Marketing Wilderness (Now That I Have Your Attention) Ralph Swain USFS Rocky Mountain Region Wilderness & Rivers Program Manager
Background Undergrad: Marketing and Economics Masters: Natural Resource Management, Specialization in Wilderness Colorado State University
Aldo Leopold “ We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see the land as a community to which we belong we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Definition of Marketing Providing a product or service (commodity) to customers at a price (profit) Process of communicating the value of a product of service to customers for the purpose of selling that commodity. Basic concepts of marketing have not changed – Marketing segmentation, product life cycle, customer profiling- - but the tools have drastically changed. Promotion – social media tools to reach customers have #changedforever! (140 characters)
Marketing = Advertising Marketing = Promotion Marketing is much more! Uses all the 5 P’s of Marketing Develop a Marketing Plan
5 P’s of Marketing ProductPricePlacePromotionPeople
Enlarging the Base *Bell curve of primary customers *Target the fringe *Find new ways to reach the larger wilderness community larger wilderness community
Marketing = Stewardship Product – goal is untrammeled wilderness – protect wilderness character. Currently, Kmart model, low quality product sold to mass market. Stop trying to be all. W. is not for everyone. Price – the value of wilderness increases daily. Currently, treated as low investment, low return. Place – fixed. Spectrum of landscapes– (earn wilderness) Promotion – currently mixed messages established by customers and branding is shot-gun, not targeted. People – Currently, PC - target youth. No! target women – mother earth – nurturing values of women align best with wilderness. Reach men and youth through women.
Zahniser’s Legacy