[darstar]

The pure Michigan adds are great ! A few years ago , Asheville, NC. did a series of similar adds. Could be the same add agency. The 'soft" approach to advertising does work. Its wise for Michigan to promote its natural abundance...we have so much of it. ( Our number one industry).

[NSX]

Originally Posted by darstar

The pure Michigan adds are great ! A few years ago , Asheville, NC. did a series of similar adds. Could be the same add agency. The 'soft" approach to advertising does work. Its wise for Michigan to promote its natural abundance...we have so much of it. ( Our number one industry).

I always wondered how well those ads work (Given that we pay 4.2% of our salary to the state of Michigan) and hope that my money's at least being spent productively.

Have any independent studies shown if the "Pure Michigan" ads have helped/hurt?

[darstar]

Originally Posted by NSX

I always wondered how well those ads work (Given that we pay 4.2% of our salary to the state of Michigan) and hope that my money's at least being spent productively.

Have any independent studies shown if the "Pure Michigan" ads have helped/hurt?

How can you say or even question that the ads hurt ? What ever the cost, positive promo is what Michigan needs. It does not hurt that we have the stuff to back up the ads also. Nevada, Utah, Calf. and NM are doing it also....only Calf. has any shoreline that counts.

[NSX]

I should have rephrased how I said it....

What I mean by hurt is the opportunity cost of the taxpayers' money for these ads is greater than the potential revenue they bring in.

How effective are they? I have no idea. However, I think it's going to take more than some pretty pictures of pine trees and lakes to get people to come here. I'd rather have a boring grey and white ad stating that corporate and individual tax rates have been cut (Hopefully that will be the case with more Republican control). That might give the state some hope.

All Granholm has been doing is raising taxes, padding the unions and letting the economy flush down the toilet. I don't think these ads are fooling anyone.

[darstar]

Originally Posted by NSX

I should have rephrased how I said it....

What I mean by hurt is the opportunity cost of the taxpayers' money for these ads is greater than the potential revenue they bring in.

How effective are they? I have no idea. However, I think it's going to take more than some pretty pictures of pine trees and lakes to get people to come here. I'd rather have a boring grey and white ad stating that corporate and individual tax rates have been cut (Hopefully that will be the case with more Republican control). That might give the state some hope.

All Granholm has been doing is raising taxes, padding the unions and letting the economy flush down the toilet. I don't think these ads are fooling anyone.

I get your drift...just as I thought, you are blaming it all on Politics. Its just not the case. Fooling anyone? Sorry , but Right wingers like you need to wake up and admit that our natural resources are not only oil and coal. Michigan's greatest asset is the beauty around every bend of the Great Lakes Shoreline, we need to promote it again and again .

[NSX]

Originally Posted by darstar

I get your drift...just as I thought, you are blaming it all on Politics. Its just not the case. Fooling anyone? Sorry , but Right wingers like you need to wake up and admit that our natural resources are not only oil and coal. Michigan's greatest asset is the beauty around every bend of the Great Lakes Shoreline, we need to promote it again and again .

I agree with you, Michigan does have a lot of natural beauty (Especially in the NW part of the statei in the summer or fall). However, if people want to move somewhere based on natural beauty, they will go to places like Florida, Arizona or the Lake Tahoe area....not Michigan. Also, as long as it's in the pocket of the unions and taxes are high, people are not going to come here to start new businesses and create jobs.

Michigan does have a few things worth advertising though. Ford (Not GM / Chrysler) is hiring and posting profits again, and will be hiring much more once the economy turns around (Which could happen a bit quicker once Granholm is out). Also, it's one of the best states for hospitals and health care. That's something worth touting.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by NSX

I agree with you, Michigan does have a lot of natural beauty (Especially in the NW part of the statei in the summer or fall). However, if people want to move somewhere based on natural beauty, they will go to places like Florida, Arizona or the Lake Tahoe area....not Michigan. Also, as long as it's in the pocket of the unions and taxes are high, people are not going to come here to start new businesses and create jobs.

Michigan does have a few things worth advertising though. Ford (Not GM / Chrysler) is hiring and posting profits again, and will be hiring much more once the economy turns around (Which could happen a bit quicker once Granholm is out). Also, it's one of the best states for hospitals and health care. That's something worth touting.

While I agree with a lot of what you have said, a few things are not exactly right. Natural beauty is an individual thing and there are lots of people who wouldn't take a second look at either Florida or Arizona over Michigan when it comes to natural beauty. Another point is the taxes. Michigan is about middle of the road when it comes to taxes. It isn't the highest by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn't the lowest either. I moved back to Michigan after living in the Northeast for years and can tell you I pay 1/2 the amount in taxes I did out there, while earning almost double the amount (No I'm not union either.)

I agree that the unions are now hurting the State far more than helping. Another thing I strongly agree with is the quality of healthcare we have available here in Michigan. One very strong thing the state has going for it is also the value it's people place on family and doing the "right" thing. It isn't a commodity that most other places have in the abundance we do here. It takes getting away from that for years before it really hits home how nice and "real" the people of Michigan are.

[NSX]

I can see your point, beauty is a very subjective thing...In my opinion, nothing beats the beaches of the Florida's west coast and a close second are the beautiful canyons in the Southwest. I guess that's why I'm looking into a second home near Sarasota.

In terms of taxes and big gov't....Michigan seems pretty much in the middle. I've lived in Northern Virginia and travel frequently on business to New Jersey and California. Those places are definitely much, much worse in terms of high taxes and barriers to business. However, places like Florida and Nevada seem to be much less intrusive.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Michigan, whether it takes the route of Nevada or New Jersey...it could get interesting at election time.

I agree about the people as well. The east coast and DC area seems to be full of snobby, superficial people and moving back to Michigan was a big relief in that aspect.

[actinic]

Pentwater was a madhouse over Memorial weekend. No, it wasn't the tv ads nor the economy, it was simply great weather. 3 hr drive to get out of Chicago to hit the Michigan *border*.

[michsnowlvr]

Originally Posted by Bydand

While I agree with a lot of what you have said, a few things are not exactly right. Natural beauty is an individual thing and there are lots of people who wouldn't take a second look at either Florida or Arizona over Michigan when it comes to natural beauty. Another point is the taxes. Michigan is about middle of the road when it comes to taxes. It isn't the highest by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn't the lowest either. I moved back to Michigan after living in the Northeast for years and can tell you I pay 1/2 the amount in taxes I did out there, while earning almost double the amount (No I'm not union either.)

I agree that the unions are now hurting the State far more than helping. Another thing I strongly agree with is the quality of healthcare we have available here in Michigan. One very strong thing the state has going for it is also the value it's people place on family and doing the "right" thing. It isn't a commodity that most other places have in the abundance we do here. It takes getting away from that for years before it really hits home how nice and "real" the people of Michigan are.

I agree...I almost laughed out loud when the poster said "if people want natural beauty they would move to FL or AZ". Are you KIDDING me!? First of all, AZ has no real water or greenery.What the hell is beautiful about that? And wouldnt someone choose Hawaii in a minute over Florida if they wanted a tropical kind of beauty? Again, that is my opinion....but seriously I have heard so many things about the boringness of the brown, desert west.

And to the person who asked about the suburbs...no, Detroits suburbs are not doing bad like the city is.