Guest Comment: Spreading the ‘About U Travel’ Word
Monday, 20 Oct, 2009
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Emma Russell, sales and marketing manager for start-up online travel company www.about-u-travel.com provides insight into the trials and tribulations of getting the brand recognised in the second of a regular TravelMole guest column.
I don’t mind admitting that journalists make me nervous. I don’t know what it is…Is it just that they are so difficult to impress?
After the long awaited launch of our website we attended our first press evening. Full of enthusiasm we went armed with a laptop to show the website off, a press release on the story so far, leaflets, business cards, an enormous banner with our logo on and flowers…I thought it might be a nice touch.
So we set up a table at the back displaying our wares and waited for the onslaught. As it turned out I was pleasantly surprised by how everyone listened and appeared interested as we took each journalist through website and the regions we covered. Until the very end…
I noticed a journalist having a drink that I hadn’t spoken to and went over to offer him our press release.
"I don’t want that," he barked, and recoiled away from my sheet of A4. "Oh" I said surprised. "Well, we have just launched our new website specialising in tours to Latin America, Africa and India. Would you like to come and have a look at it?" I asked. "No" he said with utter contempt. "I’ve been shown quite enough for one evening." I could feel myself getting angry. "Tell you what," he said, "why don’t you stand there and tell me what you do, that’s what you’re here for isn’t it?"
I’m going to put him in a headlock I thought. I took a sharp intake of breath and through gritted teeth explained how the website worked and why we were different from other tour operators.
He ended up apologising for giving me such a hard time and excused himself as he’d had a few too many drinks. I pretended to part on good terms. In a way though, it was a good test, and a lesson to rehearse any presentations for the future without relying on props.
We have been to every conceivable travel event affiliated to every country we feature to get our name out there.
Luckily Lynda (The Boss) is the greatest networker ever seen. She chats to everyone and is faster than Cool Hand Luke giving out her business cards. Our printers can’t keep up with it all. Her networking prowess is apparent by the insane amount of business cards dominating her desk which cascade onto you if you reach into the zone.
Evening dos have been where we have been meeting other agents to make them aware we also sell to them.
We have had a good response so far and think that’s mainly down to the knowledge Lynda has of Africa as she is from that part of the world, and Judith who is from Guatemala and has the expertise in Latin America.
We’ve had a couple of articles in trade magazines, and try to keep up with the likes of Facebook and Twitter etc. Of course we’d like to be on the side of every London bus, taxi and train.
Maybe some time in the future…Meanwhile I’d better go; it’s my turn next for wearing the sandwich board up at Clapham Junction.
Phil Davies
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