Life's a Beach: Pure Michigan Instagram Challenge Kicks Off Friday

LANSING – As the summer beach season kicks into high gear, Pure Michigan, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are asking fans to weigh in on Instagram to share their favorite beaches across the state.

“From sparkling blue waters to the chance to reconnect with friends and family, Michigan’s beach experience is as diverse as it is beautiful,” said Leslie Hornung, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “This challenge is the perfect opportunity to engage with our fans and spread the word about the vast beach offerings found in Pure Michigan.”

The goal of the 10-day Instagram challenge – which will kick off Friday, June 20 – is to showcase the variety of beaches in Michigan, as well as the types of activities that travelers and residents can enjoy during a day at the beach. Each day of the contest will feature a specific challenge or type of beach activity. Fans will be asked to share photos that represent that day’s challenge tagging @PureMichigan and using the hashtags #PureMichigan and #BeachChallenge.

“Water defines Michigan,” DEQ Director Dan Wyant said. “It is the reason people come to live, work and play in our state. We all love the Great Lakes and inland waters, and this challenge is a great opportunity for Michiganders to show off their best beach memories.”

The photo challenge schedule is as follows:

• June 20 – Favorite Beach to Catch a Sunrise or Sunset
• June 21 – Favorite Dog-Friendly Beach
• June 22 – Favorite State Park Beach
• June 23 – Favorite Beach to Fly a Kite
• June 24 – Favorite Beach for Watersports
• June 25 – Favorite Beach for Fishing from the Shore or Dock
• June 26 – Favorite Beach to Experience Clear Waters
• June 27 – Favorite Beach to Take a Long Walk
• June 28 – Favorite Beach to Hang Out with Family and Friends
• June 29 – Favorite Beach to Watch Fireworks

“Our beautiful beaches are just some of the world-class natural resources our state has to offer,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh. “Those beaches are the birthplace of many lifelong memories for Michigan citizens and visitors. We look forward to seeing those memories captured in pictures.”

All entries tagged with #puremichigan and #beachchallenge will be populated into a gallery at michigan.org/beachchallenge, which will go live on Friday, June 20. One daily winner will be chosen for each challenge topic. At the end of the challenge a grand prize photograph will be selected from all entries received.

Daily winners will be featured on the Pure Michigan Instagram account and receive a Personal Sun Care Kit from the Pure Michigan Store. The grand prize winner will have his or her photo featured across Pure Michigan social channels and receive an “Ultimate Pure Michigan Beach Day” package that includes a beach towel, a fire pit, a tackle box, a cooler and a sun care kit among other prizes.

With more than 99,000 followers, Pure Michigan has the number one state tourism Instagram account in the nation. Travel + Leisure recently named Pure Michigan’s use of social media as the best among tourism boards and destination marketing organizations. The michigan.org website is the most visited state tourism website in the nation with more than 9 million visits last year.

Pure Michigan is a brand representing business, talent and tourism initiatives across Michigan. These efforts are driven by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which serves as the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business growth, jobs and opportunity with a focus on helping grow Michigan’s economy.

For more on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit: michiganbusiness.org. For Michigan travel news, updates and information, visit michigan.org.

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MEDC/Pure Michigan Contact: Michelle Grinnell, 517-241-0251, [email protected]
DEQ Contact: Brad Wurfel, 517-284-6713, [email protected]
DNR Contact: Debbie Munson Badini, 906-226-1352, [email protected]