Pure Michigan encourages winter adventures

Pure Michigan encourages winter adventures

The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex contains one of the four luge tracks in the U.S. Photo via fb.com

Last year, winter tourism generated $2.8 billion in traveler spending in Michigan, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp., which serves as the state’s marketing arm and is responsible for the Pure Michigan marketing campaign.

Hoping to reel in the dollars again this year, Pure Michigan is launching a new Snow Day marketing effort, encouraging travelers to “take a snow day in Michigan.”

As part of the campaign, Pure Michigan has added a dedicated Snow Day landing page to its website to provide visitors with the “inspiration and information to plan the perfect winter getaway.”

Travelers and travel industry partners are encouraged to use the hashtag #puremichigansnowday to highlight winter offerings and adventures across Michigan, as well.

“Michigan is a place where snow days come to life and there is no better way to enjoy the unique and beautiful winter travel experiences the season has to offer than to create your own Pure Michigan Snow Day,” said Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, part of the MEDC.

Unused vacation time

According to the U.S. Travel Association, 429 million days of annual leave go unused.

As part of the campaign, the MEDC is encouraging people to use up some of that vacation time and get outside in Michigan.

“Whether you are an enthusiast looking for a new adventure or just looking to beat cabin fever, make the most of those unused annual leave days and revel in the excitement and delight that awaits when a fresh blanket of snow covers the ground and the day is wide open,” Lorenz said.

Pure Michigan campaign

Pure Michigan will also launch its newest television and billboard advertisements in January.

The advertising campaign features the television spots Snow Day and Chance of Snow in markets including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo, Ohio; Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and South Bend, Indiana.

Radio ads Snow Day, Snow, Here’s to the Curious and Nicknames will run in these markets, as well as in Chicago, and a digital campaign will also run in the Minneapolis market.

Pure Michigan billboards featuring Cadillac, Grand Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Treetops Resort will also be on display in the state and in key markets.

New this year, select billboards will be also be supporting the Snow Day marketing effort, directing travelers to michigan.org/snowday.

The winter advertising campaign also features eight industry advertising partners — Ski Michigan, Detroit, Frankenmuth, Gaylord, Manistee, Mt. Pleasant, Muskegon and St. Ignace — with partner ads airing in regional and in-state markets.

These partners contributed $206,198 in funding toward the overall winter advertising budget of $1,376,939.