Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
South Carolina: Facing the Flag Flap, Again
We wrote a post not too long ago about how the issue that just won't go away in our state -- the Confederate flag -- continues to command attention from both sides ten years after the flag was removed from the dome of the South Carolina Statehouse. Though the flag was taken down from the Capitol and placed on a 30-foot pole on the Statehouse lawn, the NAACP and others continue to protest the flag's presence on state property. The issue that just won't die in South Carolina has positioned our state on a perilous ledge until it is fully resolved. The ongoing ferocity potentially jeopardizes not only our own internal political and social relations, but has the opportunity to also directly impact the state's economy by causing businesses to shy away from bringing industry to such a cutthroat political climate.On Monday, Benjamin Jealous, President of the NAACP, announced the organization will make a stronger push to remove the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds. His announcement was skim on further details but indicated by summer 2010, more publicity will surround the NAACP's economic boycott of the state. As South Carolina moves forward with the Boeing deal, 2010 elections and other upcoming statewide events, the full impact of the enduring flag flap remains to be determined.
Why the Midlands Region of South Carolina Needs PR Help
Get out of that box, Midlands.Columbia, South Carolina and the surrounding Midlands areas are embarking on a quest to become a tourist magnet, according to an article last week by The State newspaper.
Tourism Development International, an Irish consulting firm, has finished conducting a 15-month study on behalf of the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to figure out just what kind of dynamic lure will bring in the big fish... ie., tourists, to South Carolina. Peter MacNulty with TDI says that to gain popularity and grow as a tourist destination, the Midlands area of South Carolina needs a "wow" factor.
Capitalizing on Columbia's capital city status as well as the opportunities for outdoor activities and the rivers and lakes in the region are key, as the article notes. Also key will be how the group behind this campaign markets the wow factor through paid ads, but also in the media and by word of mouth...free publicity and public relations.
So what were some of TDI's recommendations and ideas to bring publicity and tourists to the state? Read the article to find out.
Hot Campaigns; Scorching Conflict...
As surely as the sun rises and sets each day, it's a definite that people will disagree. At Brett we blog about the inevitability of conflict, because we see it happening all the time in our community and within our government.Just last month in Columbia, the South Carolina Hospitality Association bought 29 billboard ads at a cost of $500,000 as part of a year-long campaign designed to bring more customers and revenue to Richland County businesses. A 2% surtax on hotel rooms and meals will provide the funds for this billboard marketing effort, part of the associa
tion’s Stay in Columbia campaign, also referred to as the "Famously Hot" campaign.Many folks are also vehemently opposed to this billboard campaign and the money being spent on it, foreseeing major government budget cuts in years ahead. Hospitality association and campaign backers assert that the only way to funnel new money and new lifeblood into South Carolina's tourism industry is to spend money advertising what the state has to offer... in other words, putting a little out to get even more back in.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how this controversy plays out in the coming year and the overall effectiveness of the Hospitality Association's campaign.
Thanks to the South Carolina Policy Council for their original blog post and stance on this issue. You can also read more on the South Carolina Hospitality Association's Stay in Columbia web site.
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