TRAVELLUMINATI

Malaysia Megasale 2010: You Blog You Sold Out

noreply@blogger.com (Don BooDee) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:08:00 +0000

1. Malaysia Mega Sale is held annually and it is an awesome platform to boost Malaysia’s Tourism industry in particular – apart from that, such initiatives can only be good to national economic undoubtedly.

2. To ensure the success of that this annual campaign, a lot of efforts to promote and eventually encourage spending had been carried out ranging from collaboration with banking sector (appointment of official credit card etc.), media planning (TV ads, billboards etc.) and notably there are attempts to utilize social media as a major platform to get the ends meet.

3. The 2010's campaign of Malaysia Mega Sale will be launched later on the year, though we're still in January but nonetheless the promotional tactics should be assaulted or at least being well-planned and waiting to be launched, anytime by now.

4. Tourism Malaysia should take into consideration of putting the "Social" element more on the promotional approaches and let the viral effects deliver its wonders (should be).

Viral Marketers

5. Tourism Malaysia should "appoint" Bloggers to take over the viral marketing part - the ever powerful words-of-mouth. As per the consumers engagement and exposure via Twitter and Facebook, I believe it goes without saying that they should do that and in fact they did. Bravo !!

6. As to point you to the right direction, for starter let's single out Bloggers that really make their presence felt on the blogsphere. Let's start with those closer to home. I wish to bring to light IniBelogSaya.blogspot.com - yes it receive press coverage and statically it does look decent.

7. Basically, IniBelogSaya.blogspot.com is all about lifestyle and the "going-ons" of its author; Ms.Hanis Zalikha respectively and take note the number of Followers that she has behind her - as per the numbers shown on the Google Follower Widget. Undeniably, she had done the part of reaching and penetrating the masses, it's now up to Tourism Malaysia to turn this into its advantage.

8. Tourism Malaysia should keep in touch with her and persuade her to perform her "national duty" in way blogging about the upcoming campaign and during the campaign itself. Reward her with special discounts or something like that on selected participating shops. She'll in turn will back in front of her laptop and blog about her experience and simultaneously recommending these shops, shopping malls etc. to her readers - followers and non-followers alike.

9. This step is not new. In fact some of the business entity and online services had done this before, I did know this for a fact. Perhaps one could easily relate this to viral campaign done by Compare Hotel sometimes back. It's exactly the same - it urge people to blog about their service and all its positivity (obviously) and on top of that they reward them.

10. The only different is, they do it in the open - publicly ask the world to positively blog about them and winners get rewarded; whereas in the case of Malaysia Mega Sale 2010 it should be done behind the scene - the deal should be struck between the Campaigner and the Would-be Marketer exclusively, behind closed doors as to ensure "credibility" or at least to be perceived that way.

11. Apart from that a website such as but not limited to ShoppingNSales.com should also be targeted for this particular campaign. The exposure provided by such respective websites could be beneficial to the campaign undoubtedly.

12. I believe that Tourism Malaysia is resourceful enough to detect a few more blogs that are influential enough to be turned into their respective word-of-mouth mechanism. Thus let's waste no time, let's hit the ground running.

Go For More

13. My only advice is that the efforts should be concentrated and balance. Please do not just focus on bloggers overseas and totally ignoring the locals or vice-versa.

14. It should be balanced regardless of who your target markets are. The reason of being is simple, this is about shopping or in more direct way of speaking; to push oneself to take the dime out of their pockets and spend it.

15. Let's assume that local blogs are only capable of influencing locals, still it is a an excellent prospects - for now the government could ensure the inflow (instead of outflow) of Ringgits with the country. Isn't this good for the country's economics? and I am not going to the extend of justifying the needs of having "international blogger" spreading the words and the economics impact that it might bring about for I wish not to insult your intelligence.

Conclusion

16. Viral marketing is beyond the shadow of doubt the most influential form marketing due to its direct impact on consumers - therefore we should capitalize on this to ensure ends meet. In regards to promoting Malaysia Mega Sale 2010, it just the case of old tricks performed in a new improved ways.

Homestay: FAM Trip First Class Seat Is For Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Don BooDee) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

1. Malaysia Tourism Ministry is rejuvenating Malaysia's Homestay as a main tourism product. Which is a good efforts knowing that the respective Tourism Product is authentic and unique hence uphold an enormous marketing value and potential.

2. The project is in collaboration with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) - Malaysia's authority body and main operator of rail transportation. This is remarkably another sterling effort of cross-selling which can only be good for the industry and the country itself by and large.

3. I am fortunate enough to part of the whole program first hand (due to my position as the Personal Assistant to Malaysia's Association of Travel & Tours Agent (MATTA) 's Inbound Vice-President) and as of such I have the luxury of accessing the insights of the mentioned initiative's Sales and Marketing modus operandi.

4. However, it is my honest opinion that the respective Sales and Marketing strategy leading to its approaches could and should be at a higher degree of effectiveness, efficiencies and more of a 21st century flavor.

5. It goes without saying that there should be Pages on Facebook plus Twitter. Other than that, there should be targeted social media initiative to reach out the target market.

6. Travel-related social network should be used as the medium of communication in this case instead of being ignored altogether. Having said that, perhaps Ministry of Tourism should distribute the information and extend the social engagement on platforms such as but not limited to WAYN, Localyte and perhaps Koolred.

The raison d'être

7. Facebook is THE kick-spot where more than 300 million users gathered and socialize, simple - and Twitter is STILL the hottest social network around besides offering a real time sms-like flow of information. Period. (despite recent slowdown on their growth rate, we both know they are still a force to be reckoned with).

8. WAYN (Where Are You Now) is not just a Travel-specialized social network with 15 million users up to date but notably had an excellent track record in promoting and collaborating with National Tourism Body. This is justified by the successful "Joburg - a world class African city" campaign in collaboration with Johannesburg Tourism.

9. Whereas Koolred is a newborn that are yet to be tried and tested. However, this very fact could turn into an advantage; for after all, a less "reputable" entity would charge less for online advertising on their platform (usually) in comparison to those household names.

10. But then again that is secondary to Koolred 's social network offering. Specifically, a feature that let a user to offers others to go with them to a specific destination. To have your message appeared here (especially on the very first page) is undeniably a good exposure.

11. Statistically the message will be exposed to all users as it appears on the landing page of Koolred.com and out of the total users, whereby more than quarter of them (approximately 29.3% to be exact) belongs to ONE of the respective campaign's set of target markets. Singaporean, Thai & Indonesian respectively.

11. As per Localyte, they are emphasizing on the significance of the supposedly "Local Expert" and these local experts ranging from a mere avid travelers to a representative of a particular travel agents.

12. Therefore Ministry of Tourism should ordered its promotional arm (Tourism Malaysia) as well as MATTA to single out these active agents and approach them to promote the Homestay destinations. These individuals shall be able to provide massive coverage through their networks alone and not to mention through those who are "accidentally" land up on their profiles.

Epilogue

12. In the light of the Familiarization Trip (FAM Trip) which will be held in the near future (so I was told) as per standard practice - I'd suggest that the same amount of cost should be channeled to pursue the above-mentioned Sales and Marketing strategy as per Points 5 and 6.

13. Better still cost of arranging the standard practice Familiarization Trip (FAM Trip) for agents could be reduced, by selecting a much-reduced size of the group of Travel Agents that will eventually make the trip and the majority chunk of the allotment should go to pursuing Point 5 and 6.

Me, Myself & MATTA

noreply@blogger.com (Don BooDee) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:35:00 +0000

1. In regards to the recent development in MATTA (Malaysian Association of Tour & Agents) I did receive a handful inquiry of what really took place or at least what I have experienced and what's my take on the whole fiasco.

2. I wold consider myself insightful enough to at least be in a position to differentiate between facts and fictions of those reported events be it the one covered by the press and / or the live talk shows so on and so forth.

3. After all I was there from day 1. Keep in mind that as the Personal Assistant to the reigning Inbound Vice-President of MATTA, I had to be there "strategizing" and spearheading the campaign effort of hers while reporting to her back directly of the going-ons on the grass roots level. I was pretty much the campaign manager.

4. I was even there during the AGM on June, the event which triggered the whirlwind that left the Association in a state that it is now. I witness first hand account of each and every movements during the mentioned AGM.

5. Yes, I am well-informed in regards to the verification process, court orders, phantom voters issues, suspensions of particular members and what not.

6. However, my only regret was that I won't be able to present during the EGM on the 17th of December as well as the other one on the 7th of January - for I was being "advised" not to come due to "safety "reason. That's exactly what I was told, words-for-words.

7. I defy such "request" at first but at the eleventh hour an individual that I respect the most and whom I trust unconditionally had made me to promise that I won't show up and this is for "greater good". I did make and keep the promise, for after all I am a man of my words. Thus I wasn't around during during both EGM's.

8. As the plots thicken now what we have is a full-blown conflicts that involve the Registrar of Society (surely) and the Court too. I bet you already know that for it received nationwide coverage and in fact it still is.

9. However, I hereby would like to "officially" let it be known that; anything and everthing that contains in this post is the farthest I can go when it come to explaining the whole situation and I will not go any further.

10. My reason of being is simple. It is a court matter now and with all the media circus, the last thing I want to do is to complicate the matter even more than it is. Besides, since it is a court matter therefore it would not be appropriate to pass my judgment or whatsoever before the court comes to its conclusion. It's just not the right thing to do and since I have an utmost confidence on our judiciary system then let them do their job. As simple as that.

11. To all my "fans" who had been non-stopped showering me with phone calls (I know you ALL of you are reading this) ever since the last 10 days or so. Pardon me for I have to disappoint you by not revealing any "juicy insights". Period.

12. I might do so - put all the account of events from my perspective one day, but that day is definitely not now. Thank you.

CONTACT ME

noreply@blogger.com (Don BooDee) — Tue, 09 Feb 1999 15:08:00 +0000

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