Using San Diego Music to Lure Tourists

Local music as part of the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau campaign.

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Business -- Plugging the music: "As part of the promotion, ConVis created a two-CD set of music featuring San Diego artists who were recruited and licensed through partner Insomnia Radio, a distribution network of podcasts, online publications and alternative media Web sites in major U.S. markets.

The compilation features 22 tracks by local bands and artists such as Burnt and The Shambles, and aims to lure reasonably well-heeled Gen-X males with young families who might want to create a vacation that includes catching a band between family forays to the beach or zoo. ...

Along with national “ahhhhhhh” cable television spots that are now airing, ConVis is working with radio stations in major markets such as New York and Chicago to promote San Diego's music scene.

In conjunction with the promotion on Insomnia Radio, ConVis is also advertising on VH1, the cable music video channel, and its affiliated soul and classical music VH1 channels. In return, VH1 is promoting San Diego through cable spots on its Save the Music Foundation, a nonprofit organization that donates money to enhance or restore music education programs in U.S. public schools....

David Peckinpaugh, president and chief executive officer of ConVis, said the music scene promotion has the dual virtue of novelty and affordability. The bureau is spending about $1.1 million on this year's national marketing campaign, which includes television spots and the Insomnia Radio/VH1 promotion.

'It's groundbreaking, innovative – and relatively affordable,' said Peckinpaugh, whose agency has seen its budget – now at $8.8 million – slashed by 37 percent since fiscal 2003. 'We are trying to maximize our marketing dollars through creativity.'

ConVis has created sandiego.org/music, where music lovers can learn about select bands and San Diego's music venues, purchase music-related travel packages and enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to San Diego.

It is still too early to tell whether the music promotion will lure the coveted Gen-X visitor, and statistics about which advertising might move a potential tourist are fuzzy at best. One minor indicator: So far, more than 3,000 Web site visitors have entered the Soundscape sweepstakes contest.

Some local music-industry experts were skeptical that the campaign would generate much additional tourism, but they lauded the idea anyway.

Harlan Schiffman, president of San Diego's Fineline Entertainment, which provides talent to local music clubs such as Brick By Brick and The Casbah, said that when people travel to San Diego to hear music, it is usually a well-known, national act that draws them.

'Our local music is worthy of mention by all means,' Schiffman said. 'Unfortunately, our proximity to Los Angeles has overshadowed the music scene in San Diego – a lot of bands may start off here, but to get notoriety or exposure they go to L.A. and play the clubs up there.'

Some San Diego musicians who contributed to the Soundscape CD said they have benefited from the exposure and predict San Diego will too.

Bart Mendoza, whose band The Shambles performs its song 'Change' on the CD, said that in recent weeks his group has received 'phenomenal' airplay, signed with San Francisco's Zip Records label, and landed a European tour.

Mendoza has also received e-mails from people in Japan who indicated they were coming soon to visit San Diego and wanted to know where he was playing. He credits exposure from the Soundscape CD for the queries.