Thursday, May. 15, 2008

Beach towns throw sand over marketing

The sand wars between Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach have been taken to a new level.

Tourism officials at the Virginia city have condemned their counterparts here for “guerrilla marketing” tactics that pit one destination against another. People searching for information on Virginia Beach will quickly see ads that lead them to a new Web page - a site that explains why Myrtle Beach is more affordable and more fun than its northern neighbor.

“In my mind, it’s unprofessional,” Jim Ricketts, director of the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Whether it’s unethical or not is certainly open to interpretation.”

The head of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, which organized the campaign, has one message for Virginia Beach: It’s on.

“Frankly, my top priorities right now are filling hotel rooms,” said Brad Dean, president and CEO of the chamber. “It’s pure guerrilla marketing and some take issue with that.”

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has been running the ads on and off for two years and has similar pages targeted at competing destinations of Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Daytona Beach, Fla. “Myrtle Beach: The Ideal Alternative to Virginia Beach Vacations,” the page says. “Thinking about a Virginia Beach vacation? Allow us to offer a wonderful alternative that’s more relaxing, has more thrills, and is easier on your wallet.”

In a letter to Dean, Ricketts called Myrtle Beach’s move a sign of desperation.

“You know you’re in deep trouble – or maybe just plain desperate – when your vacation destination stoops to directly attacking another nearby destination that’s always been on friendly terms with yours,” he said. “This is unethical, unfair and frankly beneath the dignity of a major resort like Myrtle Beach.”

The Myrtle Beach mayor laughed off the controversy.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Mayor John Rhodes said. “I personally think Virginia Beach is making a mountain out of a molehill, and the more disgruntled they become, the more publicity they give Myrtle Beach.”

This isn’t the first time the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has directly targeted other destinations. Last year, for example, the chamber tried out a billboard campaign on Interstate 95 in South Carolina that highlighted how much closer Myrtle Beach is for northern visitors than Miami, Daytona Beach and Orlando.

Also, Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach have tried to top each other in the past couple of years in a competition to see who can build the world's tallest sandcastle.