Experience Grand Rapids is once again partnering with Pure Michigan for the state’s 2025 fiscal year (October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025).
Pure Michigan is the official tourism brand and marketing campaign for the state of Michigan, administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Launched in 2006 and rolled out to a nationwide audience for the first time in 2010, it is widely acknowledged as one of the most successful tourism campaigns in U.S. history.
The most visible aspects of the campaign have been TV ads featuring beautifully shot images of destinations from across the state, accompanied by near-poetic voiceovers extoling the virtues of these land, lake and cityscapes. (Appropriately enough, the ads are now voiced by Detroit poet Jessica Care More.) But the Pure Michigan promotional machine extends beyond TV into digital, social and other media channels.
Experience Grand Rapids will be leveraging all of these assets to drive awareness, increase bookings and expand our reach in multicultural markets.
Good Partners Make Good Business
Partnership is a great investment for us. Pure Michigan’s dollar-for-dollar matching program increases our advertising budget. Their digital and social channels enable us to connect with a broader audience of potential customers than we can reach on our own, particularly on a national level. As a partner, we’re able to tap into a variety of additional marketing resources, networking opportunities and support services.
We also benefit from associating Grand Rapids with a brand proven to drive bottom-line results. A 2023 SMARInsights report found the Pure Michigan campaign was responsible for 1.5 million visitor trips the previous year, generating $2.5 billion in spending and $156 million in state tax revenue.
Coming to a TV Near You
The Pure Michigan budget was slashed by nearly two-thirds from FY2023 to FY2024, resulting in a sharp reduction in TV advertising. Our own 2024 TV commercial, Grand Rapids: Fresh Creativity, was launched in accordance with Pure Michigan’s “Keep it Fresh” campaign extension, but it ran for only a brief period that year. We are pleased that a more robust budget was approved this year, and we’re excited to get our TV spot – still as relevant as the day it was created – in front of a larger audience.
We’ll be focusing our Grand Rapids Pure Michigan efforts on Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis, while the state’s umbrella campaign will take a more national approach. We expect to benefit from both!