Sin City. The gambling capital of the world. Disney World for adults. The entertainment capital of the world. Lost Vegas. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Las Vegas.
After a much anticipated visit last week, I am forced to conclude that Las Vegas is a city without a soul.
The Soul-less City
It’s bright and shiny, with an animated volcano spewing on command and giant fountains dancing to music, replicas of the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and Grand Central Station, the largest bronze statue in the world, and a small zoo of dolphins, tigers, and lions, but there are no Las Vegas locals – it’s a Potemkin village.(1)
- Google maps listed the nearest grocery store as 6 miles from the strip.
- Every bartender and ticket-taker who we asked said they live more than a 30 minute drive away.
- Renting a car, we found that a 10 minute drive took us from big city to rocky desert.
Las Vegas has no soul. Only visitors, tourists, there to be awed by the insanity. Las Vegas is so well known that it is sustained off nothing but visitors, with no local economy and no generations upon generations of families who love the land and know the area as it was, is, and will be. Las Vegas is marketing, without a message.
Marketing without a Message
Here’s the thing. Marketing without a message is often shiny, and it will continue to draw in visitors until the end of time. But it’s expensive to maintain, and it’s not right for anyone with a dream of long-lasting relationships. Don’t let your company be Las Vegas. Find its soul, its message, and communicate that to your audience.
With a message, marketing is great vehicle. But marketing alone has nothing to communicate. So consider:
- What do you want to share with your audience?
- Why will it help them?
- How will it connect them back to you?
With these three simple questions, you’re on the start to ensuring your marketing communications have soul.
(1) “Potemkin Village” reference came originally from UX Designer Carolyn Sullivan.
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Interesting perspective. I live 30 minutes from the Strip and probably don’t go down there more than 2x a year (when someone visits). I’m a 5th generation Nevadan so there’s a lot of substance, economy and content — it just keeps itself apart from the tourists.