Think the economy has killed the advertising business? Not yet. The Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District is getting ready to sign off on a $350,000 ad campaign for the city of Carlsbad, according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.
These are challenging times for the hotel industry and we do need to get going on a program,” said Bill Canepa, board member of the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District, as he discussed the proposed publicity campaign at a board meeting Monday.
Apparently, a consulting company called Mindgruve, is going to create a “brand” identity for the city including a “new logo” and “some advertising, with a heavy emphasis on Internet Web site ad placement.”
We’ve got some ideas: what about changing the name of Carlsbad to Carlsbadistan and using the power station and seawall as the logo? How rad would that be? Oh, wait. . .
[Link: North County Times]
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So instead of flowing $350k into ACTUALLY making Carlsbad a better place, we are flowing $350k to a marketing agency to make it SEEM like a better place?
I’d like the city of Carlsbad to pay a little more attention to what it is like to live in Carlsbad and a little less about trying to get more folks from Arizona and beyond to visit Carlsbad.
I think if they could create a city that is as well cared for as a La Jolla or a Del Mar, the tourism will follow. Instead, we are learning of massive power plant add-ons and that the skate park may be cut. They’ve built an outrageously priced golf course that I can’t afford to play. And, how about cheaping out on little things like standard recycling bins rather than these junky milk crates still being used in Carlsbad. Carlsbad needs help, and flushing money into the pockets of Mindgruve is not the way to go…
Not sure what the ultimate goal is here for Carlsbad.
This sounds like something a firm called North Star Destination Strategies has been doing to rip off cities across the country. Read about their recent disaster in Abilene, Texas – they were paid over $100K for a logo and tagline that people hate. There are others, I guess Mindgruve is doing the same thing.
CARLSBAD SKATEBOARDING PARK IMPROVEMENT BOARD now accepting applications!
This improvement district gets its money from a $1-a-violation donation given each time that a youth is ticketed for skateboarding in the village. The fund has reached its capacity…it’s time to make a real park…
Call (760) 434-2830 if interested!
What it’s about: money out for tourism = more tourists = more business = money in from tourists = money out for tourism = more tourists = more business = money in from tourists = money out for tourism = … well, you get the idea.
That’s the best case scenario.