Tampa has long been a marketing challenge. It wasn’t synonymous with Sunshine State central casting. It was this Southern hybrid amid bay vistas and Florida flora. Accomplished enough to matter; unfinished enough to frustrate.
Granted, Henry Plant bequeathed a railroad and a grand hotel, and this is where Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders quartered before setting sail for the Spanish American War. This was also where JFK visited four days before Dallas. And MacDill Air Force Base, of course, remains the worldwide nerve center of the war against Middle Eastern terrorism. But archival events and national security relevance are not exactly the pillars of a tourist citadel.
Over time, Florida’s more contemporary attractions dominated. There was Disney World, Miami Vice and guide-book paeans to great Florida beaches. Maas Brothers, the Columbia Restaurant, Ben T. Davis Beach, Busch Gardens, jai alai and wrestling at the Armory were not enough.
Then came the 1970s. The acclaimed Tampa International Airport opened in 1971. The Rowdies arrived in 1975, and the Buccaneers followed in 1976. People were noticing.
In 1982 John Naisbitt wrote the research-heavy “Megatrends.” It was an international blockbuster and stayed on the New York Times’ best-seller list for two years. Naisbitt was ahead of the global economy trend and envisioned an accelerating transition from industrial to information societies. He also foresaw America turning away from a Northeast bias to one that would favor Sunbelt, especially Southwestern, cities. He included Tampa on his short list of municipal up-and-comers, referencing them as “America’s Next Great Cities.”
Not unexpectedly, Tampa treated the Naisbitt hyperbole as marketing manna. It was a double-edged sword. The “Next Great City” bumper stickers became as ubiquitous as no-see ’ems. While Tampa continually fell shy of “greatness,” however defined, it didn’t fall shy of deprecating references. Also, was it Tampa or Tampa Bay?
Tampa, as we know, would add hotels, serious convention and performing arts centers, cruises, museums, sports facilities, downtown housing, a resident-magnet outdoor park and a commitment to finally finish the Riverwalk. People who plan Super Bowls and political conventions were noticing.
But the city had still retained that buttoned-down, Visitors and Convention Bureau/Tampa Bay & Co. approach to the outside world. As a visitor siren song, “Come on down and feel bureaucratically welcome,” was less than spot on. In effect, the area needed branding, not just publicity. It needed an identity, not just a Sunshine State locale, one that would interest Floridians, invite out-of-staters and intrigue foreigners.
As it turned out, it also needed a high-energy, creative, go-to sort, not just a well-intentioned executive. It now has all that with the international-minded Santiago Corrada in charge.
Changing Tampa Bay & Co. to Visit Tampa Bay is a positive step. Why wouldn’t you want to acknowledge who you are and what you do?
However “Unlock Tampa Bay,” which appropriately suggests a venue that is much more than fun-and-sun brochures come alive, still looks like a draft. The keyhole–that hints of minarets, a balustrade and the Columbia–works, but those keys may be star-crossed. In combo, as has been noted by some critics, they could connote more of a poison warning than awaiting treasure. The message must be “Keep searching” not “Keep away.” Perception is reality–and Jon Stewart and the usual suspects don’t need more Tampa-bashing material.
Put it this way. One person’s pirate imagery is another person’s poison label. Not good. And what’s with the dour colors? Tampa is different, but it’s still Florida.
Indeed, the Tampa part of Tampa Bay is so much more than Florida. This isn’t the East Coast with its Northeast nexus and sense of now. Nor is it theme-park world, Miami glitz or a retirement-community stereotype. This is a city of diverse attractions and authentic history, one with uniquely rich Latin roots. It’s Ybor City, Gasparilla, Tampa Theatre, the Florida Aquarium, Bayshore Boulevard, the University of Tampa minarets, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, downtown museums, professional sports, a showcase Riverwalk and a perfect place to pivot from–for regional day trips.
One final point.
Wasn’t it time, ironically, that this city, so well regarded for its well-honed, professional presentations to the NFL and the Republican National Committee, incorporated more of that expertise into its generic visitor pitch? We really do know how to do this.
No, Tampa isn’t “great” yet–but this is a great opportunity for rebranding Tampa: Florida as you’ve never experienced it.