Posted on 03/26/2007 7:33:51 AM PDT by 3AngelaD
Seattle has a new tag line: "metronatural." And Little Rock has recently begun calling itself "The Rock."
Now the District is looking for its own catchy way to describe and define the city and lure more tourists to town. Tourism officials are hiring marketers, conducting surveys and convening focus groups in search of a few words or images that capture Washington's essence.
The current slogan, used for nearly a decade, never electrified anybody. It appears in every D.C. taxicab and on the sleeve of every D.C. police officer, but even longtime residents are hard-pressed to recall it: "Washington, D.C.: The American Experience." Another catchphrase, "Celebrate and Discover," which appeared for a time on D.C. license plates, also was a snoozer...
Civic leaders say they are looking for more than just a snappy line. Tourism accounts for $5 billion in direct spending each year (and $550 million a year into the city's general fund.)..
"What we're trying to uncover are the emotional connections and motivators for our visitors," said Victoria Isley, senior vice president of marketing for the Washington Convention & Tourism Corp., the organization leading the effort.
Isley's Brand Marketing Task Force, which began meeting in January, includes officials from the Washington Convention Center, Marriott International, the Greater Washington Initiative and the National Gallery of Art...
In a survey running through April, a new Web site, http://www.shareyourdc.com, asks local residents what they think. (Sample factoid: 70 percent say they call their home "D.C." None calls it "the Capital.")
Two firms have been hired to research and develop the slogan, which will be launched in early fall, Isley said. The project is expected to cost about $150,000, she said...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Why not "The Work-Free Drug Place?"
D.C. See It Before Its Gone
Back in college years (and before fax and email), I worked for Metro Messenger. 30 BMW motorcycles with mounted shortwave radios, and we were paid piecework (flat 33 percent) for every delivery made.
So you had to know the DC streets pretty well in order to make as many drops as possible during the day.
From downtown to NW Maryland 'burbs, the fastest routes are 16th Street and Military Road, or straight up Connecticut. On 16th Street the lights are timed even during off hours, because it's designed as a commuter route from/to Maryland.
How about "City of young interns"
Maybe that will bring "the tourists" in.
How about: "The Potomac River is the a$$hole of the earth - and Washington, DC is 50 miles up it!"
See History!
Be History!!
DC: Compared to the rest of the hotels, Walter Reed is Club Med.
Wake up and smell the corruption.
Washington D.C: You Know You're Close When You Hear The Gunfire
D. C. "Only a short dead run from robbery, rape and murder".
D.C.: We ain't Baltimore, hon.
or
D.C.: Closer to Baltimore Than You Think
or
D.C.: Closer to Baltimore Than You Think
Hah.
Isn't that "hons"?
Washington DC- We line our pockets with your money!
How 'bout this one......"Washington D.C., So bad even the Muslims hate it!"
Except they are all over the place here.
Washington, DC: Home to future U.S. Senator Tyrone Biggums (D-DC)
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