What is the best job in the world?

Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef is as my good friend Steve would say 'sweet' but after a day or two , I have to best honest - what's next?

Having spent 3 days in glorious Townsville recently where the sky was the perfect shade of blue, the temperature was 27 degrees, the sun was shining and the sea was incredibly inviting - I lapped up a day down at the beach, hopped on a ferry to Magnetic Island and in general had an idyllic winters day - who could possibly complain? This is paradise after all. Every Melburnians dream winters day particularly as we are expecting a very chilly 9 degrees this Friday and unless you are on the slopes, this is not too appealing.

By day 2 in the Sunshine State it became apparent that there was little to do and I was in fact bored. I can't believe I am saying this, but it's the truth. There wasn't a good golf course in site (http://www.womensgolflife.com/) simply because the good ones are in the suburbs in Townsville, and let's be honest Townsville isn't known for its shopping (although there is one good shop called Avanti that looks like it belongs in Paris rather than Townsville - I bet the very gorgeous Rachel Finch shops here!). On top of this, the sun is quite harsh on my lilly white skin and having worked on an advertising campaign for The Melanoma Foundation a few years ago, I am acutely aware of the dangers of too much sun. It's fashionable to be white I keep telling myself every time I am lured into the warmth of a summers day although I am green with envy at the bronzed lifesavers who strut up and down the beaches in their speedos.

So, for me... I don't think it was actually the best job in the world. In fact, I can't imagine why anyone would think it is. After a week of holidaying in a beach resort, how many of us actually want to stay? Chances are we enjoy our holiday but also can't wait to get back home to friends and family and the entertainment options that are available to us in the big city.

From a marketing perspective, however, this is 'the best job in the world' as whoever came up with the campaign deserves every accolade that they have received.

Statistics as at 6 July 2009 were that the campaign attracted 8 million visitors to http://www.islandreefjob.com/, 94,000 subscribers to receive Best Job in the World Updates and the winner has more than 2000 followers on Twitter. Very impressive.

As a marketer we are always praying that this good fortune will happen to us on the next campaign we are working on.

Having recently won a beer account - yep, that is almost the best job in the world for most men I suspect - I can't help but think that getting a job as a beer tester wouldn't be too bad... but like our tourism counterparts, after day one, what's next?

What is your idea of the best job in the world? Mine... sad but true... is exactly what I am doing right now.

http://www.marketingeye.com.au/

Tradeshows - are you marketing yourself properly?

It's tradeshow season! There are hundreds of tradeshows each month in Australia and overseas and companies more so than ever are investing heavily in marketing themselves in this way.

One of the biggest failures of businesses investing in tradeshows is their lack of followup.

Over a 2 to 3 day period, exhibitors meet hundreds of potential customers, alliance partners and referers.

Whilst many companies put all of their efforts into actually getting their stands ready and having it look right, often they forget about putting together a strategic marketing campaign pre and post show.

On top of this, many how have invested tens of thousands of dollars don't have a customer relationship management program in place to track their leads, stay in contact and record interaction.

In addition, they are too busy with what they consider is urgent, that they don't organise for telemarketing, the sending of followup letters and emails and the writing of proposals.

This high density event is not only costly, but can affect your reputation if you don't follow through with your promises or inquiries.

Companies also are not placing enough emphasis on what their ROI is on the tradeshow. Is it just for branding purposes, deal flow or sales?

Marketing Eye is currently working with companies in helping them develop marketing campaigns around tradeshows.

If you are interested in some tips on how to better connect with your leads and engage in a campaign, contact www.marketingeye.com.au or 1300 300 080.