As the voting for the semifinalists in the UTE competition comes to a close, we've been reflecting on the various ways that different teams have promoted themselves to find voters and to show how they would support Thailand. We've seen a lot of creative content, but we've noticed one difference between some of the promotion material we created and that of some other teams. We always put substance ahead of style.
We'll be the first to admit that our video wasn't the most slickly produced, but we would argue that it succeeded better than most in answering the questions asked in the application. We talked about what we hoped to see in Chiang Mai, what we would do to promote the city, and why we had the best experience to do so. The other videos we have produced for this contest were similar in this way. Instead of just showing us having fun at a restaurant, Theo and I told our viewers how they could make their own Thai cuisine; we shared our iguana Dorian's favorite fruit; and we even took our viewers along to share the Colts game day experience with us. Our Facebook posts and tweets have been similarly informative. We've always done more than implore that followers watch our video, as we've offered up a new reason why we're the best team to become the Ultimate Thailand Explorers almost every day. I haven't counted the number of words we've written on this blog, but I will be the first to admit that I've spent more time and attention writing blog posts than I have on my own academic work this semester.
As we've made clear many times before, Theo and I are effective communicators. We know how to craft a message that will be both informative and entertaining. We know that a good video needs more than a popular song over some random, if pleasing, images. The audience wants to learn more about what makes Thailand an amazing place, and that understanding comes through content that draws them in and teaches them something about the land and its culture. Theo and I have spent a great deal of time crafting our message as UTE contestants. We hope you've learned something about us and something about the qualities the best UTE candidates should possess. Thanks for reading and listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment