Sign on US 141 at the Niagara, Wisconsin border
WKAR brings us the good news:
The "Pure Michigan" winter ad campaign will air regionally in January. The television campaign was almost lost because of a deadlock at the state Capitol over funding. But lawmakers came to a deal and approved $10 million for "Pure Michigan" a couple weeks ago.
Travel Michigan vice president George Zimmerman says the ad campaign is a winning investment for Michigan that pulls in more money than it costs.
But this next statement is a bit startling:
"You know, ever since we've had that data that demonstrates the return on investment, it's been a bit of a no-brainer to us, because that makes money for the state," says Zimmerman. "But saying that I mean legislators, there are going to be a lot of new members, they don't really know the story of 'Pure Michigan,' they don't know the research. So we're going to have our work cut out for us I'm sure educating them."
The battle over Pure Michigan has been a focus in the media for quite some time, although they rarely tell you that it was the Republicans who repeatedly refused every attempt at funding the campaign and insisted that it be cut. Nevertheless, it was a high visibility issue, and one that really shouldn't require a Master's degree as to its importance to the tourism industry and how that applies to the state's bottom line. It also is incredibly popular with the public and has won numerous awards from industry professionals.
No-brainer? That would describe any legislator that needs "educating" on this campaign. If they can't grasp this simple and often-discussed issue, how could you ever trust them with the deeper complexities of legislation that concerns the budget and tax code?
Stop scaring us, Mr. Zimmerman. We are hoping we didn't hire a bunch of idiots here.