Durango, CO: A Winning Brand (Smart Monday/Process)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing. Today we are in Durango, Colorado.  Smithsonian Magazine recently selected Durango as one of the top 20 best small communities in the United States.  The strategic question is what makes Durango so special.

Think about branding from the perspective of the 7Ps.  First is product, Durango is a gorgeous, historic town in the San Juan Mountains next to the Animas River.  It has blocks of restored store fronts, a four year college, a ski resort and it’s an outdoor adventure community.

Price - you can find condos in Durango from $149,000 to homes for $2 Million.  There is quite a diverse range of housing prices.

Promotion – Durango advertises a consistent message that it offers a great quality of life, higher education and numerous outdoor adventures.

Place – Durango is situated in the southwest corner of Colorado, close to New Mexico and the Four Corners region.  Mesa Verde national park is nearby.  It is ideally situated and has great four season weather.

There are great people in Durango as well.  Everyone seems to be an outdoor enthusiast.  They want to make sure that you have a good time and they are here to have a good time themselves.

Physical evidence - As you look around town it is evident that merchants take great pride in the facades of their storefronts and make them inviting to you the customer to come on in.

Process - I heard a wonderful story yesterday.  There was a restaurant fire on Main Avenue, and within one day a former mayor had coordinated raising $30,000 to assist the displaced waiters/waitresses through the time it would take to reopen the restaurant.

Positioning - Durango has staked a claim on being one of the best small towns in all of America.  It provides great quality of life, they understand the 7Ps and constantly work to ensure people outside the community know it’s a great place to live, to work and to play.

Like any product, it’s important for a community to have a brand as well.  Durango’s brand is exemplary.

That concludes our Smart Monday.  Be sure and stop by tomorrow for Strategic Tuesday.  To discuss an online or face to face service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.