ATLANTA — Georgia political and business leaders say the state's brand has been gathering dust, and they say a makeover is needed to improve the region's image in order to attract innovative businesses and tourists.

Chris Cummiskey, the head of Georgia's economic development arm, says the state does not have a great brand. He added that the state's image hurts its efforts to attract high-paying research jobs from Silicon Valley or the Research Triangle.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/V2UB9x) that Georgia's marketing budget lags behind those of many other states. Figures from the U.S. Travel Association show the state spent about $2.5 million in fiscal 2011-2012 to promote tourism, among the lowest amounts in the region. Georgia's spending on marketing the state also ranks among the lowest in the region in per-capita spending.