Don't DMO like them. DMO like you.

We need to have a talk. One of *those* talks. As Destination Marketing Organizations, we've become overly obsessed with "best practices", to the point that we end up "copying" our neighbors in an effort to keep up. But, what is the value - or rather, the liability - of keeping up?

Keeping up is milk toast. Keeping up means, I see hundreds of destination ads a day that look, well, the same. Destination Discovery is the most important journey in a traveler's planning. So, let me challenge you:

• Why does your website look just like theirs?
• Why are you still running giveaways to build an email list with diminishing returns?
• Why isn't hyper-personalization the only strategy?
• Why isn't the experience pre-travel more entertaining?

No doubt, I've offended and lost half of you right here. That's OK, this isn't for them.

This is for you, the challenger, the creator, the ones that know their destination deserves more than the vendors that sell you on how many DMOs they serve - instead of how many travelers' lives they've changed.

In a world slaved to data, we've lost sight of meaningful data and have given away to millisecond hits that mean nothing, but look good in a pie chart.

After coming back from Destinations International Annual Conference in Anaheim, I'm shocked at the lack of creativity workshops. If the only way you can convince your board of a new tech is because "so and so" did it, you'll miss all of the opportunity to be authentic.

It's time to break the system.

Redefine what it means to DMO like you, like your community, like it's a CRUSADE and every single person there is fired up to charge.

Where do you start?

• Audit the digital experience, the brand, the personas. Is it liquid or repeat?
• Create in a bubble, cross-reference with data.
• Single out the best, biggest idea and plan to fail 10x, but do not quit.
• Stop confusing activity with productivity. Cut out the BS that does not matter.

Authenticity is the new black. DMO like you. Market like you. Celebrate your colleagues wins, don't copy them. Unplug software that does not connect emotion to serving the audience.

If I've gotten you all wrong, I want to hear your story! How do you do things differently? How do you reward radical strategy? HMU jbarbee@destinationinnovate.com and I'll include your story in my next podcast. :-)