who are considering doing this for their own venues. What would you recommend to them?
It is our first, so I am sure that I will be able to better answer this question upon our return. However, I’d recommend that you ensure 2 things are sealed tight: 1) that you’ve chosen the right people to convey your message and 2) that you have a great story to tell. I am confident that our event is going to be a success because of the chosen bloggers and the program is lining up well. It is a program that will allow the bloggers to live and breathe the resort, while focused on the versatility that Club Med can offer for all types of group events.
So what do you think? Can a traditional FAM be successfully remodeled to include bloggers?
Jacinda Lowry is director for Club Med Business Canada; she is based out of their Montreal office. Jacinda has recently jumped on board with Club Med, with a clear mandate to generate and augment Canadian groups. Before joining Club Med, she worked 6 years for Cirque du Soleil, Marketing and Sales for Corporate and Groups – North America.
Disclaimer: Club Med Business is paying for my return flight and transfers to the resort as well as my and 1 accompanying person’s lodging and meals for the duration of my stay. I have been asked to blog about my experiences. As per my disclosure statements, in no way am I being compensated for my opinion. I reserve the right to my opinion and will post my experiences accordingly.
This is a great idea. I hope that more hotels see the value in this. I think it would help both hotels and planners in so many useful ways. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks, Jessica! I noticed a few other destinations have done travel blogger FAMs but I haven’t seen any for event bloggers. I’ve also recently contacted the Hawaiian Tourism Authority who did a blogger FAM in 2009. I wanted to find out what their results were. I’ll be sure to share.
Jessica – Would you expand on your comment please about how, specifically, this will be useful to planners? Thanks. — Joan
Lara:
You asked a loaded question so here’s my opinion.
I am not a fan or supporter of FAMs, whether for blogging or meeting professionals. Most people have a price that they are willing to sell out for. It goes against my personal ethics. It may not go against other’s ethics but it does mine. IMO it’s just high-class pimping. 😉
In exchange for your opinions and retail space on your blog, they give you free travel, lodging, meals and expenses. Because they have given you free services, it’s very difficult to write an unbiased piece about them. Just read Dr. Cialdini’s book Influence: Science & Practice to see how free gifts influence your decision making. As a matter of fact, Cialdin’s research shows that those that receive free gifts feel obligated, yes obligated, to give the giver something positive in return.
When I see a venue go out of their way to offer a FAM, it makes me think their business is suffering. That they are not getting enough WOM because their service is bad.
Sorry Club Med Business and Sandpiper Bay but you just tainted my impression of you big time!
Lara, You asked. Now I’ve stirred the pot.
But in the end, it is just my opinion and not others. To each their own.
Jeff – do you ever see the benefit of a FAM? It can be helpful to planners with low budgets that don’t get first hand experience. It can also be eye opening to people that have misconceptions of a destination.
Personally, I don’t go on FAMs if I know that the location is not a fit for my organization. Sure, those trips to Hawaii sound great, but I would never book there so I don’t go.
However, if I would write about an experience, I am concerned about MY reputation first. Therefore, I feel compelled to be honest or I wouldn’t feel that I was being fair to my readers. My loyalty would lie with them, not the property. But I suppose not everyone is like me.
I would never want to feel obligated to write something after a FAM. But I also think that every location has good and bad things and I don’t see harm in sharing open and honest feedback that can help other make better decisions.
Typically planners that have low budgets probably won’t be taking their organization to that venue anyway. If the meeting professional FAM has education and the planners are qualified, I’m ok. But rarely does that happen.
BTW, several tourism bloggers have already discussed the challenges with FAM blogging. Tourism blogger Sheila Scarborough calls it Jurassic PR. http://www.sheilasguide.com/2009/10/06/what-do-new-ftc-blogging-rules-mean-for-press-trips-and-fam-tours/
Travel Blogger Elliott.Org says you can’t trust travel writers or bloggers because they are getting red-carpet treatment. It’s not authentic. http://www.elliott.org/the-travel-critic/can-you-trust-a-travel-writer/
Put Cialdini’s book Influence on your reading list and then see if you still have the same thoughts.
Jessica – Most of the clients w/ whom I work and have worked do allow staff to attend fams if a) there is no budget for a site inspection and the group is seriously considering the destination, b) if the individual pays her or his way and has that amount applied to the master account if the destination or property is booked.
I’ve been in the industry for 40 years and been on 1 fam! It was after a not-for-profit client booked 3 hotels in a city and we needed to do some planning. The client and I went. It was far more educational – not just eating and drinking!
Joan
Jessica – Most of the clients w/ whom I work and have worked do allow staff to attend fams if a) there is no budget for a site inspection and the group is seriously considering the destination, b) if the individual pays her or his way and has that amount applied to the master account if the destination or property is booked.
I’ve been in the industry for 40 years and been on 1 fam! It was after a not-for-profit client booked 3 hotels in a city and we needed to do some planning. The client and I went. It was far more educational – not just eating and drinking!
Joan
Hi Jeff, thanks for weighing in. Leave it to you to stir the pot!
I do want to get all types of perspectives as this is a personal experiment into Social Influence Marketing, a topic I’ve spent almost a year researching and one that speak quite a bit about.
With regards to Club Med Business, the reason they’re doing this is to build awareness for their newly transformed property – Jacinda was very transparent about this in her interview.
Many brands are leveraging online influencers – from Chevy flying Guy Kawasaki, Jason Falls & Robert Scoble down to a track to experience the Chevy Volt first-hand (http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/online-public-relations/targeting-influencers-a-case-study-with-chevy-volt/) to Cirque de Soleil engaging bloggers before their traveling show lands in a new city.
But it’s not a new thing. We’ve been engaged in SIM since the dawn of marketing – from a brand choosing to have someone endorse their products to engaging an editor or member of the press based on their ability to have greater influence over their target segment. Most recently, when I was in Las Vegas, I was speaking to my cabbie who mentioned that the Cosmo Hotel was beautiful. He said that the Cosmo (and most of the hotels on the strip) offer complimentary stays and meals to cab drivers to experience the property because they know that when people come to town, cabbies can often be a great source of advice on where to stay. The cabbie was upfront about the relationship – I knew that he was comped, and I still valued his input. When I’ve seen this form of marketing go wrong is when the relationship is left undisclosed.
I agree with Joan’s point that expectations, standards and ethics need to be set and understood upfront. The FTC has very strict guidelines but, more importantly, the reputation to the business and those endorsing can be questioned.
I’m quite familiar with Dr. Cialdin’s books and his research. I can’t speak for others, only myself. I’ve made it very clear to my readers (through my disclosure statement) as well as the property that my opinions are mine and mine only. Yes, there are many people who dispute blogger FAMs – I’m also familiar with the links you shared (in reply to Jessica) as I did some research before making the decision to join this FAM. I encourage us all to constructively share our thoughts and feelings as this is how we weigh decisions.
It was my idea to write this post and to stimulate what could have been controversial dialogue for the property and Jacinda was totally open to this. It was the only way a FAM of this nature would be applicable to my business and my readers.
I look forward to a continued dialogue!
Lara
This makes me cringe. It’s like a press fam but different and with very different expectations. Are there written ethics policies? Are the expectations and obligations in writing? What if a blogger writes something not-so-great about the property or destination?
Has DMAI or HSMAI or AH&LA commented on these? What about state or country tourism organizations? Is there education involved or is this purely “fun” like too many “traditional” fams? In fact, is this just a traditional fam for a different audience?
I’m against this. It’s one thing to have an experience and blog about it; it’s another to be wined & dined and then write.
Nope.
Not at all.
Joan
Joan, thank you for your thoughts and your questions! I’ll throw a few back at you 😉
If ethics, policies and procedures are provided to govern influencer engagement, do you then agree with the practice? BTW – I vehemently agree with FTC guideline adherence & education as well as written policies & procedures and contracts ensure that everyone has agreed to the terms and understanding. I just want to better understand your first round of questions.
How do you define an educational FAM? In this venue’s case, they are familiarizing the bloggers with their venue. We have planned activities throughout our time there – we will be doing venue tours / site inspections, learning about the renovations, speaking with the resort executives and experiencing the resort – that includes the activities they have on-site, their restaurants and their rooms.
Can you expand on your questions about DMAI and other tourism organizations?
I have never been on a typical FAM, so I’m not sure that I’m qualified to compare the two. But I assume that when a property holds a familiarization trip, they want their target market or, in this case, those who may speak to the target market, to become familiarized with the resort. It’s about bringing the resort to them instead of simply sending a promotional piece, creating a web video, etc, so that when they speak about a venue they speak from experience.
I hope I’ve touched on all of your questions! You might also want to read my response to Jeff’s comments as there may be some that are applicable to your concerns. I’m very interested to better understand the issues you mention and continue the dialogue!
Joan, thank you for your thoughts and your questions! I’ll throw a few back at you 😉
If ethics, policies and procedures are provided to govern influencer engagement, do you then agree with the practice? BTW – I vehemently agree with FTC guideline adherence & education as well as written policies & procedures and contracts ensure that everyone has agreed to the terms and understanding. I just want to better understand your first round of questions.
How do you define an educational FAM? In this venue’s case, they are familiarizing the bloggers with their venue. We have planned activities throughout our time there – we will be doing venue tours / site inspections, learning about the renovations, speaking with the resort executives and experiencing the resort – that includes the activities they have on-site, their restaurants and their rooms.
Can you expand on your questions about DMAI and other tourism organizations?
I have never been on a typical FAM, so I’m not sure that I’m qualified to compare the two. But I assume that when a property holds a familiarization trip, they want their target market or, in this case, those who may speak to the target market, to become familiarized with the resort. It’s about bringing the resort to them instead of simply sending a promotional piece, creating a web video, etc, so that when they speak about a venue they speak from experience.
I hope I’ve touched on all of your questions! You might also want to read my response to Jeff’s comments as there may be some that are applicable to your concerns. I’m very interested to better understand the issues you mention and continue the dialogue!
To respond —
1) >>If ethics, policies and procedures are provided to govern influencer engagement, do you then agree with the practice?<>How do you define an educational FAM?<>Can you expand on your questions about DMAI and other tourism organizations? << Not sure what to expand. Just curious to know if those orgs. and MPI and PCMA and other orgs. (esp. those w/ hosted buyer programs) have commented.
4) I'll read your response to Jeff's post. Thanks.
And this IS a typical fam from the old days! Newer fams bring in people (like me or others) to teach something – a class on risk, ethics, social media, etc. There is value beyond a vacation.
btw: Are they allowing spouses/guests/partners/others to accompany the invited blogger? HAVE they qualified what is expected after the fam?
Thanks.
Joan, who has not figured out why her photo is not showing but is too tired to work at it.
If I have summed up your comments correctly, it sounds like you are questioning whether FAMs are good practice for the industry and what format the FAM takes (i.e. how educational it is). That sounds like a good debate for the event planning community.
I’m not sure where the perception that this FAM is a ‘wining and dining’ vacation has come from or that it doesn’t have a component of education. My apologies if I led you to believe this. I’m unaware of any time that we will be wined and dined or on vacation. The topline schedule states that we will be doing site visits, we have a historical overview from one of the executives (someone who, it’s been explained, is the ‘heart’ of the venue as he’s worked his way through virtually every department – so I’m expecting a really interesting perspective) and we have an opportunity to experience the amenities the venue has to offer through a variety of tactics and activities. They may-well have someone speaking about risk management or a host of other topics during our tour, but to be honest, I would find it a bit odd to have an outside speaker talking about social media or any other topic.
I’m really trying to better understand your comments that this is “free marketing” and “sleazy”. I see FAMs no differently than a venue tour during an industry conference where transportation is paid for and the venue creates an experience that showcases the best of what they have to offer, or sponsoring a party to showcase your wares, or hosting the media to attend an event to experience it first-hand instead of by way of press release…the idea is to drive awareness to a targeted audience and bring the experience to them. Not every venue / destination has brand awareness or dominant market share. Also, some venues / destinations are in the process of repositioning themselves, improving their products & services or introducing new experiences. Having key people experience this allows the venue to 1) market test before they launch to a larger audience, and/or 2) give people a high-touch feel for the improvements, and/or 3) build WOM based on positive experiences.
We were permitted to bring someone – this person is responsible to pay for their own flight, separate transfers and some activities. They will have separate schedules from us – since we are there to work. That said, I will have an opportunity to have dinner with her on one night, we do have some breaks in between meetings, and I’m sure we’ll be able to do some activities together.
I understand your point, that this is the same as an old FAM, viewed from the lens I summed up from your comments in the first paragraph of my response. As a practitioner of social media (as well as branding & marketing), I see this as an important nuance – a shift from ‘destination to planner’ to ‘destination to influencer to planner’. An evolution that is taking place in many aspects of marketing (some good and some not good). This was what piqued my interest in participating in this FAM.
Just a thought. Aren’t FAMS to familiarize one with a destination, hotel, venue product etc? I found them to be of great value in being able to expand my destination offerings and knowledge to my clients. While experiencing the destination and yes, even comped flights and hotels, I never found myself under pressure to recommend one property etc. over another to a client. Of course, everyone invested in the FAM wants you to choose their property, review them favorably and bring business to them…after all wouldn’t it otherwise be just a free vacation? The reality is that the client is going to go where they feel the fit is best for their attendees. One thing I did find that added to my credibility and recommendations to my clients was that I KNEW the destination, property, product etc. and could speak knowledgeably about it…from transportation, tours, hotels, restaurants, cool experiences and culture, I became a library for my clients…some reports were positive, some negative, but they were always first hand experiences. Clients appreciated that.
In addition, I think that it’s valuable to note that if a property, country or product falsely misleads an opinion by providing a different service level than they would provide any other guest with, then that’s going to show itself with a loss of business and reputation by unhappy clients and guests. With Twitter, FB, and so on, that takes mere seconds. Same applies for a misleading blogger…they lose credibility if what they say isn’t valid or true. As Jeff states, it’s all in the opinion, but when utilized properly, I think that familiarizing myself or experiencing a destination, a hotel, a country, a product etc. before I recommend it to my client is invaluable. I think it would be irresponsible/unethical of Lara to accept compensation and write a blog recommending a property without experiencing it. That would throw some fuel on the fire, now wouldn’t it? But, with disclosure, I think this a new way of attracting business…after all we are living in the age of SIM aren’t we?
If we are going to wade into this as ethical territory, then what about the age old practice of celebrity endorsement? They get compensated for that too, and I’d bet half of the stuff they pawn…they haven’t even tried or believe in….in fact, the list of compensated advertisement tactics goes on and on and on…where do we draw the line?