Pure Michigan Website Receives National Recognition

LANSING, Mich. – Less than a year after its launch, the new michigan.org website has received national recognition for outstanding achievement in web development. The site was named Best Travel Website by the Web Marketing Association as part of the 2017 WebAwards.
 
“This michigan.org website redesign has been a critical component to elevating our marketing efforts on a national scale,” said Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “The new site allows us to deliver on the Pure Michigan experience people expect and serve them with inspiring and relevant information whether they are planning a trip to a specific destination or around an activity they love.”
 
The new michigan.org website is part of an ongoing initiative by Travel Michigan to evolve the Pure Michigan campaign into activity, or interest-based marketing, in addition to its traditional marketing strategies. The new site allows for a better user experience with more personalization, extended integration with social media assets and an overall experience more aligned with the Pure Michigan brand. The end result is the delivery of travel ideas inspired by people’s unique interests and needs.
 
For 14 years, the Web Marketing Association has helped the online marketing community raise the bar for web development. The WebAwards focus on the entire website, with particular emphasis on the creativity and functionality of the overall interactive experience. Each site is judged on the following criteria: design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use with the highest score in a given category winning Best Website of that industry.
 
This is also the second year in a row a Michigan organization has received Best Website recognition in the Travel category, with Experience Grand Rapids taking home the honor in 2016. One week ago, the U.S. Travel Association and the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) recognized the Pure Michigan campaign with a Mercury Award for Best Broadcast Advertising: TV.
 
Miles Partnership and Michigan-based TwoSixDigital developed the michigan.org redesign working in partnership with the Travel and web development teams at MEDC. Miles has extensive experience in building tourism-focused websites and working with more than 90 destination marketing organizations and businesses in the hospitality industry. TwoSix Digital, based in Brighton, has 25 years of experience working with Michigan’s travel industry, and beyond.
 
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community and talent development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy.  For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org.  For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Visit Pure Michigan Talent Connect at www.mitalent.org for more information on Michigan’s online marketplace for connecting job seekers and employers.  Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
 

Media Contact: Michelle Grinnell, 517-241-0251, [email protected]