Eureka! Institutional Repository

The Beartooth Nature Center (BNC) is Montana’s premier wildlife education refuge. It is home to over 70 animals including mountain lions, bears, moose, bobcats, and large birds, unable to be returned to the wild after either accidents or abandonment. The BNC is located in Red Lodge, Montana which is considered the northern gateway to Yellowstone National Park, with over 4 million visitors annually. Nature or eco-tourism is the largest growth tourism industry in the world and is a complicated marketing field as it concerns the environment and sustainability. This article discusses the research, creative development and execution of a marketing campaign developed for the BNC for the summer of 2011. Both secondary and primary research efforts were utilized. A branding positioning TV campaign was executed and aired on local stations, targeted posters, event advertising and local promotions were used to reach residents and tourists The findings show that community values are essential in developing the branding message. The creative was designed according to visitors and the community wanting to establish a personal relationship with the animals, or “humanizing” them. Using community values to direct the creative and strategy will be discussed in the article.