LITTLE ROCK — The state tourism agency plans to use its $5.8 million advertising budget to promote Arkansas as a state filled with fun indoor and outdoor activities, and the ads will appear in media ranging from gas pump TVs to specialty magazines.
The Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods advertising agency of Little Rock unveiled the ad strategy Thursday and explained the variety of methods it will use to reach likely visitors, mainly people in surrounding states.
The recession affected travel spending in the state last year, and state tourism director Joe David Rice said the advertising budget was cut by close to $1 million. But he said revenues are picking up and the ad plan counts on that trend to continue.
Television and magazine advertising combined take up about $2 million of the budget, with $750,000 for online ads and $390,000 for billboards.