Pure Michigan Recognized with Five Mercury Awards

The U.S. Travel Association and the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) this week honored Pure Michigan with five Mercury Awards.

LANSING – The U.S. Travel Association and the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) this week honored Pure Michigan with five Mercury Awards.  Pure Michigan was recognized as having the best state tourism television advertising, best state radio advertising, top social media presence, best partnership advertising program and top public relations effort, won jointly with the state of Wisconsin for the “Who is the Real Mitten State?” initiative. 

The Pure Michigan brand was created by the Birmingham, Michigan office of McCann Erickson.

“It is an honor to again win NCSTD recognition for our work in showcasing Michigan as a great travel destination,” Michigan Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Michael A. Finney said. “Pure Michigan is a powerful brand, one that resonates strongly that Michigan is a great state to live, raise a family, work and own a business.”

With Pure Michigan on the rise, the number of partners and stakeholders throughout the state has grown.  Pure Michigan Business Connect, launched in 2001, has expanded into an $8 billion, multi-year initiative to help Michigan companies grow.  Last week the new standard license plate for the state was unveiled featuring the Pure Michigan brand and the michigan.org website.

New partnerships in the past year have included the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, Hudsonville Ice Cream, Kroger, the Detroit Tigers and Coca Cola. Pure Michigan will also be the title sponsor of the Pure Michigan 400 NACAR Sprint Cup series race at Michigan International Speedway through 2014. 

Pure Michigan has also continued to expand its social media presence with more than 400,000 fans on Facebook and a growing fan base on Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest.  The Pure Michigan eNewsletter also surpassed a half a million subscribers earlier this month.

The Pure Michigan television and radio ads can be seen and heard on the Pure Michigan You Tube channel.  Featured television ads included 14 Clubs and a Simple Sunrise.  Featured radio ads included Gone Fishin’ and First Tee.

Since its launch in 2006, the Pure Michigan campaign has been recognized with a total of 15 Mercury Awards, including Best State Tourism Radio Advertising (2008/2009/2010/2011) Best State Tourism Television Advertising (2010/2007), Best State Tourism Welcome Center Program (2010), Best State Tourism Co-op (Partnership) program (2010), Best State Tourism Niche Marketing (2009), and Best State Tourism  Campaign (2007).

“It has been exciting to see the growth of Pure Michigan and the tremendous response it has received from our peers within the tourism industry,” said George Zimmermann, Vice President for Travel Michigan, part of the MEDC.  “But even more important than awards is the number of visitors the campaign has brought to Michigan, visitors who spend money at Michigan businesses, creating jobs for Michiganders and generating state and local tax revenue.”

Last year, Pure Michigan's advertising campaign brought a record 3.2 million out-of-state visitors to Michigan, according to a study by Longwoods International.  These visitors spent $1 billion at Michigan businesses, paying $70 million in taxes.

The Mercury Awards is a program created by the NCSTD to recognize its members for excellence and creative accomplishment in state tourism marketing and promotion, and to inspire the continued development of destination marketing and promotion programs.

Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, markets the state’s tourism industry and provides valuable visitor information services. For Michigan travel news and updates, go to michigan.org.

About McCann Detroit 
McCann Detroit, based in Birmingham, is an office of McCann Erickson Worldwide, the world’s largest advertising agency network, with operations in more than 120 countries and a client roster that includes preeminent global marketers and many of the world’s most famous brands.  McCann Erickson is a unit of McCann Worldgroup, a leading global marketing solutions network, comprised of a collaborative roster of best-in-class agencies that emphasize creativity, innovation and performance. In addition to Pure Michigan, the Detroit agency’s clients include ALDI and GM Corporate.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

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. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.