OKALOOSA ISLAND — The Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council will continue with a plan to spend $525,000 marketing Destin and Fort Walton Beach as a prime Christmas destination.
The council on Monday voted 4-3 to fund the campaign, rejecting a revised, less expensive version presented by Peter Mayer Advertising.
“We’ve got to do something,” Councilman Tom Rice said. “That’s what we brought these folks in here to tell us.”
Councilman Thom Gossom agreed, adding that the marketing won’t happen overnight.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a slam dunk,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a build. ... I think it’s a good idea.”
The TDC had agreed to reconsider the Christmas campaign after several members of the hospitality industry voiced concerns about the cost and timing. It’s scheduled to kick off Sept. 26.
Council chairman Dale Peterson, Councilman Kelly Windes and Councilwoman Rachel Joyce voted against funding the Christmas campaign.
“I say let’s back off,” Joyce said. “I think we’re very late in the game.”
Peterson agreed and said he would support the less expensive campaign because it was a more responsible use of the money.
The $525,000 in bed tax dollars will be used to buy a wide variety of ads including cable television, regional magazines and online travel sites. The ads will promote local holiday activities including a month-long lighted boat parade in Destin Harbor, Christmas cooking demonstrations and shopping discounts.
TDC to target more affluent tourist
Folks earning around $75,000 a year or more can expect a little more attention from Okaloosa County in the coming year.
The Tourist Development Council has agreed to shift its marketing efforts to target tourists from a higher income bracket.
The decision is part of an ongoing effort by the TDC to boost visitation — and the money spent during those visits — during the summer as well as the shoulder seasons.
The TDC on Monday also voted to revise its official logo to promote the area as “The Heart of the Emerald Coast” and drop Okaloosa Island from the banner.
Mark Mayer, president of Peter Mayer Advertising, presented the revised logo to the council. He said the small change would help further distinguish Destin and Fort Walton Beach from its nearby competitors.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Mayer said. “We want to eliminate the brand confusion that exists in the marketplace.”
Mayer told the council that research shows visitors view the Emerald Coast as the coastal area that stretches from Pensacola to Panama City Beach.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.