Featured Member
Dee Buchanon
o Name: Dee Buchanon
o Business (industry): CIRI Alaska Tourism
o Title/job: Director of Marketing
o Length of time in the AMA: 20+ years on and off..
o What do you find beneficial about the AMA Alaska?:
The luncheon topics are always cutting edge and I consistently find one or two take-aways I can apply right away.
o What do you do at your work? Tell us a bit about where you work and your piece of it:
CIRI Alaska Tourism (CATC) is an Alaska Native owned company that owns and operates a packaging tour company, Alaska Heritage Tours. CATC also owns and operates Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, Seward Windsong Lodge and Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge, as well as a glacier and wildlife day-cruise company, Kenai Fjords Tours. I am responsible for corporate branding as well as branding for each of these companies. I develop the sales, marketing and reservations strategic plan and oversee development, implementation and tracking of the effectiveness of all of the marketing materials, the websites, social media, public relations, and media campaigns.
o What is an important marketing lesson/bit of information on marketing success that you’ d like to share with your fellow AMA marketers?
Never lose sight of what’s real. Accurately represent your product or service to your customers—it’s the only way you can be successful. Deliver what you promise and then, deliver just a little bit more. Fantastic customer service and a top-notch product is what creates repeat and referral business and will make you successful.
o Name of the last book that you read? OR name of movie most recently seen?
I am currently reading “Wilderness: A Journal of Quiet Adventure in Alaska” by Rockwell Kent. Mr. Kent and his nine-year old son lived on Fox Island in Seward, Alaska between late August 1918 and mid-March 1919. The book is an account of his time on that island, created from previously unpublished passages from his original journal. It’s fascinating!
o Favorite vacation place or favorite thing to do in Alaska?
I love to go salmon fishing with my family. You’ll always find me with a big smile on my face when I’m in a boat, with my family, with a rod and reel in my hand. I also enjoy what I call quality family time--sitting around the evening campfire telling jokes and laughing until it hurts.
o Funniest ‘only in Alaska’ tidbit to share ?
Only in Alaska do you look in the rear view mirror of your car to see if there’s a moose in your driveway before you back out of the garage in the morning! I had to close the garage door immediately one morning to keep the moose from coming in the garage
