Georgia targets cultural tourists with ad campaign

ATLANTA (January 25, 2007) – The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced today it is launching an ad campaign focused on heritage tourism. The campaign will renew a focus on historic districts, Civil War battlefields and sites of cultural significance. This announcement comes on the heels of Governor Sonny Perdue's proposed budget, which includes funding to promote and protect the state's historical resources. Governor Perdue acknowledged in his 'State of the Future' address that the year 2011 will mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Accordingly, the Governor's budget recommends that Georgia invest $5 million to develop a comprehensive tourism plan and to revitalize and restore Civil War-associated historic sites to be ready for an influx of cultural tourists. The new heritage tourism campaign aligns with Governor Perdue's directive. The campaign, which is an important part of Georgia's new marketing strategy, is specifically directed at the 35-54 age range, bridging Generation X and Baby Boomers. The campaign will appeal to both tourists who purposefully seek out historical sites as their main reason to visit as well as those more interested in the entertainment-oriented experience. The ads will appear in international, national, regional and statewide publications. 'Georgia's diverse and unique history, ranging from the historical architecture of the antebellum period to the battlefields of the Civil War to Civil Rights and African-American heritage, makes Georgia a place to truly connect to the past,' said GDEcD Commissioner Ken Stewart. 'The messages in these ads are the messages written in our history and our heritage—Georgia is full of enriching experiences for the cultural tourist.' 'Postcards from Georgia' will be used as print inserts, with text that promotes Georgia's position as a state full of places in which one can truly connect to the past. Each postcard features an antique photograph of one of Georgia's historic sites and a message, in script, from 'Georgia.' Copies of the print ad postcards are posted online at www.georgia.org. 'Our research showed that cultural tourists are striving to emotionally and intellectually connect with the past through the information they acquire and the sites they visit, and we want to ensure that they think of Georgia when planning their next trip,' said GDEcD Marketing and Communications Director Gilda Watters. 'We intend to introduce Georgia's unique history to cultural tourists and remind Georgia residents of our diverse heritage.' The print ad, designed by McRae Communications of Fayetteville, utilizes the theme 'Make your own history' and allows 'Georgia' to speak directly to the cultural tourists in an active voice. The first ad will appear in American Heritage magazine. Among the other publications that will run the ad are American History, Smithsonian, Preservation, National Geographic Traveler, American Legacy and Atlanta Tribune. 'Georgia is really doing something unique in the heritage and cultural market arena by surprising magazine readers with removable post cards that look strikingly realistic, as opposed to traditional print ads,' said Joe Snowden, president of McRae Communications. 'This post card approach has the potential to be expanded in ways such as distributing them to tourists at historic landmarks around the state.' The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm; the lead agency for attracting new business investment; encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses; locating new markets for Georgia products; attracting tourists to Georgia; and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org. McRae Communications (www.mcrae.com) is an integrated marketing agency that provides advertising, public relations and digital media services on an in-house basis. McRae is a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Worldcom Public Relations Group.