US Airways magazine spread hawks Columbia to fliers

More exposure is in the air for city

By JEFF WILKINSON, jwilkinson@thestate.com

Nearly a decade of investment in downtown Columbia has received some international exposure.

Columbia's 52-page feature package in US Airways magazine, published in May, will remain on the airline's Web site the rest of the year.

The in-flight magazine was in front of about 6.5 million passengers, and the Columbia Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau has reaped the benefits. As many as to 200 people a day have logged on to the bureau's Web Site to access a contest included in the article. And in a little more than a week, the bureau will award four airline tickets from anywhere in the country for a family of four or two couples to visit.

The article showcased the changes downtown, from riverfront parks and new museums to the convention center and street beautification projects.

"We are now at the point where we have a great product to market," Columbia Mayor Bob Coble said. "Whether it's through US Airways magazine or (coverage of) the Republican presidential debate, we want to get the message out about the renaissance of our downtown to the nation and the world."

More than 500 people have entered the contest -- which includes a raft of Midlandsspecific prizes: rounds of golf, free hotel rooms, spa treatments and even some Adluh grits.

The contest required entrants to read the articles, go to the bureau's Web site and answer questions gleaned from the copy. The quiz included:

-- * What year did USC football coach Steve Spurrier win the Heisman trophy? (1966)

-- * How many historically black colleges are in the city? (2)

-- * How often has Riverbanks Zoo been named the state's most outstanding tourist attraction? (twice)

"It takes some time and effort," said Dave Zunker, the bureau's head of marketing and media. "These days, when people have a short attention span, it's remarkable that that many people have entered. And the numbers are still coming in. We're pleased." The spread included:

-- * A profile of Spurrier (He likes it here!)

-- * A story about recreation on the rivers and Lake Murray (It's fun!)

-- * An article on USC's research campus (It's going to work!)

-- * And opportunities for downtown and in-town living (You'll like the variety and affordability!) One thing not covered is any controversy.

In fact, a photograph of Main Street taken from the State House doesn't show the Confederate flag, which has spawned a travel boycott by the NAACP.

The section's editor, Lisa Watts of Pace Communications in Greensboro, N.C., said she didn't even know there was a Confederate flag on the State House lawn. "I thought they took that down." Upon further review, Watts offered this explanation:

"It's a timed exposure, and it looks like we've caught it in motion," she said. "It wasn't at all intentional. And it shows a little of our naivete. Locals would focus on that. But our readers are anything but local."

The stories have a definite chamber-of-commerce bent. Branding catchphrases like "Riverbanks Region," "Innovista" and "Where Friendliness Flows" are sprinkled throughout.

Watts said the chamber, the bureau and the mayor's office provided support materials and advice, but the Columbia-based freelance writers wrote the stories independently.

Watts even penned the Spurrier profile. "My husband loves that I got to meet him."

Columbia is "perfectly suited" for the package, she said, because "it's a second-tier city with a good story to tell." The section is well-supported by local advertisers.

"But this is not 'advertorial,'" she said. "People didn't pay to play. It's an editorial package, and I defend that all the time."

Watts said the spread was intended to highlight the tourism opportunities in the region and provide enough business information to attract a reader who might be looking for a place to move to or relocate a company.

"It's a little bit more than a travel guide," she said. "But politics isn't a piece of it at all."

No matter how the content is judged, it comprehensively catalogs the things to do and see in the area. And enough people have been attracted for the bureau to begin building a significant contact list.

The next step, the bureau's Zunker said, is to use those contacts for targeted direct-mail marketing to potential visitors and groups interested in meetings, conferences and conventions.

"Is the package mostly positive? Sure," he said "But you don't want to be reading about death and destruction when you're 30,000 feet in the air."