Branson News Guide

In their presentation to the Board of Aldermen Tuesday, October 26, 2004, the firm hired to conduct a branding study for the Branson/Tri-Lakes Area recommended the creation of a marketing campaign designed to change the perceptions of a targeted segment of non-visitors while reinforcing the attitudes of current visitors.

The Sterling Group, a successful national brand consulting firm, was selected to conduct the study by a branding task force established by the Marketing Advisory Council of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB. The goal of the study was to determine ways to attract more first time visitors and increase visitation by Baby Boomers and their families. Sterling Group’s client list includes companies such as Nike, Pepsi, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Levi Strauss, Yahoo, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, the NBA, and Time Warner.

Austin McGhie, the president of the Sterling Group’s San Francisco office and head of the company’s strategy groups in San Francisco, New York, and London, in his presentation to the Board, focused on three major aspects of the branding research that led to his firm’s recommendation to develop marketing tactics that address what he called the ‘perception gap’ between Loyal Branson visitors and non-visitors.

Identifying the ‘Resistors’

“Our research discovered that there is a Resistor group of people, who look like Branson’s current Loyal customers in ways such as lifestyle and demographics, but they are under the misguided perception that they know what Branson offers and that it’s just NOT for them. The reality is that when test groups of Resistors actually experienced Branson, not only were they pleasantly surprised by their experience, they become self-professed ambassadors who become enthusiastic advocates for Branson.”

Establishing the Branson Brand

The new marketing approach, according to McGhie, should shake the foundation of the Resistors’ perceptions with surprising and unexpected aspects of the Branson brand.

McGhie described the Branson brand position as the sum total of the qualities that differentiate Branson from its competitors.

Branson is up close and personal. Branson brings together a broad and unexpected mix of world-class entertainment and recreation to create an exhilarating family experience.

“In other words,” McGhie said, “… entertainment you can touch, entertainment that touches you. That is the essence of what Branson’s true brand position is in the vacation destination market today.”

McGhie said that in order to establish accurate perceptions about the Branson brand in the minds of Resistors, marketing must focus on the unexpected elements of Branson, and must be delivered in a way that will pleasantly surprise Resistors and Loyal customers alike.

The Brand Promise

The Branson Brand promise is the character, personality and values of the Branson community, key elements that satisfy and endear Loyal visitors, according to McGhie.

“If you can overcome Resistors’ perceptions with a marketing strategy that entices them with surprising facts and begin to reposition the brand in their minds, the Branson Brand promise will keep them coming back,” McGhie said.

He went on to describe the branding study process that formed the basis for his group’s recommendations. The 5-month study consisted of group and individual focus sessions with Branson area business and community leaders; interviews with tourism and media industry experts; interviews with visitors in Branson; focus group sessions with non-visitors in Dallas, Little Rock and St. Louis; a first-time visitor trip to Branson for residents (‘Resistors’) in key markets; and a review of existing statistical visitor information.

Branson Alderman Dick Gass participated in two local focus groups that provided Sterling with insight and feedback during the study.

“I think Sterling has defined the Branson brand and given us well thought-out recommendations for how to proceed from here. One of the keys will be for everyone in the community to get on board so we can put our full force behind making this branding campaign a success,” Gass said.

The next step in the process, according to BLACC brand consultant Linda Antus is to issue a request for proposals from creative agencies to develop a campaign expression of the brand strategy, including a slogan and other deliverables, as well as research to test our proposition and creative positioning.

Then, Camelot Communications, our strategic media company, will assess our market opportunity and recommend the targeting of our 2005 marketing strategies to maximize the contact with the Resistors, by Season, according to Antus.

Dan Lennon, vice-president of marketing and public relations for the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB, said that once the Chamber has creative direction, it will be able to offer local businesses workshops on how to apply the marketing strategies to their individual businesses.

“The goal is to increase business for everyone associated with tourism in the Branson/Tri-Lakes Area,” Lennon said.

Branson Chamber president and CEO Ross Summers said he looks forward to implementing Sterling’s recommendations during the 2005 season and beyond.

“This is a long-term process for the Chamber and the community. We have a big job ahead of us, as does any destination or company that undergoes a branding campaign, but now we have the research-based evidence and soon we’ll have the creative direction we need to proceed with confidence and enthusiasm. The sky’s the limit for Branson,” he said.

WHEN: Saturday, November 27, 2004, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (on local PBS stations)

The concert will be held at the 2,600-seat Tri-Lakes Center, located on Hwy. 248 in Branson. Call (417) 336-0219 for ticket information. The concert will be broadcast locally on Ozarks Public Television stations KOZK-TV, channel 21 in Springfield and on KOZJ-TV, channel 26 in Joplin.

The evening-long concert event will feature Irish singing sensation Daniel O’Donnell along with country music legends Pam Tillis, Charley Pride, The Gatlin Brothers (Larry, Steve and Rudy) and fabled Lawrence Welk TV Show stars The Lennon Sisters (Dee Dee, Kathy, Janet and Mimi) and Jo Ann Castle. Mary Duff, O’Donnell’s long-time friend and performance partner, will also appear.

Daniel shares the stage with some of the most popular and enduring stars in American music in a spectacular public television concert event. Broadcast live from the Tri-Lakes Center in the live music capital of Branson, Missouri, the four-hour music extravaganza features O’Donnell in his first national television special on an American stage, as he welcomes an impressing roster of favorite performers.

“DANIEL O’DONNELL LIVE FROM BRANSON” will be broadcast on 90 percent of the PBS stations nationwide as part of their Winter Pledge Drive. The program will also be available for re-broadcast throughout the month of December on all 349 PBS stations.

Ozarks Public Television in Springfield and Joplin is anticipating strong viewer support during the broadcast. Their phone banks at the Tri-Lakes Center will be seen by a national audience.

“DANIEL O’DONNELL LIVE FROM BRANSON” is produced by Brockwell, Ltd. and WTVS Detroit Public Television. The Vacation Channel in Branson is providing production assistance. Executive producers are Sean Reilly for Brockwell, Ltd. and Diane Bliss for WTVS. Director is Ian McGarry.

“We are thrilled to host Daniel O’Donnell’s first live PBS show from Branson,” said Cindy Westmoreland, property manager for the Tri-Lakes Center. “The Tri-Lakes Center, Daniel O’Donnell, and PBS have harmonious philosophies in that we all present quality entertainment to our customers.”

“We’re honored to be the host city for this live television event and appreciate all the work that has gone into making this national PBS broadcast possible,” said Ross Summers, president and CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In 2005, the Acrobats of China featuring the New Shanghai Circus will perform in a brand new theater currently under construction in Branson, Missouri. The New Shanghai Theatre is located at 645 State Hwy 165, just south of Hwy 76 between the Ain’t Misbehaving Theatre and Coffelt Country. The New Shanghai Theatre, featuring modern Chinese architecture, will seat approximately 900 and is scheduled to open on May 15, 2005. Shows are at 3 & 8 PM, through December 14.

Lizhi Zhao, owner of the New Shanghai Circus said, “2005 will mark our 8th season in Branson. Each year over 40 Acrobats of China travel over 14,500 miles to perform in the heartland of America. We’re pleased to now have a permanent home in Branson, Missouri. This beautiful theater will have state-of-the-art lighting and sound along with spectacular backdrops.” The theater will feature a giant sculpture of an early example of Chinese Bronze Ware, along with modern Chinese artwork, cascading waterfalls, and Chinese gardens.

Bill and Janet Dailey are building the New Shanghai Theatre. Bill Dailey said, “This theater is being built specifically for the New Shanghai Circus as their show requires extra rigging and large space for their backdrops. The back of the theater is 50 feet tall.” The New Shanghai Circus features aerial ballet, dancing lions, modern Chinese performance art, hoop diving, tumblers, jugglers, magicians, spinning plates, bicycle aerobics, pole climbing, and more. New Shanghai Circus performers begin training at the age of 6 and come from the same school as Chinese Olympic Gymnasts. In addition to their shows in Branson, the New Shanghai Circus presents shows year-round in Shanghai, China, and also tours internationally and across the United States.

Theater construction began in late October of 2004, with excavating by Tom Boyce. Designers for the exterior and interior of the New Shanghai Theatre are Bill Lennon and Tom Gass of Backstage Connections, architecture by Allen Johnson of General Design, building and other subcontracting by Scott Bockman of Cornerstone Building Services in Springfield, Missouri. An official groundbreaking was held on November 17, 2004.

BRANSON, MO – America’s live entertainment capital takes on a dazzling holiday persona during its 2004 Ozark Mountain Christmas celebration. Named a “Top 10 Destination” in the nation for holiday celebrations by USA Today and A&E Network in 2003, Branson comes alive with production shows, world-recognized performers, 10 million holiday lights, and outdoor activities from theme parks, to shopping, to golf. Hundreds of shows and attractions, colorfully designed with holiday themes, are offered throughout the region through December.

Ozark Mountain Christmas, now in its 17th season, was profiled in the Wall Street Journal in 2003. While appreciative of the accolades, the famed entertainment town keeps adding yet more grandeur to the celebration, creating a magical combination of family traditions, breathtaking scenery, drive-through lighting displays, dazzling performances, and a spirited Ozarks celebration of the joys of the season.

Holiday shows feature live entertainment from performers known around the world. The show bill includes the always popular Andy Williams in his famous Christmas show and Tony Orlando in his original production of “Santa and Me,” to newly-introduced shows such as Neil Goldberg’s “Christmas Dreams,” a unique blend of pageantry, puppets and fantastical twists on holiday tradition. Branson Variety Theater’s “Broadway Christmas Spectacular” stars Jimmy Osmond. The final season of the Lawrence Welk Show reunites the Lennon Sisters and fabled Welk TV stars; the Hughes Brothers bring Santa to Bethlehem; Mickey Rooney and his wife, Jan, headline at the Americana Theatre along with the Lennon Brothers & Gail Lennon; and Neil Goldberg’s fantasy-filled “Cirque” continues through Christmas at the Remington Theatre. Funnymen Jim Stafford, Ray Stevens and Yakov Smirnoff add Christmas cheer and humor to their already hilarious comedy, music and dance shows. Perennial favorites the Baldknobbers Jamboree and Presleys’ Jubilee, along with shows like the Lowes, 50s At The Hop, Doug Gabriel, the Duttons and more are filled with holiday spirit and Christmas fun.

Visitors can immerse themselves in attractions such as the holiday wonderland at Silver Dollar City. The world-renowned 1880s style theme park features a dazzling Holiday Light Parade, a dramatic five-story Special Effects Christmas Tree, a popular musical production of the famous classic, A Dickens’ Christmas Carol, and over four million lights.

Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show features 32 horses and trick riders performing in a holiday competition, a dramatic Living Nativity with live camels and Christmas musical performances. Dozens of exuberant elves serve up a four-course feast. The Showboat Branson Belle cruises scenic Table Rock Lake during Ozark Mountain Christmas, offering guests festive holiday shows and meals. Branson Scenic Railway sets the scene for holiday romance with their candlelight meal excursions through the Ozark foothills in 1940s-era Zephyr dome cars.

The Branson Area Festival of Lights (November 1, 2004 – January 1, 2005) links several Southwest Missouri communities in creating a two-month lighting festival. The popular Festival of Lights Parkway, a two-mile drive-through animated display in Branson, along with the spectacular Port of Lights in Kimberling City, the Indian Point Village display near Table Rock Lake, and many others are presented for visitors to enjoy. Area businesses participate in the Festival by adorning their storefronts and grounds with holiday lights to further add to the spirit-filled atmosphere of the season.

The 56th Annual Adoration Parade will be held December 5 in historic downtown Branson immediately following the lighting of the Nativity Scene on Mount Branson, which overlooks the downtown area.

The Branson area is an ever-popular shopping destination with three outlet centers offering more than 200 name-brand stores. Plus the historic downtown offers the charm of a small town with dozens of shops, restaurants and live music. The Grand Village, Engler Block and Silver Dollar City contain one-of-a-kind artwork and collectibles made by local artists and craftsmen.

Many shows and attractions will remain open through the end of December and offer special New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The Brett Family is excited to announce that Claude McNeal’s AMERICANA THEATRE will be their new home for the 2005 Branson show season. On April 29th, 2005, the Brett’s will kick off their 7th sensational season in Branson. Their new 2005 show time will be 10:00 a.m.

“We’ve always loved the Americana Theatre and when Swing Swing Swing approached us to share the theatre with them, it just felt like a perfect fit!” says Tom Brett, Father and co-producer of the Brett Family Show.

“We’re really excited to be moving to this great location right in the heart of it all!” Says Andrea Brett. “The theater and stage are very well suited to our show. We’re thrilled to be associated with the Swing Swing Swing Show, which is truly a class act production. We think our shows will complement each other very well and see this as a very positive move in every way.”

Claude McNeal, an internationally recognized Director, with over 70 smash stage productions across the country and Europe, including New York and London, went looking for just the right show to share the theatre with Swing Swing Swing. McNeal stated, “The Brett Family became the obvious choice for our Theatre. They have a fantastic, very genuine show, and I believe that the venue’s new look and feel will serve to even further enhance one of Branson’s leading shows.”

Rob Skaff, Executive Producer of Claude McNeal’s productions commented, “Both The Brett Family Singers and Swing Swing Swing offer a certain level of diversity to Branson. Each show respects the traditional products in town, but also celebrates the uniqueness and style of their own performances. I could not think of a better fit than The Brett Family for Claude McNeal’s Americana theatre and am very pleased we were able to work things out with Tom and his family.”

Expect nothing less than a first-class performance from The Brett Family. Guaranteed to wow audiences of all ages! The regular season runs from April 29th to October 31st, Monday-Saturday with a NEW show time of 10AM. Celebrate Christmas with The Brett Family November 1st thru December 14th Monday-Saturday, also at 10AM.