Consequences of the global financial meltdown aren't all bad: It appears the state will be able to get more advertising bang for its buck than before.
Desperate for advertising revenue, television networks and print publications are offering discounts and perks to secure business from clients such as the Utah Office of Tourism. Its board approved a $3.2 million budget Thursday for an upcoming ad campaign promoting the state's nonwinter tourism assets.
A few examples were cited for board members by account managers for Blitz Media, a Needham, Mass.-based company that negotiates advertising purchases for the Tourism Office.
The state has never been able to afford the prices charged by Fox television networks. But that may change this year, with Fox discounting its rates by 15 percent, said Tracie Chinetti, a broadcast buyer for Blitz. Similarly, she added, rates quoted by MSNBC are down 7 percent.
Another opportunity, which gives the state a chance to buy ad time during early-morning programming on the major television networks, is going for almost 13 percent less than a year ago.
Deals also are possible on the print side, said her colleague, Jessica Dufie.
Preliminary negotiations with some of the magazines targeted by the Tourism Office indicate the state could get $480,000 worth of media exposure for $340,000 -- plus access to magazine subscriber lists and mentions in "e-mail blasts" to those subscribers.
With the board's approval of the advertising budget, which will focus on Utah's spring, summer and fall attractions, the Blitz Media buyers now are positioned to nail down final prices.
"Even though we're in a tough economy," said board member Steve Lindburg, "Blitz has taken advantage of the changing landscape and represented our interests well."
One alternation because of the changing economic landscape is that the state has dropped plans to expand its advertising campaign into the Pacific Northwest.
Instead, the board supported the Tourism Office's decision to concentrate on cities -- Los Angeles, Phoenix and Denver -- closer to Utah and where previous efforts have been successful.
