The tactics - part of a $390,000, three-month marketing plan - range from paying to have the state's Web site appear on Internet search engines to underwriting public radio.

The Governor's Office of Tourism dumped longtime advertising agency Riester-Robb last week for new firm W Communications. And the change couldn't come at a worse time - right before the ski season.

Rather than risk having the cold months go by with no mention of Utah in ski magazines and on television and radio, Riester-Robb will put together a short-term advertising campaign to finish out the year.

While Utah's budget is small - Vail, Colo., spends $900,000 annually to promote its summer programs - Deputy Tourism Director Mike Deaver says the state can't afford to be silent. "It's a continuity program for us so we can maintain some market share and presence," Deaver said.

Starting in October, the state will pay to underwrite nine weeks of the program "Morning Edition," a deliberate pitch to the middle-class, well-educated listeners of that program, Deaver said. Users of Google and Yahoo's search engines could see the state's Web site show up in a list of "sponsored links" if they search for words like "ski" and "vacation." The state already pays about $8,000 for key words, bidding against states like Colorado. And ads in Ski and Sunset and Skiing magazines will round out the campaign.

W Communications President Mark Hurst told members of the Utah Board of Tourism Development on Wednesday the interim campaign will lead into his company's larger branding campaign next year. "We can't not have Utah in front of people," Hurst said.

Starting this week, W Communications will begin meeting with focus groups and tourism officials in a "listening campaign" to determine the look, soul, sound and personality of Utah. All of those components will feed into a state "brand" to be unveiled at the World Travel Market in London in November, Hurst said. New ads are scheduled to begin running in February.

walsh@sltrib.com

Budget allocation

State of Utah Interim Tourism

Campaign (October to December):

NPR Underwriting $144,000

Ski magazine ads $38,000

Travel magazine ads $132,000

Ski Utah Planner $12,000

Production $30,000

Pay-Per-Click $32,000

Total $388,000