Outrigger Enterprises Group: Award-Winning Hawaii Destination Web site Rides Wave of Social Media Success (United States)
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Outrigger Enterprises Group: Award-Winning Hawaii Destination Web site Rides Wave of Social Media Success (United States)
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - United States -
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-07-07
Celebrating one year since its launch, OutriggerHawaii.com captivates audiences with unique video and engaging editorial
For centuries, the Hawaiian Islands have been a place of connection and community; today, this tradition of “talking story” thrives thanks to technology. Social media outlets are the salons of days past -- the place to go for the hottest travel advice, the place to search out others’ experiences, get local advice and must-do lists.
Riding this new wave of communication is OutriggerHawaii.com; departing from the traditional hotel Web site, it showcases the allure of Hawaii by featuring unique stories and video vignettes that capture the spirit and adventure found only on the Islands. Launched in July 2008 by Outrigger Enterprises Group, the destination Web site has won several awards for sharing the culture, history, and beauty of Hawaii, with people around the world.
“OutriggerHawaii.com is a perfect marriage between Outrigger’s drive for leadership in technological solutions and its deep commitment to Hawaii,” said Lisa Tojo, director of interactive commerce for Outrigger Enterprises Group. “By utilizing Web 2.0 capabilities including on-site video, map integration as well as incorporating social media components such as Facebook, Twitter and a dedicated blog, we are able to connect and communicate with our audience better than ever before.”
OutriggerHawaii.com provides timely and relevant content about Hawaii—everything from the best places to surf to hot spots for Hawaiian music, to the cultivation of Kona coffee. Video vignettes offer a taste of how Hawaiian culture continues to thrive in the present day. Viewers learn how the sacred heiau at Keahou is an educational treasure and how the sweet sounds of Hawaiian music is perpetuated through the making of a Kamaka Ukulele. To date, the videos from this site have been viewed nearly 10,000 times on YouTube.
Bringing the site to life through editorial content is Kauai-based travel writer Kim Steutermann Rogers. Communicating local stories of Hawaii in her “View from Here” blog, she takes readers along with her to monitor endangered Hawaiian monk seals on the shores of Kauai's myriad beaches, into the mountains of West Maui as a "volunteer on vacation" clearing invasive species and planting native trees, and below the Pacific Ocean’s surface to explore the caves and caverns created by Hawaii’s underwater lava tubes.
“Hawaii touches people in a way not many places do," said OutriggerHawaii.com editor Kim Steutermann Rogers. "These islands are so much more than palm trees and turquoise waters. Our visitors leave with stories of paddling an outrigger canoe or meeting a local taro farmer and helping weed his lo'i. With OutriggerHawaii.com, we try to capture and share the stories of Hawaii's real people and special places. We try to connect with people through story--theirs and ours."
A one-stop shop Web site, guests can research, plan and book their vacation all in one place –quite a departure from the traditional practices of hotel websites. Visitors to OutriggerHawaii.com are invited to explore Hawaii destinations through five lifestyle categories: adventure, romance, culture, culinary and business and leisure. This ultimately guides visitors to a resort, hotel or condominium that best suits their travel needs from a multi-brand portfolio including Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Outrigger Condominium Collection, OHANA Hotels & Resort, Ala Moana Hotel, Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk, and Keauhou Beach Resort.
The Web site has recently received awards from the International Association of Business Communicators and Public Relations Society of America for its dynamic and up-to-date content in a format that readers enjoy. OutriggerHawaii.com can now be found on Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds and through e-mail updates.
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