Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. last fall said the brand should be "a message that tells who we are . . . that is not anachronistic."

By all indications, branding is not an easy job. For any state.

"It is tough," said Randy Stroman, who came up with "Utah: A Pretty, Great State" while at ad agency Fotheringham and Associates. That slogan, unveiled in 1988, was not a state tourism product but instead was used by the then-fledgling Economic Development Corp. of Utah and, almost immediately, became the source of derision (more on that later).

"It seems every state is out for the tourism dollar and getting every buck they can get from people traveling and visiting. They're all hitting it hard to come up with something unique. There's more competition now for that dollar and to get people away from where they've been visiting, to get them to visit your state."

Difficult task

From the outset, Rugh saw a couple major challenges for Utah branders. Geography is a strong point for the state, but the diversity of that geography makes developing an all-encompassing brand difficult, she said. Also, Utah's religious history is unique among states, but any emphasis on that could turn off many potential visitors.

While Rugh has no specific brand suggestions, she sees in the "I Love New York" and "Virginia Is For Lovers" brands a way Utah should perhaps approach the problem.

"Neither tells you anything about the state, really, but they've been successful," Rugh said. "The same with New Mexico's 'Land of Enchantment.' It plays on the Native American heritage, and that's a good platform for them. Utah can't really do that, play on the Mormon heritage. Maybe something like 'Land of Color,' because 'land' has kind of a Native American resonance to it. But it still would not tell you much about the state."

Rugh finds many state brands lacking. Many are simply bland brands. Illinois' "Mile After Magnificent Mile" is one example she cites. Nevada, Michigan and Texas, however, have strong brands, she said.

"It's like selling New Coke or any other product," Rugh said. "You can spend all the money in the world, but if the consumer does not respond, it's a waste."

Due diligence

Because of the millions in taxpayer dollars that will be poured into the brand and resulting marketing and promotion, Utah's waste potential is bigger than ever. A couple years ago, the state's marketing and promotion budget was a mere $900,000.