Ohio's 'Find it here' tourism ads set to air

The new ad slogan for TourismOhio — 'Ohio. Find it here' — was criticized on social media when it was unveiled in November.
But in TV ads that begin airing Monday, viewers around Ohio and in two nearby markets will see the slogan overshadowed by images of people enjoying themselves on vacation.

People riding roller coasters, hiking in the Hocking Hills and frolicking on a Lake Erie beach serve as a backdrop, set to wistful, whimsical music ('Lucky,' by Kat Edmonson), encouraging viewers to enjoy time with friends and family by coming to a state described as having a wealth of places to enjoy.

'When people told us about their best moments on vacation, they always came back to who they were with and moments spent with family and friends,' said Mary Cusick, director of TourismOhio.

The tourism agency has a budget of $10 million a year, and it will spend $6 million to $8 million this year on the advertising campaign.

Columbus-based Cult Marketing worked with the agency to conduct research and execute the campaign. The research delved deeply into the 'whys' of travel rather than the 'wheres,' and showed that people already thought of Ohio as an affordable, accessible destination.

'I think the really good marketing companies have figured this out,' said Doug McIntyre, CEO of Cult Marketing. 'Nike has 'Just Do It.' It's not about the shoe. It's an aspirational message about what the shoe will enable you to do.'

This type of appeal is being used successfully by other states, including Michigan, whose 'Pure Michigan' campaign has won multiple awards, said Bill Siegel, CEO of Longwoods International, a destination research and marketing firm that worked on the Michigan campaign.

'Emotional hot buttons are the real drivers,' said Siegel, who has not seen Ohio's campaign. 'The literal, left-brain approach has been the norm in a lot of advertising in the past: 'Tastes good, makes clothes cleaner, teeth whiter.' The smart marketers now have started appealing to the right brain, the emotions.'

Left to average Ohioans, the slogan might have been 'Ohio. It's better than you think.'

That was one of the common reactions of hundreds of consumers interviewed by the state tourism group and its agency, Cult Marketing. The exercise confirmed what many Ohioans know: Residents of the state often have an inferiority complex about the state and its lack of iconic symbols.

Cusick joked that Ohioans are 'experiencing a collective trauma.' When asked what one word they associate with 'Ohio,' many were stumped or used words like 'normal' or 'average.'

Others selected images of professional sports team or the Ohio State Buckeyes football team to represent Ohio. But the campaign explicitly avoids using sports references. Home-team pride to one person can come across to others, particularly those from outside Ohio, as unwelcoming.

'Why give people a reason not to visit?' Cusick said.

The TV spot will begin airing on Monday in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Lima, Toledo, Youngstown, Detroit and Pittsburgh. It also will be available Monday on the tourism campaign's site, Ohio.org.

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