O.C. Tourism’s ‘Perfect’ Solution--for Now

COSTA MESA —  They’ve got a snappy slogan and an eye-catching logo. But can they muster the manpower and the money to put Orange County on the map?

That’s the quiet buzz among local tourism circles as the Orange County Tourism Council on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious plan to forge a distinct marketing identity for the county, lure more tourist dollars to the region and instill a spirit of cooperation among the county’s fiercely competitive tourism businesses.

“Our mission is to bring more tourists here and keep them here longer,” said Bill Ross, a Disneyland vice president and co-chairman of the fledgling tourism council, speaking to a packed press conference at the Westin South Coast Plaza. “It’s also to establish an image for the county . . . that differentiates it from Los Angeles.”

To that end, the council on Tuesday officially unveiled its much-anticipated slogan: “Orange County, The Perfect California,” along with an aquamarine logo featuring a palm tree, sun and ocean wave. Council members also talked of forging a coalition to improve transportation, signage and tourism services for the county’s $5.5-billion tourism industry.

But whether the mostly volunteer organization can muster the funding to match the enthusiasm of the upbeat press conference remains to be seen.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” said council director Bruce Brown. “But we believe the excitement and commitment are there.”

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Formed last year, the Orange County Tourism Council is the outgrowth of a 1994 county-sponsored “tourism summit” that tried to build support for a collective marketing strategy to promote Orange County as a whole. It comprises a number of tourism executives from local hotels, attractions and visitors bureaus.

Orange County tourism types have talked for years of pooling their resources, much as tourism businesses in Orlando and Las Vegas have done. And to some extent they have acted collectively through entities such as the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau.

But it wasn’t until the early 1990s--when recession, natural disasters and civil unrest in Los Angeles hammered the local tourist trade--that local executives were prompted to do more than talk.

“When this industry was down, everyone felt the loss,” said tourism council member Tom Wilck of Nelson Communications. “They realized how important it really is.”

The council on Tuesday outlined a host of strategies to turn the county into a well-oiled tourism machine. Those include establishing a cohesive, transportation network, creating a couple of welcome/information centers and putting out better signs and maps to help visitors get around.

But the highest priority undoubtedly is a marketing campaign to spread the word about “The Perfect California” to potential visitors.

The council has talked of raising $1 million from local businesses to fund the effort. But members Tuesday could provide no specifics on exactly how that would work or who has expressed interest in participating. Not to mention that the state already is trying to persuade area tourism business to contribute to a statewide marketing initiative.

“It’s a nice idea, but where’s the money going to come from?” asked one local tourism executive who declined to be named. “Right now all they’ve got is a slogan and logo.”

But council members insist that those elements had to be in place first before the council can begin raising money for a promotional blitz.

In the meantime, the group wants to indirectly tap the budgets of other tourism entities by encouraging local businesses and visitors bureaus use the slogan and logo in their own advertising.

The council also plans to license the slogan and logo for use on bumper stickers, T-shirts, license plate frames and the like.

“There are a lot of opportunities for partnerships and the leveraging of existing resources,” Ross said. “ . . Everyone really wants this to work.”