Ulysses Grant established Yellowstone National Park in 1872. It was the first National Park, and became “America’s best idea” (Shea, 2015), but 40 years later, it became a mess. No one really looked after the parks- “they were anybody’s business and therefore nobody’s business” (Shea, 2015). People took advantage of their resources, by hunting and fishing, and they were unjustly used for overflowing rivers. There was a National Parks Conference in 1915, because it was becoming a problem of the masses. Those in charge, started paying for marketing with pocket money, because they just needed more visitors. They implemented villages with amenities within the National Parks to better accommodate the masses that were there. Nowadays, "the existential threat is more environmental than political.” National Geographic teamed up with the National Parks for a bit, which was a huge marketing opportunity. They produced a magazine to be delivered to politicians, right before the vote on the bill establishing the National Park Service. They recently decided to “tie the national parks together with America’s other “best idea”- public education (Shea, 2015). As a consumer, I can say that National Geographic amazes me. Anything that they photograph, or feature, instantly has a new sense of value to me, it makes me want to be part of it. So I can only imagine the impact that this huge brand could have on the National Parks.
As part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Act, many artists created posters surrounding the National Parks, which formed a campaign called “See America First.” The goal of this campaign was to get people out and explore their own country, before exploring others. Railways also used this campaign as an advertisement, because people traveling to National Parks meant people riding the trains. Today, I imagine the brand being mostly only affective for the parks themselves, as people tend to use private transportation today. The target customers at this time were “upper-middle-class white Americans from the East Coast who were collectively spending $500 million each year visiting Europe” (PBS, 3). This sounds like something my family would fit under today, though the target customer base has largely expanded by now. An example of their marketing tactics at the time is: “promot[ing] Glacier National Park as ‘America's Switzerland’”(PBS, 3). Today, the “See America First” campaign has been repurposed as “See America.” The posters have been remade in a more modern, graphic style, to reattract “customers” right before the centennial. As a graphic design student, I know that the new campaign posters have made a big impact on today's world. They influence style, they influence the important of nature in art, the important of nature in life, and so on. I have a "See America" book sitting in my studio, which has all of these posters along with a description of each Park. When people come to my studio, they often ask to see the book, because the uniformity in the collection, as well as the sense of creativity in design is striking. Overall, this campaign has raised awareness of the parks, and reached out to a new group- that is artists.
This year was the 101st anniversary, and in response they came up with a “Parks 101 Campaign.” They hired celebrity ambassadors to represent the National Parks, which attracted many. As a millennial, a lot of my attention is devoted to what celebrities are doing. Lead by example- if celebrities are doing it, it's probably something I'd be interested in doing. The Parks Team also worked specifically this year to highlight the Parks that are less well known and less visited: ones people hadn’t heard of. These involved parks such as, “a house dedicated to the history of America’s first ladies in Canton, Ohio, and a nuclear missile site in South Dakota” (Harpaz, 2017). These are sites that I didn’t even know existed, and for those not interested in the typical outdoorsy activities, might be interested in these. The campaign also offers programs, such as kayaking, art and yoga, as well as classes on battlefield and shipwrecks. This helps expand the user group, so that the parks appeal to those who don’t just want to hike. These activities seem like something my mom would be interested in, while the rest of my family likes to hike, now we can all enjoy our time together in one place. While previously, she would not even come on the trip, she now has an incentive. The campaign worked- visitation increased 7% between 2015 and 2016, and 10% in the lesser known parks. The centennial was also an opportunity that resulted in a lot of donations.
Actor Jordan Fisher
Check out my previous post for a list of National Parks to go visit!
And make sure to join me next time to learn about why National Parks marketing isn't working as well as it could, and how race and class play into visitation!
And make sure to join me next time to learn about why National Parks marketing isn't working as well as it could, and how race and class play into visitation!
Bibliography
G. (n.d.). 2015: Baraga County Lake Trout Festival Half Marathon. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from http://sgowtham.com/journal/2015-baraga-county-lake-trout-festival-half-marathon/
How Good Old American Marketing Saved the National Parks. (2015, March 24). Retrieved October 22, 2017, from https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150324-national-park-service-history-yellowstone-california-united-states/
The Empire of Grandeur. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2017, from http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/history/ep3/4/
U.S. National Parks Spotlight Their 101st Anniversary With Marketing Campaign. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2017, from https://www.google.com/amp/s/skift.com/2017/08/22/us-national-parks-parks-101-marketing-campaign/amp/
