Branson wraps up high-impact Chiefs campaign, eyes next big marketing move

Heather Hermen, Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the Branson CVB, gave a report to the Branson Board of Aldermen on February 24, 2026. The report was on the results of the Kansas City Chiefs/TCED partnership.

She describes the Branson-Chiefs partnership as highly successful. A “fun ride” that effectively served its purpose of promoting the city to a global audience, paving the way for exciting new initiatives as the program reaches its sunset.

Hermen said that during the partnership, Branson reached millions of passionate football fans through the team’s social media platforms, digital newsletters and official team publications. This digital performance was highly effective, giving Branson a level of national exposure that’s incredibly difficult for a city to achieve on its own. The partnership also allowed Branson to tap into an established, dedicated fan base of 14 million people worldwide.

She continued to point out that, beyond the impressive online statistics, the partnership created highly meaningful moments that reflected Branson’s core community values. For three seasons, the city had the honor of sponsoring the Hometown Hero program during halftime at home games. This program recognized 30 outstanding individuals, including Veterans and first responders, and allowed them to share their stories. Hearing these everyday heroes thank Branson in front of a stadium was a powerful reminder of the city’s dedication to honoring those who serve.

Branson’s local entertainment community also got to shine on a massive stage. After the Chiefs’ cheerleaders held their training camp in Branson and fell in love with local performers, they invited the Haygoods to perform the National Anthem at a September game. Furthermore, Branson representatives personally attended tailgate events to spread the word to international fans from Japan and Australia.

Alderman Marshall Howden specifically called out large local Facebook groups, warning citizens that these pages are terrible places to find accurate information about city business. Some angry residents falsely claimed that the city had wasted money on the football team rather than funding essential public services.

Howden emphatically addressed this issue, saying that the campaign was a partnership with the Tourism Community Enhancement District (TCED), that the city did not skip patching roads or installing street lights to hand money over to the Chiefs, and that the funds for the program were strictly dedicated advertising dollars used for a highly unique, out-of-the-box promotional strategy.

Howden also addressed the frequent complaint that there were not enough famous players visiting the town. While he noted that he personally checked player Trent McDuffy into his resort, he explained that getting athletes to visit was never the actual goal. If that had been the case, the money would have been a waste. He said that the objective was to connect Branson to a dominant entertainment dynasty at the absolute height of its power. Tourism Community Enhancement District Executive Director Kirk Elmquist agreed, noting that the team’s ownership holds values that align perfectly with Branson, including a deep respect for veterans and strong faith.

Herman said that the Kansas City Chiefs’ partnership had “served its purpose” and that “we have some really great exciting things that we then evolve and move on to.”