Comments on: Milwaukee Tourism Blows It Again in Chicago

By: Matt Schumwinger

Matt Schumwinger — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 20:53:47 +0000

“It’s Summertime, Come Drink from a Bubbler.”

http://milwaukeestat.tumblr.com/post/8994150062/you-say-bubbler

By: Hey Chicago, there are unique places to visit in Milwaukee | Rome Attractions

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:45:59 +0000

[...] blogosphere was alive and kicking last week over a Chicago column that took some mighty serious shots at the efforts of the Wisconsin tourism community to lure [...]

By: Mike Doyle

Mike Doyle — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:30:38 +0000

You know, I wonder if Milwaukee’s tourism authority ever does marketing research (read: focus groups) in target markets and especially in Chicago. The current bus ads could have been easily shot down if they had. I also wonder whether they ever survey Chicagoans about how they visit Milwaukee–how do they get there?, where do they stay?, what do they do there?, what do they visit?, what do they eat there?, there, and most importantly, why do they go in the first place? I can only speak for myself, but nearly my entire list of answers to those questions has never been represented in a Milwaukee CTA tourism ad.

By: Mike Doyle

Mike Doyle — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:26:02 +0000

I will say, there are print ads running in Chicago publications that show off specific Milwaukee attractions, and Summerfest gets (does?) its own transit-ad campaign. I don’t know why this approach for the general tourism campaign doesn’t ever translate to the sides of buses, though.

By: Mike Doyle

Mike Doyle — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:27:18 +0000

I agree, you’re grumpy. I am, too. That’s why I liked the second part of the St. Louis campaign–at least when you get to the meat of the brat, there’s actually meat there. On the other hand, nothing will probably ever get me to pull my phone out of my pocket to scan a QR code. Just hand me a mall map, please. (Yes, Oakbrook Center, I’m talking to you.)

By: Everyday Freethought

Everyday Freethought — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:21:22 +0000

I have to disagree on the “Kidnapped Chicagoan” ads. I think they are stupid. This post told me what the ads are about. Until now I did not know what they were about, I don’t carry a smart phone around, and if I did, I am not going to look up somebody’s web site on an ad that gives absolutely no indication what it is selling.

Maybe I am becoming a grumpy old man, but over time I have less patience for hints and mystery.. If you are selling something, you tell me what it is. Don’t make me figure it out or do your job for you. And if you don’t believe enough in your product to tell me what it is, then maybe you should try a more direct approach or find another line of work.

By: ►Steele!

►Steele! — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:41:10 +0000

You hit the nail on the head here. I saw the “Beer.Brat.” ad last week and thought “so?” So what? That doesn’t get me to go to Milwaukee. It’s like having a tourism ad for Grand Rapids, MI with the tag line “It’s a city on Lake Michigan!” Yeah, so is Chicago. The beer-brat one is especially bad because it could be an ad for literally any city in the US or Canada (or Germany for that matter). It speaks NOTHING of Milwaukee and is so generic it redefines the word “meh.”