Things are tough in Michigan. Tax revenues are slumping. The U.S. auto industry continues to struggle. And the big news in Detroit is that the city is getting ready to knock down thousands of buildings, which is always a sign of progress.
Despite all this, Michigan is continuing to invest in its compelling tourism campaign, Pure Michigan.
The latest spots are now posted on the Michigan tourism website. You can see them at:
Michigan’s commercials are compelling and distinctive. The branding comes through and the benefits are very clear. The spots really work.
The only disconcerting thing is that Michigan is apparently cutting spending on the campaign. Despite the efforts of Governor Jennifer Ganholm, the state legislature has cut 50% of the marketing budget this year. You can read Ganholm’s comments on the campaign here:
Cutting spending on the campaign makes absolutely no sense.
The Pure Michigan campaign is a proven winner. Michigan doesn’t have a lot of these right now. The state should be investing more, not cutting back.
I have lived in Chicago for 5 years. When the subject of summer weekend travel has come up the destination most commonly discussed is almost always Wisconsin. In the past year I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a significant amount of time on Michigan’s Lake Michigan water front. It is absolutely gorgeous and undeniably under-appreciated.
There’s clearly an opportunity to raise awareness of Michigan as a summer vacation destination and steal share from Wisconsin (though secretly I hope the beaches remain uncrowded…)