The High Cost of Failing to Market Timeshares, Resorts, and Tourism

With state and federal governments struggling to pay bills and balance budgets, there is the temptation to make the same mistake businesses, both large and small, sometimes make when money gets tight. They look around for non-essentials to cut, and the word, ‘marketing’ jumps out at them as if it is waving a flag saying, “non-essential line item, cut here“.

But this can be, and typically is, disastrous thinking.

Never cut an expense that yields a return greater than the investment. Simple math, but an easy mistake to make when purse strings are taunt and emotions are high.

Here’s an example to consider, drawn from a study conducted by Longwoods International and commissioned by the US Travel Association.

Marketing Pure Michigan

The State of Michigan ran an advertising and marketing campaign that began regionally in 2006 and continued nationally in 2009. The campaign told the story of “Pure Michigan.” It was elegant, it had strong emotional appeal, and frankly, as the print, TV, and website ads revealed to you the authentic beauty and serenity of “Pure Michigan,” they made you feel as if you had not fully lived unless you had vacationed in Michigan.

The Longwood study of the campaign found that the heart-directed messaging stimulated 7.2 million trips to Michigan by out-of-state visitors. These visitors spent $2 billion in Michigan businesses and generated $138 million in new tax revenue for Michigan.

The result? The campaign yielded three times more revenue for the state than it cost them.

The study goes on to report, “In 2010, the second year of national Pure Michigan advertising, spending by out-of-state leisure visitors jumped 21 percent from 2009, to $6.4 billion. At the same time, Michigan tourism-related employment rose by 10,000 jobs.”

I don’t have to close this blog post with any type of summary. The facts speak—scream—for themselves.

Learn more about vacationing in a Michigan timeshare resale or rental.