MONROE - Kelli Trumble, Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Tourism, met with about 36 Green County leaders to discuss the future and value of tourism to the county.
The state's new brand "Originality Rules" fits perfectly into Green County's culture, she said.
"You're not trying to be all things to all people," she said.
The county's marketing strategies, like it's people, are genuine, authentic without pretense, and "that is effective branding," she said.
Figuring out how to get customers to love you, requires emotionally compelling marketing, especially in tourism.
"You are selling that small town flavor... and the individual originality that you can find only at Green County businesses and events," she said. "You tell people exactly what you are ... and people are instinctively attracted and attached to that."
Tourism is not a rational purchase, but is an experience, she said, that requires the right emotional position to be served up to get a loyal following.
Green County and the rest of the state hope to lean on tourism dollars to help it through the current economic difficulties.
"It's not just a hope, it's a reality," Trumble said. "But I want you to be prepared. People continue to travel, but they are spending less."
According to Noreen Rueckert, Director of Green County Tourism, the number of visitors actually dropped slightly.
Still, they bring a total of nearly $43 million to the county. About $2 million of that, from room and sales taxes, directly impacts county revenue.
Tourism is a stable factor in Wisconsin's economy, indirectly employing about 310,330 full-time job equivalents and bringing in about $13 billion - $2.1 billion in taxes alone, Trumble said.
Wisconsin is in a good position to keep forging ahead with tourism marketing, because it offers family-oriented experiences, plus reconnects people to basic values and to family.
"During tough times, the last thing you want to do is cut marketing," Trumble said.
Last year, the state Department of Tourism cut $2 million, or 14 percent, from its $15 million budget, while retaining $10 million of that for marketing.
"We did everything we could to stay focused on not cutting marketing," she said, because for every dollar invested in marketing, the state gets a $9 return.
As the economy recovers, the increased revenues will go toward marketing, and services will be redirected.
Trumble said there has been a decrease in use of the state welcome centers and more people using the Web site, www.travelwiscosin.org. Of the budget cuts made, $1.2 million was from cutting staff at centers.
Area tourism departments are stepping in to pick up the centers' staffing, and the department is hoping to create grants to help those endeavors.
The new age in marketing is to have a theme that separates you and drives tourists to you.
Wisconsin's latest attempt at developing a theme, "Live life like you mean it," met with criticism. Some critics pointed out that the phrase was not original, or they didn't like the logo's somersaulting figure over the state's name. The department spent $57,000 for the logo design, which is not being used yet.
Far more, $194,000, was spent for the department's staff in research and to create the cornerstone brand "Originality Rules" as "a platform to build on for years and years to come," Trumble said.
The state's new brand "Originality Rules" fits perfectly into Green County's culture, she said.
"You're not trying to be all things to all people," she said.
The county's marketing strategies, like it's people, are genuine, authentic without pretense, and "that is effective branding," she said.
Figuring out how to get customers to love you, requires emotionally compelling marketing, especially in tourism.
"You are selling that small town flavor... and the individual originality that you can find only at Green County businesses and events," she said. "You tell people exactly what you are ... and people are instinctively attracted and attached to that."
Tourism is not a rational purchase, but is an experience, she said, that requires the right emotional position to be served up to get a loyal following.
Green County and the rest of the state hope to lean on tourism dollars to help it through the current economic difficulties.
"It's not just a hope, it's a reality," Trumble said. "But I want you to be prepared. People continue to travel, but they are spending less."
According to Noreen Rueckert, Director of Green County Tourism, the number of visitors actually dropped slightly.
Still, they bring a total of nearly $43 million to the county. About $2 million of that, from room and sales taxes, directly impacts county revenue.
Tourism is a stable factor in Wisconsin's economy, indirectly employing about 310,330 full-time job equivalents and bringing in about $13 billion - $2.1 billion in taxes alone, Trumble said.
Wisconsin is in a good position to keep forging ahead with tourism marketing, because it offers family-oriented experiences, plus reconnects people to basic values and to family.
"During tough times, the last thing you want to do is cut marketing," Trumble said.
Last year, the state Department of Tourism cut $2 million, or 14 percent, from its $15 million budget, while retaining $10 million of that for marketing.
"We did everything we could to stay focused on not cutting marketing," she said, because for every dollar invested in marketing, the state gets a $9 return.
As the economy recovers, the increased revenues will go toward marketing, and services will be redirected.
Trumble said there has been a decrease in use of the state welcome centers and more people using the Web site, www.travelwiscosin.org. Of the budget cuts made, $1.2 million was from cutting staff at centers.
Area tourism departments are stepping in to pick up the centers' staffing, and the department is hoping to create grants to help those endeavors.
The new age in marketing is to have a theme that separates you and drives tourists to you.
Wisconsin's latest attempt at developing a theme, "Live life like you mean it," met with criticism. Some critics pointed out that the phrase was not original, or they didn't like the logo's somersaulting figure over the state's name. The department spent $57,000 for the logo design, which is not being used yet.
Far more, $194,000, was spent for the department's staff in research and to create the cornerstone brand "Originality Rules" as "a platform to build on for years and years to come," Trumble said.