Search, analyze, and filter useful strategies from your competitors and related businesses in order to turn them into potential initiatives for your own company. This is the purpose of benchmarking and inspirational trips, one of the actions we carry out here at Raízes (check out other topics in the “What we do” series on our website here).
Benchmarking is, according to Endeavor, “one of the most relevant strategies to increase your efficiency. It can be loosely translated as ‘point of reference’. It is a thorough research process that allows managers to compare products, business practices, services or methodologies used by rivals, absorbing some characteristics to reach a level of managerial or operational superiority”.
As one of Raízes Sustainable Development’s fronts is the integrated development of tourism and its associated production, we also organize familiarization trips and inspirational trips that use this methodology. We will talk more about it later in this space, so stay tuned!
Benchmarking and inspirational trips
The selection of the destination for an inspiration trip has to do with the public – usually small entrepreneurs that we support in mentoring, incubation, or acceleration projects. It all depends on the project, cost-effectiveness, availability of those involved, etc. so that the script can be used to its fullest potential. In this case, Raízes’ role is to curate and articulate with the local partners who will receive the entrepreneurs which will be benefited from a project, in addition to monitoring the entire process.
Much more than a walk in someone else’s shoes and reality and all that those things entail – which even a visit to the local beach, for example, can inspire, this activation type has a very specific purpose. Therefore, in order for this tool to achieve the best possible results, it is important to have meticulous methods:
– Map similar initiatives;
– Be clear about the purpose of the trip;
– Articulate partnerships with local “actors” who can present the initiatives in detail; showing how they work and that they hold, for example, conversation circles with the entrepreneurs who visit them.
It all involves planning with a clear objective in mind. With the best destination mapped – having enough similarities to these entrepreneurs so that they are able to see themselves in that reality –, already in loco, the realization of these information exchange meetings also involves the orientation of the visiting entrepreneurs.
They receive all the instructions in advance and even some study material in order to be able to follow everything and write things down. It aims to serve as a kind of guide to the observation, because this way, a person who is not used to having this type of critical look, and connection to other references different from their own world and living situation and environment, can be guided to develop it. As a result, in cases where not all beneficiaries manage to travel, those who take part in the activation are able to reproduce what they have learned to others in a very useful and thoughtful manner; by way of conversations, notes, photos, and videos. There is usually a systematized meeting for this transfer of knowledge.
In the case of tourism entrepreneurs or tourism territorial development projects, we carry out fam tours and press trips, including tour operators and agents, specialized journalists, and digital tourism influencers. See how it all worked in the case of Resplendor.
Happening right now!
This week, a group of beneficiaries of the Territorial Development and Social Transformation Project of Itabirito, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, are in Recife, Pernambuco, for an inspirational trip. The initiative is part of the stages of the formation of the Creative Network of Itabirito, which was launched recently, with the objective of strengthening the network of entrepreneurs and promoting the city culturally.
As Recife is recognized as one of the most creative capitals in Brazil in terms of tourism, gastronomy, music, and other arts, we strongly believe it could not be more perfect for this benchmarking activation and inspirational trip exercise.
