A review of the Pure Michigan brand including merchandise, co-branding partnerships, advertising, and more. Presented at the Pure Michigan Governor's Conference on Tourism in 2012.

1. We’re writing a new story.
And it’s Pure Michigan.
Elizabeth Parkinson
Senior Vice President
Marketing & Communications
Kelly Wolgamott
Director of Marketing
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
March 26, 2012
#PMGC12

2. Reinventing Michigan
“We will not dwell on the past or the
depth of our problems. The focus will be
on agreed-on action, implementation,
measuring results and continuous
improvement…It is time to solve
problems.”
Governor Rick Snyder

3. Gov. Snyder’s Blueprint
1. Create more and better jobs
2. Leverage our new tax system
3. Reinvent our government
4. Keep our youth – our future – here
5. Restore our cities
6. Enhance our national and international image
7. Protect our environment
8. Revitalize our educational system
9. Reinvent our health care system
10. Winning in Michigan through Relentless Positive
Action

4. Integrated Jobs Strategy
Reinventing Michigan Statewide Plan
1. Create more and better jobs • Entrepreneurship (1&2)
2. Leverage our new tax system
3. Reinvent our government • Business Growth (1&2)
4. Keep our youth – our future – • Access to Capital (1&2)
here
5. Restore our cities • Seamless Delivery (3)
6. Enhance our national and • Talent Enhancement (4&5)
international image
7. Protect our environment • Vibrant Communities (6)
8. Reinvent our educational system • Image (7)
9. Reinvent our health care system
Winning in Michigan through Everything We Do
Relentless Positive Action

5. Reshaping MEDC
• Regional Approach
• Economic Gardening
• New Tools for Job Makers and Job Seekers
• New, Competitive Business Tax
• Expanding Pure Michigan Brand

6. Regional Approach
• “Decentralized” Economic Development
• New level of partnership with local
economic development organizations
– Imbedding MEDC staff
• Leveraging regions’ supply chain assets

7. Economic Gardening
• Nurturing existing firms primed for
business growth.
• We recognize that just 1% of all
businesses nationwide (typically young
companies in their second stage of
business growth) create 40% of the new
jobs.

8. New Tools
Replacing complex incentive-based
programs with a restructured, tactical
toolkit:
• $8 billion Pure Michigan Business Connect program
• Pure Michigan Talent Connect Web site –
www.Mitalent.org
• $100 million closing fund

9. New Business Tax
Now one of the best tax climates in the
country.
• Removed tangled web of incentives that unfairly
favored certain businesses
• Propelled our state’s corporate tax ranking from
49th all the way to 7th (Tax Foundation)
• Improved our overall business tax climate from
18th to 12th (Tax Foundation)

10. Reinvention Underway
• #2 in study of states’ economic health (Bloomberg)
• #1 in nation for small business loans (SBA)
• #1 for tech job growth (TechAmerica)
• #1 for job creation potential (Newsweek)
• #4 of Top 10 States for Capital Investment (Ernst &
Young)
• Home to ‘most beautiful place in America.’ (Good
Morning America)
How Do We Tell Our Story?

11. Pure Michigan
• Forbes (2009): All-time Ten Best Tourism
Promotion Campaigns
Pure Michigan
Las Vegas (“what happens here, stays here”)
Incredible India
New Zealand
Australia (Paul Hogan, 1980s)
Jamaica
Alaska (B4UDIE billboards, 2005)
Canada
Oregon
Virginia (is for Lovers)

12. Pure Michigan
Started out as tourism-focused campaigns.

13. Sunrise

14. Beyond Travel
• All state marketing activities under the
brand
“Pure Michigan is becoming not just a
tourism brand…but it’s also a business
brand. Frankly…that’s what we’re about.”
MEDC President and CEO, Mike Finney

15. Why Michigan?

16. So, how do we engage?
 Advertising and public relations drives general regional
and national awareness
 Strategic event sponsorships, trade shows, partnerships
reach a segmented audience
 Business Development efforts support economic gardening
model through individual meetings
 Digital marketing and social media outreach allows for
quick dissemination of information and allows 2-way dialogue
to a self-identified audience
 Integrated place-based branding

17. National Business Campaign
• Quality of life
• Retain and Attract
– Talent: mitalent.org
– Business
• Targeting business principles and agents to
change perceptions about Michigan and get
Michigan on their consideration list
– Custom digital sponsorships of existing properties
with proven traffic
– Print extensions complementing digital and/or
relevant edit
– Targeted channel banners within business news

18. National Business Campaign

19. National Business Campaign

20. National Business Campaign

21. Business Digital Campaign

22. Logo Usage/Partnerships
• Brand guidelines

23. Partnerships

24. DNR Partnership

25. Merchandise

26. Questions?
elizabeth@michigan.org
wolgamottk@michigan.org