As North Americans were watching the Grammys, Canada’s best known diva
celebrated the Chinese New Year with millions of new fans by performing in
Mandarin on Chinese state television.
For those who had dismissed Dion as a has-been, take note: she’s just re-inventing herself. Just like she did when she began her original 2003 Las Vegas show as star-in-residence at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
So what does this have to do with marketing and the meetings industry? Plenty. Consider this:
- Go where the competition isn’t: Dion and her team are astute business people. Looking at the crowded entertainment scene in the West, they chose to enter a market that is hungry for Western entertainers, and where few competitors have dared venture. This is something that meetings industry suppliers should consider: are you hunting where the business is?
- Step out of your comfort zone: Mandarin is reportedly a very difficult language and Dion has stepped out of her comfort zone by trying something completely new. With B2B sales shifting in favour of more inbound marketing practices, hoteliers, destination executives and other event marketing professionals are wise to learn a new way to converse with the marketplace (for background on the changing landscape of B2B sales, read Advice for Meetings Industry Sales Reps: Understanding the NEW Sales Process).
- Seek partners with the inside scoop: But Dion is not doing this entirely on her own. In this debut performance she partnered with Chinese soprano Song Zuying to sing a traditional Chinese folk song. This likely will earn the star major brownie points as she vies for this new audience. The same applies for event professionals; when stepping out of your comfort zone to attract a new market, leverage your odds of success with partners in the know.
