This morning The 365 Guide is returning to an old theme – but an important one. Every travel agency should have a “visual system” – elements of their brand representation that are immediately recognizable as belonging to that agency. Typically, the visual system is made of a color palette, a logo, font, and other imagery. Most of us understand the importance of a strong logo and visual elements. We are surrounded by the success stories of companies that have logos that are immediately recognizable, even if we cannot easily remember exactly what elements are a part of the logo. But a complete visual system goes well beyond a logo.  Good visual systems require that a company’s brand be represented in the same way in every media in which it has a point of contact with the public and that each element Read the rest of this entry »

Are you recognizable?  Take a look at the items within your line of sight.  Recognize any brands?  Who made the phone, the computer you are working on, the printer sitting on its stand?  The chances are pretty good on each is a logo which acts as a symbol for the company’s brand.  When you see the apple with a bite taken out of its right side, you know it’s not an apple – it’s an Apple.

As I indicated in my Publisher’s Corner article today, a company’s visual system is a very important aspect of marketing. Most visible is the company’s logo, but the type face, the colors you use and the layout are all key components of making the whole work.  We tend to pay the most attention to the logo, but over time the elements may begin to drift away from the standard you originally set. Read the rest of this entry »

TRO is devoting the next few weeks to assisting agents in developing a 2009 Marketing Plan. Follow along with us each day to gain the traction you need to make 2009 your best year ever.

Now that we know which Distribution Channels we will use in our 2009 Marketing Plan, we need to develop the tactics necessary to approach each channel successfully. Before we do, however, we have one more important step to consider – our Points of Contact. Loosely defined, our Points of Contact are those points at which a client can form an impression of our travel practice. Points of Contact range from our logo and business cards, to our Read the rest of this entry »