The good news is I’m not the judge, because the result would be heavily biased. The reason is simple and starts with a confession. Something I probably should have been much more up front about with all of you a long, long time ago.

You see, I…well…I love cowboy poetry.

I know that comes as a shock for many of you, but I just can’t help it. The first time I heard “Reincarnation” around the campfire my life changed forever. Well, the few hours of my life it took to then memorize that poem. And the other half dozen poems I’ve stored in my brain since then. The cadence, the simplicity, the stories…ah, man…I love it.

Enter, Steamboat

So what in the name of Sam Hill does this have to do with resort marketing?

This year, everything.

Quick side note, that last one reminds me of one of my favorite Cowboy Poems, A Time to Decide.

This is beautiful storytelling that leans into a the roots of a town in ways I’ve rarely seen a resort do at this level.

Steamboat is a ski town, yes. But Steamboat also has maintained a brand build heavily on the shoulders of a western, cowboy, ranching sort of vibe. Main street shops feature both $5,000 handbags right next to cowboy hats and boots.

Beautiful Branding

Whether it’s the FM Light signs, Billy Kidd’s ten gallon hat, the famous Steamboat barn, or a dozen other things, the image of a cowboy goes hand in hand with the image of steamboat.

Even without this deeper connection, these simple poems weave a beautiful, succinct story in the way only poetry can. But that deeper connection is where this campaign truly shines. Because if there is any true way to tell the Steamboat story, cowboy poetry might be it.

Amazing work by the Morgan and the rest of the Steamboat team. I tip my (imaginary) Stetson hat to you.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.