The fate of Louisiana’s new statewide marketing campaign might rest largely on the social media posts of college students, depending on how the upcoming third special session of the Louisiana Legislature goes.
With a shaky $6 million budget planned for next year—subject to change before July 1—Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says his office is “getting creative” with ways to market the state to outside visitors and tourists.
One of those ways: encouraging college students to post on social media promoting the state’s new tourism campaign, “Feed Your Soul.”
Nungesser says he’s considering reaching out to LSU to discuss a partnership that would include a large Feed Your Soul logo featured on the sidelines of Death Valley. He also hopes to see the logo branded on different T-shirts in each state college’s colors.
Ideally, Nungesser says, students would take a picture in their T-shirt and include a caption about how they “feed their soul” in Louisiana, using the hashtag #FeedYourSoul.
It’s free advertising that would get the public involved and save state dollars on an already tight budget, says Nungesser, adding “Pure Michigan”—a similar Michigan-led campaign—had a $40 million budget.
“Everybody knows if you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind,” he says. “If you don’t keep that messaging out there, other states will pick those people up.”
Nungesser says he doesn’t expect tourism to take precedence over education, health care or road fixtures, nor does he think it should. That’s why he’s exploring all possibilities.
Other planned marketing techniques include social media advertising with messaging targeted to specific visitors, as well as commercials that will be aired on cable television.
Nungesser’s office introduced the Feed Your Soul ad campaign in January, fully publicizing it in February on Mardi Gras day by handing out king cakes in Washington, D.C. It replaces the “Pick Your Passion” campaign unveiled in 2014 by former Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne.
