Montana's Marketing Chief on Why the State Ditched Tourism Slogans for Authentic Storytelling

After 16 years of the same marketing playbook, Montana just rolled out a brand makeover that's less about pretty postcards and more about the people who actually call Big Sky Country home. And they're doing it with the help of a 1968 Chevy C10 truck that looks like it could belong in anyone's grandfather's driveway.

"For the first time in 16 years we're reintroducing Montana to the world," Governor Greg Gianforte announced as the state unveiled its new brand strategy. "And we're doing it by shining a spotlight on the people who make this place what it is. Because the strength of our state isn't found in slogans or logos, it's found in our people."

The rebrand represents a fundamental shift in how Montana sees itself—and how it wants the world to see it. Instead of just wooing tourists with scenic vistas (though those aren't going anywhere), the new approach recognizes that Montana's economy depends on more than visitor dollars alone.

"Tourism and business growth are not separate functions of the economy," explains Mitch Staley, Chief Marketing Officer for the Montana Department of Commerce and the architect behind this strategic pivot. "Attracting businesses to our state starts at the level of a visitor coming here for the first time."

This isn't your typical state tourism makeover. Where most states might focus on crafting the perfect Instagram-worthy campaign, Montana's new brand deliberately centers authentic voices over polished marketing speak. The strategy acknowledges what anyone who's spent time in Montana knows: the state's real draw isn't just its landscapes—it's the people who've shaped those communities for generations.

"The new brand is about the people who live in Montana who have made this place what it is," Staley notes. "We want to hear stories of long-standing traditions and new ones alike."

The approach extends beyond tourism to encompass Montana's entire economic ecosystem. The Department of Commerce will use this unified brand for business attraction, international trade, the Made in Montana program, and other economic development activities across the state's seven distinct tourism regions.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the rebrand is its explicit inclusion of Montana residents as a target audience. While the state will continue courting visitors from around the globe, it's also encouraging locals to explore their own backyard with the campaign tagline "Go somewhere season."

"We want to remind residents that this is their home and there's probably a lot of Montana even they haven't seen yet," Staley says. "It's always go somewhere season in Montana."

This resident-focused approach serves a dual purpose: it builds local pride while potentially creating more knowledgeable ambassadors for the state. "If Montanans are happy with the work that the Montana brand is doing, then the people who come to visit our state will have a better experience while they're here," Staley explains.

The visual centerpiece of the brand launch—that weathered 1968 Chevy C10—wasn't chosen by accident. Painted with the new campaign creative and featuring Montana's updated wordmark on the tailgate, the truck toured communities from Miles City to Wolf Point, serving as both mobile billboard and conversation starter.

"There aren't many better ways to introduce Montana's new brand than on the side of a classic pick up that looks similar to a truck everyone grew up with or whose grandparents had," Staley reflects. "Like the truck, Montana is a classic. What was true about this place 50 years ago will be true 50 years from now."

The tour made stops at farmers markets, summer festivals, and community celebrations, giving residents opportunities to share their own Montana stories for potential use in future marketing efforts. It's community engagement disguised as brand activation—or maybe the other way around.

Staley's own base in Dillon—far from the tourism hotspots of Yellowstone or Glacier—offers insight into the challenges of marketing a state as geographically and culturally diverse as Montana. The new brand must somehow represent both the ranching communities of eastern Montana and the tech workers moving to Bozeman, the Blackfeet Nation in Browning and the artists in Missoula.

"The Montana brand has a big job to do in representing Montana's people and places," Staley acknowledges. The solution involves working closely with local communities while providing "high-level inspiration" and directing visitors to regional resources through the redesigned visitmt.com website.

The rebrand comes after extensive research involving more than 1,600 surveys, multiple focus groups, and input from tribal leaders across the state. But perhaps more importantly, it reflects a growing recognition that in an era of social media skepticism and travel authenticity demands, traditional tourism marketing may be reaching its limits.

"Montana tells its own story and that's why we are confident that our new brand will attract the right visitors most likely to appreciate what's real about Montana," Staley says.

Montana's bet on authentic storytelling feels both refreshingly honest and strategically smart. Whether it works remains to be seen, but at least they're not promising anyone that Montana is "pure" or "unspoiled"—marketing language that tends to age about as well as a tourist's hiking boots after a week in Glacier National Park.

Tourism contributed $6.1 billion to Montana's economy in 2024, according to the University of Montana's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. With stakes that high, Montana's new approach represents more than a marketing experiment—it's a fundamental reimagining of how a place sells itself without losing its soul in the process.

The old 1968 Chevy has finished its tour, but Montana's real test is just beginning.