Lessons in Marketing: Rebranding Texas

With the Stampede in full swing, we thought we’d review one of the greatest, if little-known, successes in marketing history. Alberta often gets called the Texas of the North. But is Texas, in fact, the Alberta of the South? Ranching, rodeos, big cowboy hats, and even bigger personalities are the things people associate with the Lone Star State. But was it always so???

Texas was very much a part of the Confederacy until April 1865, when?General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia. As was the case in states like Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Alabama, cotton harvested by slave labour had underpinned Texas’ economy. The end of the Civil War brought an end to the moral abomination of slavery, and Texas, like the rest of the South, was forced to forge a new path.

As the decades rolled on, some influential Texans saw the state’s association with Dixie as less than helpful, if not downright toxic. In the leadup to the state’s centennial in 1936, a group of politicians and businessmen saw an opportunity to sever Texas’ ties to the South. But where to look instead? The powers that be settled on the Western Frontier that had so effectively captured the imagination of Americans.?

The state legislature funded a national campaign to promote Texas’ new identity with the hope of shifting perceptions and attracting investment. No expense was spared, including a publicity tour centred on the Texas cowboy. The target? New York City. Once there, the Governor, a Texas Ranger, and miscellaneous cowboys launched a parade to their hotel. To announce the delegation’s arrival, the Texas Ranger burst into the foyer on his horse.?

Shortly thereafter, on June 6, 1936, the gates to the Texas State Exposition in Dallas swung open to visitors from across the country and around the world. Everywhere these fairgoers went, they were met with posters featuring images of cowboys, Indigenous People, and the state’s pioneering figures. One of the event’s highlights was the “Cavalcade of Texas,” an extravaganza of a stage show that depicted the state’s evolution from “the vast wilderness of the Southwest.”??

Every detail was thoroughly thought out. Turning their back on the South’s antiquated architectural tradition (think?Greco-Roman columns), the organizers wanted the fair to feature the country’s hottest new style—Art Deco. Many of these structures stand to this very day, including the Federal Building (now the Tower Building) and the State of Texas Building.?

The centennial celebration was a smashing success and helped engrain the new Western-focused image of Texas into the minds of Americans. Over the years, that image also took hold around the world, and now the state is regarded as the centre of all things cowboy (and girl). All in all, it was a textbook example of a near-perfect rebranding effort.?

Now, back to Alberta. Rodeo aficionados have likely heard of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest such event in the world. Well, consider this: the Calgary Stampede got its start a full 20 years earlier. The event’s predecessor, the fair held by the?Calgary and District Agricultural Society, first took place in 1886, a half-century before Texas’ centennial. So, while Texas may jump to mind first for many, Alberta is still the original exemplar of the Western lifestyle!