Jan. 27--TAMPA -- The Tampa Bay name is known to tourists around the world.

Tougher to figure out is the Bay area's brand promise -- a clear message about what the area offers.

"It doesn't have one," said Kelly Miller, the new chief of Tampa Bay & Co., a tourism agency.

Figuring out how to sell Tampa and the larger Tampa Bay area to tourists will be a key goal for Miller as he takes over from longtime former tourism chief Paul Catoe.

Miller, 54, introduced himself to Tampa Bay & Co.'s board Thursday at a noon luncheon at the University Club in downtown Tampa. Tampa Bay & Co. markets Hillsborough County tourism and gets some of its funding from the bed taxes on hotel stays.

Miller came to Tampa after 12 years leading the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau in North Carolina. He grew up in Juneau, Alaska, and for a time was a competitive runner in San Diego, sponsored by the Avia shoe company.

Aside from his tourism stint in Asheville, Miller worked for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau for six years and helped market the 1996 Summer Olympics there.

One of his first major projects will be hiring a brand consulting firm to find the right message, logo and strategy for Tampa. Such a study could cost up to $200,000 and take up to 18 months to complete, he said.

It is yet to be decided whether the branding study will focus on Hillsborough County exclusively or include the entire Bay area, Miller said.

Whatever the geographic area, Tampa needs to tell visitors what it offers and how they'll benefit from being here, Miller said.

In Asheville, the brand promise was "a visit will enrich your life."

New Orleans and Las Vegas make sure everyone involved in local tourism knows what the city stands for, down to cab drivers who recommend attractions, he said.

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