The old line says that all good things must come to an end, and sure enough summer is beginning its slow fade into fall, but for those of us who live here in Michigan and those willing to pay a visit, while one good thing ends a whole lot of other good things are just beginning.
Summer may be coming to an end, but it doesn’t mean Michigan travel adventures have to. This fall, Pure Michigan will promote fall travel to both national and regional audiences to remind travelers to connect with all the beauty and adventure that await in Pure Michigan during the fall season.
Dave Lorenz is Vice President of Travel Michigan — part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. He says, “The fall season presents a fresh opportunity for travelers to experience Michigan’s vibrant fall colors, dynamic communities, and off-the beaten-path hidden gems. We’re excited to promote Pure Michigan’s scenic routes, colorful fall foliage and sparkling blue waters to a national audience for the first time.” Lorenz adds, “Our fall campaign uses both traditional marketing methods as well as leading-edge digital technologies to inspire both in- and out-of-state travelers to look to Michigan for a perfect fall adventure.”
The first-ever national fall advertising campaign will include the commercials Open Road, Harvest Time, Small Batches and Deep Breath. In total, those ads will air on 14 national cable channels as well as on national network broadcast programming in targeted markets and Connected TV streaming experiences including Hulu. The national cable advertising campaign will run through the end of October.
Pure Michigan is also encouraging travelers to experience fall through its Meanwhile in Michigan digital campaign, which is aimed at sparking tourists’ interest in venturing out to off-the-beaten-path destinations, and its campaign Fall Destination Finder, which promotes fall activities including fall color tours, cider mills, and handcrafted wineries and craft breweries. Both digital campaigns will drive travelers to dynamic landing pages on michigan.org to explore destinations and itineraries.
Fall partners for Destination Finder include: Visit Charlevoix Convention and Visitors Bureau, Michigan Apples (Mi Apple Committee), Travel Marquette CVB, Mt. Pleasant Area CVB, Calhoun County Visitors Bureau, Experience Grand Rapids CVB, Ypsilanti / Destination Ann Arbor CVB, Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, Destination Ann Arbor, Traverse City Tourism, Upper Peninsula Travel CVB, Visit Livingston County CVB, Frankenmuth Convention and Visitors Bureau, Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB, The Henry Ford, Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, South Haven/Van Buren County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Beachtowns ( South Haven, Holland, St. Joseph, Silver Lake Sand Dunes. Muskegon, Saugatuck/Douglas & Grand Haven), Cheboygan CVB, Gaylord Area Convention & Tourism Bureau, Ludington Area CVB, Manistee County Visitors Bureau, Discover Kalamazoo CVB, Mecosta County CVB, Blue Water Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Saugatuck Douglas CVB, and Sault Area CVB.
In addition, billboards in regional markets including Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Traverse City, Toledo, Ft. Wayne, South Bend and Chicago, will promote fall color and the Dark Sky campaign to motivate travelers to plan a trip to Michigan this fall. Transit advertising within trains and airports as well as on bus wraps will also be placed in Chicago.
Travelers are encouraged to share their fall travel experiences with the hashtag #FallFilter on Twitter and Instagram, in addition to the popular #PureMichigan hashtag. Fans can also tag Pure Michigan on Facebook when they share their favorite photos of the season.
Travelers looking to plan their fall getaway can visit the link below:
https://www.michigan.org/destination-finder
There is also this option online:
https://www.michigan.org/article/trip-idea/things-do-michigan-your-ultimate-fall-bucket-list
That link provides what organizers call, “The ultimate Pure Michigan fall bucket list.” Travelers can also order a free Pure Michigan Fall Travel Guide or access the digital travel guide at michigan.org.
The fall guide features Escarpment Trail in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park on the cover and articles including “Taste of the Towns”…“Double your Fun with a Mi-Athalon”…“Mighty Wild” which highlights Isle Royale, and “Season Finale.”
In addition to ordering online, the Fall Travel Guide is available in the 14 Welcome Centers located throughout Michigan including the one in our area at New Buffalo. Leaf peepers can also sign up to receive a weekly fall color update at michigan.org/fall.
This year’s total fall advertising budget is $7.73 million. A total of 28 industry partners contribute $50,000 each to the yearlong Pure Michigan digital campaign and are showcased each season on michigan.org.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org.
The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is a screen shot from the Pure Michigan “Harvest Time” campaign commercial provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Pure Michigan.
