Saying Happy Holidays with e

The 20 December 2004 edition of the Zeitgeist e-Zine

As we begin to wind down what’s left of 2004 and celebrate the season, we’ve seen a couple of holiday greetings that we just have to share with you.

The first comes from our friends at the Ohio Division of Travel & Tourism where Assistant Director (and past DMOU guest) Amir Eylon hipped us to his state’s revolutionary utilization of MP3 technology on their website. And, as the first State Travel Office to offer MP3, Ohio doesn’t disappoint with their “Holiday Lights Tour.”
When you click on the appropriate home page icon, you’re transported to a map of the State with 12 hot spots that represent various Holiday Light Tours throughout the State from Akron to Wintergarden in Dayton. Mouse over the hotspots and the sound of sleighbells ring through your speakers (go ahead…try it; you need some sleighbells right about now).

Once you find a stop along the tour that tickles your fancy, a click on the hotspot results in a lush audio description of the destination’s holiday lights and directions on how to reach the attraction. And, as a special touch for music lovers, the Division of Travel & Tourism has enlisted non-other than native son Michael Stanley to be the voice of these fabulous vignettes.

Amir promises this is just the beginning…but don’t miss the chance to at least let the sleighbells tickle your fancy before the week is through.

And the folks at the Irving (TX) CVB have once again utilized a combination of e-mail and internet to share season’s greetings with their friends and clients. Last year, Maura Gast allowed her love of snowglobes to drive the interactive greeting…and it was one of my absolute faves (and, it’s still viewable).

This year, they’ve "jazzed up" the look and sound for a message that is bound to put a smile in your heart.
While designing these e and web-greetings might cost a little bit more than traditional cards (depending on the size of the database), these greetings have a viral lifespan that, if they’re cool enough, will get forwarded to hundreds of additional contacts. I know...I forwarded Maura’s snowglobe greeting to a bunch of my friends last year!

And now, I’m forwarding all of these greetings to you…with a heartfelt thanks for being part of the Zeitgeist family. Enjoy! (see...this viral e-stuff works :)

Best wishes for a sensational holiday season. Catch ya next year!

Bill

Bil

ZEITGEIST CONSULTING
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