By Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal

 For many who live outside of Reno, the Biggest Little City’s image typically bounces between being a poor man’s Vegas to that place with the bumbling lieutenant who wore short shorts on TV.

After securing more funding for its marketing efforts, however, the area’s leading convention and visitors’ bureau is gearing up for a big push to sell a more enticing image of the Reno-Tahoe region.

The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority announced a new marketing effort, backed by what could end up being the biggest infusion of marketing dollars for a campaign in the organization’s history. Supporters of the new brand campaign — which focuses on three key Western markets and includes an online push for the rest of the nation — hope the initiative leads to increased visitor counts while erasing the less-than-flattering perceptions of the region, especially from people who live outside of the area.

BVK, a Milwaukee, Wis.-based marketing agency that was hired to craft the latest marketing initiative, cited several reasons for the problem during the RSCVA’s meeting in March.

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