By Brian E. Clark
RISING
Badger state branding
As state Tourism Department chief Kelli Trumble works on updating the Wisconsin
brand, the state Assembly is moving forward on a state branding bill.
Rep. Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton, said he expects a branding bill he authored
to go to the full Assembly later this month, following last week’s passage
in the Assembly tourism committee on a 7-1 bipartisan vote
Wieckert said the bill would create a “blue-ribbon commission” run by the
Department of Administration to create a new state brand that would assist
tourism marketing efforts and also attract businesses and students to Wisconsin.
The department’s recommendations would be due by year’s end.
MIXED
Retail holiday sales
It may have had just a little something to do with Brett Favre and a winning
season, but the Green Bay Packers’ holiday sales of consumer clothing and
other gear jumped a whopping 30 percent over the same period last year, according
to team officials.
That most likely clobbered the results for other Badger State retailers,
who are predicting relatively flat gains of around 4 percent, according to
the head of the Wisconsin Merchants Federation.
A Packers spokesman declined to give dollar figures for sales, but said the
team is experiencing a “strong year” in many aspects. Now, if they can just
do well in the playoffs…
FALLING
Wisconsin population trends
More people moved out of Wisconsin in 2007 than moved in, according to the
2007 Atlas Van Lines Migration Patterns report.
The moving company said the exodus comes after two years that people coming
into Wisconsin matched those moving mainly to the West. For the past decade,
only 2003 showed a greater influx, the study said.
The company said Midwest states have been losing residents at a greater rate
than the national average, a trend Atlas blames on job losses. Ohio had the
highest percentage of outbound traffic compared to inbound for the Midwest.
Indiana and Michigan also had high rates of residents moving out.
