Where marketing ideas flow like water. And vice versa.

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Where marketing ideas flow like water. And vice versa.

July 7th, 2009

On the north edge of the South Dakota Badlands, about 55 miles east of Rapid City, lies the town of Wall, South Dakota. Not much to it, really, with a population of just 818 people, according to the latest census.

Yet Wall, South Dakota, is home to a roadside tourist attraction that attracts more than 2 million visitors a year (and no, it’s not Mt. Rushmore).

It’s Wall Drug. Perhaps you’ve visited it. For sure you’ve seen some bumper sticker that promoted it. So how did a humble small-town drug store in literally the middle of nowhere come to attract tens of million of visitors over the years?

The key, it seems, is water.

Back in 1931, when the store was struggling along like many others during the Great Depression, Dorothy Hustead had a bit of inspiration—put up road signs along the nearby highway offering free ice water to weary travelers headed to the Black Hills and Yellowstone.

Sounds deceptively simple, but back in the day, travel wasn’t nearly as easy and convenient as it is now. Highways were iffy. Cars didn’t perform quite so well. And there was no such thing as air conditioning. So people pretty much had to stop.

Wall Drug gave them a reason to linger. And by lingering, travelers fell in love with the place.

That advertising campaign turned Wall Drug into an international icon, elevating it from a forgettable roadside stop to a must-visit tourist attraction that visitors have chatted up with their families and friends for decades. Today, along with the quirky collection of photos, colorful rocks, carvings, leatherworks and jewelry, you’ll still find that free water.

Along with a Wall’s own brand of bottled water for $1.09. (The marketing continues.)

Posted by Mickey

The Quisenblog