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COLUMBIA'S BRANDING EFFORT
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The Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism (MACST) is undertaking a comprehensive marketing process to attract visitors to our area. What a wonderful response we have had from so many people in the community who have heard about it through the media. We have received a number of great ideas and suggestions we will share with the delegation of community leaders who partnered with us on this project.
There also has been some confusion about who we are and what we're trying to accomplish.
We are a private, not-for-profit corporation funded primarily by revenue generated by visitors through accommodations tax. Our mission is to create a positive perception of this region in the eyes of our target audience – the visitors and meeting attendees who bring more than $1 billion each year to our area. Those dollars save each local household $690 in taxes annually. In addition, the tourism industry helps support 12,000 area jobs—held by our family members, friends and neighbors—that provide services, products and amenities consumed by visitors to our community.
It is the responsibility of MACST to invest marketing dollars generated via the accommodations tax to increase conventions, conferences, sporting events and leisure travel. To that end, we are doing more than creating a slogan. We are developing a comprehensive campaign, which will be carried to our target audiences through advertising, web development and direct marketing. We feel very positive that our efforts will make us a player in an intensely competitive marketplace.
As President and CEO of MACST, I am excited about the level of attention this project has generated and I am optimistic that it will go a long way towards instilling pride in our community while at the same time having a positive impact on our economy.
As a relative newcomer to Columbia, I see great potential in what we have to offer residents and visitors—a revitalized Vista, a major university, theater and arts, family attractions, beautiful geography and more. It's my goal to help everyone in our community see that same potential. With shared pride and excitement, let's enjoy who we are and what we have to offer. I challenge and encourage you to rediscover Columbia.
Ric Luber
President & CEO
Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism
The Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism is developing a marketing campaign to attract more conventions and visitors to Columbia. A slogan is only a portion of what this campaign will include. The campaign is a comprehensive marketing process that begins with branding and will be carried through with advertising and direct marketing. The campaign will be designed to strategically target the meeting planners, sports event planners and leisure travelers determined by the Authority to be candidates for the many amenities and products Columbia's tourism community has to offer.
Our efforts are being funded by accommodations taxes generated and paid for by visitors who have come to our city. Accommodations taxes are collected for the purpose of funding tourism, which generates $1 billion in economic impact for the Columbia region each year. The travel and tourism industry saves the average local taxpaying family an estimated $690 a year in taxes. Our goal in conducting this new campaign is to increase this economic impact to our region.
We value your opinions and welcome your comments and feedback as we move through this process. Please fill out our online comment form if you wish to share your thoughts with us, or you may email comments to webmaster@columbiaauthority.com with "Branding" in the subject line.
Thank you for your continued interest in this endeavor.
*By submitting any comments or suggestions you agree that the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports and Tourism and its contractors may use such comments or suggestions at no charge and shall own all rights to such comments or suggestions.
FACT SHEET
(Click the above link to print a pdf version of this fact sheet)
The Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism is developing a marketing campaign to attract more conventions and visitors to Columbia. To help in this endeavor, they have partnered with industry and community leaders and ADCO, a local strategic, creative and interactive agency.
- The new campaign is targeted to attract more conventions and visitors to Columbia.
- This effort is being funded by accommodations taxes generated and paid for by visitors who have come through our city.
- Tourism is a $1 billion industry for the Columbia region.
- The travel and tourism industry saves the average taxpaying family and estimated $690 a year in taxes.
- Our goal for this campaign is to increase this economic impact to our region>
INDUSTRY BRANDING RESOURCES
Destination Marketing Association International
Destination Brand Resources
Destination Marketing Association International
Power of the Brand Video
Place Brands: Places with Purpose
City Branding: How Cities Compete in the 21st Century
Did you know?
A brand is the sum total of a company's identity, from its name and logo to every piece of communication, internal or external, to every encounter every customer or potential customer has with it.
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