Stretching the Shoestring.

• Author: Kernan, Lt. Gov Joe
• Position: Indiana Department of Commerce Tourisim Development Div. - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

How Indiana uses technology to market itself to tourists

The Tourism and Film Development Division of the Indiana Department of Commerce took a chance in 2000. It jumped out ahead of its peers to market Indiana in a new way to better compete with other nearby states.

At first blush, the state's goal might seem hopeless in a market where it competes against such tourism heavyweights as Illinois and Ohio, How can a state like Indiana, with less tourism name recognition and one of the smallest tourism budgets in the nation, successfully challenge surrounding states for visitors?

But Indiana has shown that strategic co-op planning and the use of new media as its advertising centerpiece can make the state a competitive and formidable David to Midwestern Goliaths that boast highly traveled destinations, such as Chicago and Cincinnati.

The challenge is better understood when comparing 2000-2001 state fiscal year budgets on domestic advertising, showing that surrounding states outspend Indiana by as much as 8-to-1. Indiana's tourism advertising budget of $927,710 is in sharp contrast to Illinois' $8.5 million, Kentucky's $2.7 million, Michigan's $5.1 million, Ohio's $1.7 million and Wisconsin's $6.5 million.

Indiana is able to compete more effectively because it leverages the Internet to automate many functions and spend state dollars more effectively. Indiana's new Web site, the interactive EnjoyIndiana.com, has turned a response rate for more information of 5 percent, which is more than double the response rate of traditional marketing.

The Tourism Division launched its EnjoyIndiana.com Web site in March 2000, directing traffic to the site from television, newspaper, magazine and radio, as well as links from other related Web sites. In addition to showcasing state events and destinations, the site allows browsers to subscribe to the state's own publications and order more than 70 brochures produced by Indiana's attractions and destinations.

The Tourism Division which currently uses the Web site database for quarterly e-mail updates, plans to merge its contact...