Op 19 februari 2013 was ik gastspreker op de DDAY Data van de BDMA. Ik presenteerde er de case van het Mysterie van de Bouwmeester in het kader van de destination marketing strategie van Toerisme Halle n.a.v. de sluiting van de Sint-Martinusbasiliek.

1. Data & Social Media
Keys for future success in
Destination Marketing
Johan Vencken

2. Internet and social media has changed our
visitors’ behavior
Internet puts aside magazines, travel guides and
even tourism offices as the primary source of
information
Travel experiences are being reported live
from the destination through Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, Picasa, Flickr, …. etc.

3. Internet and social media has chanegd
our visitors’ behavior
The old travel map and fancy brochures have
been replaced by applications
• Smartphones,
• Tablets
• GPS-guided tours
• Powered by websites like e.g. Routeyou.com
• …

4. Large risk for
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO)
If DMO’s hold on to
‘old school’ destination marketing
They risk to loose their visitors on the internet

5. Challenge for
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO)
STOP with
only PUSHING information
and start
the conversation with potential visitors
And catch them with a unique story

6. Strategy for
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO)
For a good conversation you need:
A PUBLIC to talk to
A STORY (hopefully more than one  )
A CHANNEL to get in touch

7. Strategy for
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO)
For a good conversation you need:
Public > DATA to reach travellers
Story > CONTENT that entice travel
Channel > SOCIAL MEDIA to encourage travel

8. Strategy for
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO)
should incorporate :
- A content strategy to tell stories
- A data strategy to build up an audience
- A social media strategy to keep in touch with
the public
At Visit Halle we had NONE of these
but then our main attraction closed
its doors …

9. The Mystery of the
Architect
Transmedial project to disclose
the closure of the St-Martin’s
basilica of Halle

10. Goal of the project
Maintain the touristic relevance of St-Martin’s
basilica during the 2 years of closure
Offer an alternative program to visit the
church
Create a community around the church
Reach new target groups : youngsters,
teenagers and 25+
Repositioning of the St.Martin’s basilica as
touristic attraction and its rich history as one of
the oldest sanctuaries of the Hily Virgin

11. Our Destination Marketing Strategy
Our story (content):
Who’s the master architect that start
building the basilica ?
- Mystery, a quest
- Triggers curiosity
- Telling the story behind the stones

12. Telling our story : a movie
Docufiction, Short movie
Search for the architect
Lots of clues to a possible solution
We do not give the solution in the
movie…
… go online or come to Halle and
join the search

13. Telling our story : a heritage game
• Built upon the history of the
basilica as sanctuary of the
Holy Virgin
• True mystery ! We do not
know the architect
• Come along and help us
solve the mystery
• Each milestone is a riddle to
solve and brings you closer
to the solution
Heritage game on
Online & Tablet as product
and strategic campaign tool

14. Building our audience
Our datastrategy
• Datagathering through player
registration
• Date of birth
• Location
• E-mailadress
• Opt in for Visit Halle & partners
• 2 games , 2 datasources, 2 dbases
connected to each other
Heritage game on • Postal address is obtained during the
game to send vouchers and prices.
Online & Tablet
• Viral marketing & Guerrilla marketing

15. Conversation Strategy
• Start up of a Conversation Mgt Team
• Facebook incorporated in the game
• Join the search to the solve a REAL mystery
• Game launched online in in several stages
• Sharing by photoapp in Citygame
• Extra credits/points for sharing
Heritage game on • Actively ask players’ feedback to ameliorate
the game
Online & Tablet • Let players write along with us in a players
editors team
• Get in touch with each other to find
answers
• Encourage to challenge each other

16. And after 2 years…
She opens her doors again and we hope…
… to have solved the Mystery
… to have a large community around the
basilica, its treasures and its history
… a community of people that
has visited Halle during the Mystery-period,
or will revisit Halle when the church is open
again
or tells all their friends how beautiful our
church is and how existing the Mystery

17. Will our plan come together ?
Join us on
www.mysterievandebouwmeester.be
And let the Mystery begin !

18. Contact
• Johan Vencken
• Destination Marketing – Citymarketing – Heritage Marketing
• Sollenbeemd 3 – 1500 Halle
• johan@vencken.eu
• www.linkedin.com/johanvencken
• Twitter @johanvencken - @VisitHalle