Sunday morning: Berlin is still sleeping after a night of fun; rare passers by mingle with the tourists taking pictures of the Brandenburg Gate, the historical icon, careless of the biting cold. Before driving to the Tegel airport I did not miss the opportunity to take a stroll in Unter den Linden, home to two of the most beautiful hotels ever: the Westin Grand, with its imposing stairs, where I took refuge to warm myself up, and the Adlon Kempinski where I could not enjoy the same privilege, surrounded as it was by massive police security forces there to protect some vip visitor.
A harsh wind was sweeping the street, minute snowflakes made their way through the upturned coat collar, and the sky was greyer than grey. In the distance I saw a group of young women, possibly freezing tourists, who disbanded as I got closer, allowing one of them to approach me and hand out a pamphlet to me. I accepted it out of courtesy (I always feel sorry for those who stand in the street handing out leaflets people refuse) and took a lazy look at it. With a nice colour photo of beaches and sea, it promoted “Kampanien”, that is, our Campania! I went through the pamphlet, and saw that it was truly well designed; it included all the components of a correct promotional message, playing on the levers of nature, sunshine, culture, Italian warmth, and was an effective vehicle for information, also providing readers with indications for seeking more detailed additional news.
On the occasion of the ITB I was in Berlin for days, and saw just about every form of promotion under the sun; the whole world was present with astronomical investments, which, however, tended to offset each other in their loudness. I therefore especially appreciated a small, low-cost action aimed at intercepting any possible travellers at a moment when they were made particularly sensitive by the freezing cold.
We all tend to think in term of ‘maximum systems’, and sometimes risk not to pay adequate attention to the small important things we have before our eyes.
Translation of the Italian
editorial by Paola Praloran
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