44: Are DMOs Ready for the “Brand in the Prompt” Era?

In this no-guest, think-out-loud episode, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker tackle one of the most urgent shifts in destination marketing: how AI-powered trip planning and booking could change everything DMOs know about awareness, attribution, and conversion. They unpack Google Ads’ new branded search metric and why it may signal a swing back toward brand-first strategies, then dive into the coming challenge of Large Language Model (LLM) optimization. From schema markup and unique first-person content to integrated paid partnerships and community-driven brand amplification, they explore what it will take to make sure your destination is “in the prompt” when AI tools start recommending and booking trips. This is an unfiltered conversation about the pendulum swing from clicks back to brand, the blending of paid, earned, and owned media, and why attention, not just impressions, will be the new currency. Takeaways:  • Why Google’s new branded search metric hints at a return to brand-first marketing.  • How AI trip planning tools may bypass your website entirely and what to do about it.  • LLM optimization basics: schema, unique content, and authoritative sources.  • Why DMOs must think beyond their own brand to elevate the destination’s brand.  • How to make paid media dollars work harder through integrated, multi-channel partnerships. Call to Action: If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe, rate, and share Destination Discourse with a friend in the industry. And if you think we’re wrong or have your own perspective on the “brand in the prompt” era, reach out to join the conversation.

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