Given all the changes in the branding strategy for Las Vegas over the years, has the Vegas brand had a consistent meaning to consumers? Is this a benefit or a detriment to the city as it moves forward?
When you hear someone mention Las Vegas, what comes to mind? Sin City? Wholesome entertainment for the entire family? An indulgent luxury vacation? Or perhaps a value-oriented reward for hard-working Americans? If you answered ?oall of the above,?? you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. The truth: All of these have been characteristics associated with Las Vegas over the years. In recent times, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) fielded several national ad campaigns. Tourism is Vegas’s biggest industry, and the LVCVA is charged with maintaining the city’s brand image and keeping visitors coming to one of the world’s most famous cities. Although the positioning of the Vegas brand has changed from time to time, the town will probably never entirely lose the ?oSin City?? label. That title was born when Las Vegas was young—an anything-goes gambling town full of smoke-filled casinos, bawdy all-girl revues, all-you-can-eat buffets, Elvis impersonators, and nowait weddings on the Vegas Strip. This was the Vegas epitomized by the Rat Pack, when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the crew appeared nightly on stage to standing-room-only crowds at the Sands Hotel. Sinatra was even known for referring to anywhere that wasn’t Las Vegas as ?odullsville.?? But as the 1990s rolled around, many Las Vegas officials felt that the town needed to broaden its target audience. So they set out to appeal to—of all things—families. Some of the biggest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip built roller coasters and other thrill rides, worldclass water parks, and family-friendly shows like Treasure Island’s live-action swashbuckler spectacle, visible to everyone passing by on the street. Although this strategy seemed effective for a brief time, marketers came to realize that the family image just didn’t sync well with the classic vices that were still alive and well in Vegas.