Yesterday’s Echoes: ‘It’s the Marketing, Stupid,’ not the TIFs!*

This column’s original publication was in 2008, immediately following the issuing of an Independent City Audit Report, completely ignoring the impact of Branson’s marketing while giving credit for 2007’s revenue increase to “the development of the Branson Landing and Branson Hills Projects.” The Ole Seagull has added some current thoughts in […]

The word “stupid” is meant in the same context as used in a headline on the cover of the January 21, 2008, issue of Time Magazine proclaiming “It’s the Voters, Stupid.” A “sub-headline” proclaimed “Forget the experts, forget the polls, forget the TV ads. How the American people defied the odds, upended expectations, and gave us a real race.” [It was about how unexpectedly well Hillary Clinton and John McCain had done in the New Hampshire Primaries in January 2008.]

As applies to Branson, a paraphrase of the Time cover could be, “It’s the Marketing, Stupid.” An appropriate sub-headline could be, “Forget the TIFs, forget the auditor’s outlooks, forget the developers’ hype. How Branson keeps on marketing, exceeding visitor expectations and gives America an entertainment experience available nowhere else.”

A conclusion in the “Economic Outlook,” of the city of Branson’s recent Independent Auditors Report [2008] said, “In the years prior to the Branson Landing opening, the City of Branson has experienced very limited growth.”

Oh, really! For a little town in the Ozark Mountains, some might say that before the partial opening of Branson Landing, near the end of May 2006, Branson was having phenomenal growth!

Some might say that “but for” the millions of visitors already coming to Branson, Branson Landing might never have been built. Some might even say that tourism and the number of people coming to Branson had already risen before Branson Landing opened. Come to think of it, someone did!

At the August 30, 2006, Branson Board of Aldermen meeting, the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB gave its marketing report for June 30, 2006. Compared to a similar time frame in 2005, the report shows that the total number of visitations to Branson was up 6.5 %, first-time visitors were up by 13.7 %, the average spending per visitor was up 11.3 %, the average length of stay was up 16.7 %, and the number of families visiting Branson was up by 17.9 %.

That same “Economic Outlook” [In the 2008 Independent Auditors Report] says, “FY 2007 tourism tax collections compared to FY 2006 are up between 7% and 10% in all areas except theatres. All of this activity has been spurred by the development of the Branson Landing and Branson Hills Projects.”

WOW, when was the last time you planned a vacation to a destination because it had a Target, a Home Depot, or, even, as nice as it is, a shopping mall like Branson Landing? One can just imagine the excitement within the family as they are told that the highlight of their vacation will be the fire and light show at Branson Landing and a two-for-one hammer sale at Home Depot!

The audit report attributes the revenue increases to “a result of the many changes and activities the city has entered into, including the city’s successful use of tax increment financing.” Specifically, the report cites the major components of the revenue growth as coming from “increases in sales taxes, increases in utility revenues and new revenues from tax increment districts.”

Interestingly, and more importantly, from a “tell” perspective, the audit report does not mention the increased marketing of the Branson area as a potential causal factor in the revenue increases. In terms of revenue, it doesn’t make any difference how something is built [financed], TIF or no TIF. What is important is the revenues that are generated. In Branson’s entertainment retail environment, revenue generation flows directly from the number of people coming to Branson [and what they spend while in Branson.] [Things have changed little, in that regard, over the last 17 years.]

Every businessperson in Branson, excluding perhaps, those in Branson Landing and Branson Hills, [as of May 2025, even them] should ask themselves this question, “What will bring more people into my business, the millions of dollars being spent to pay off the city debt on Branson Landing and Branson Hills or the same millions spent on marketing to bring more visitors to Branson?” The baseless conclusions of the audit report aside, in terms of ascribing a reason to Branson’s recent revenue increases, an Ole Seagull would suggest that the answer, for most businesses in Branson, is obvious!

*This column was, and is not, about the merits of TIF financing; it’s about the importance of marketing. There are good TIFs, such as “Branson Aquarium,” and nightmare TIFs, such as “Branson Landing.” Fortunately, an Ole Seagull believes that under Branson’s current leadership, only TIFs that are fair to all parties, such as the Branson Aquarium TIF, will receive consideration.