Having lived in Denver for the last eight years, I have started taking a few things for granted. I can go out to eat at one of many absolutely incredible high-end restaurants (no pun intended potheads) for less than twenty dollars a person. If I want to see a breathtaking sunset, at most I have to wait a week. And if I want to go see some unbelievably talented musicians play music in one of the world’s premier outdoor venues, all I have to do is drive twenty minutes into the mountains and I will be at Red Rocks Amphitheater. But for all of the amazing amenities that Colorado offers that many of us have come to take for granted, the overwhelming success of the Denver Broncos is one blessing that isn’t lost on any of us. Peyton Manning is singlehandedly thrusting our great city into the limelight, and in doing so, he is upping the ante for all the Denver marketing firms.
As you know, Colorado is a relatively small state. Sure we have a good amount of land and amazing natural resources, but our population is low. We only have nine electoral votes. That means we don’t see the candidates in a presidential election unless it is going to be a close race and they determine we will be a “swing state.” That means, for the most part, Colorado keeps to themselves. Short of recent news headlines about how you can now “Get High in the Rockies,” Colorado doesn’t enter the national discourse all that much. Colorado isn’t a powerhouse in any sport, and since Carmelo demanded a trade to New York, we really haven’t had any championship hopes in any of our professional sports, that is until now.
Peyton Manning and his band of merry Broncos have changed the game for Denver marketing firms. Where we were once a mostly ignored quaint place, we are now a much discussed state equally filled with pot-smoking liberals and gun-toting conservatives. Obviously, our culture hasn’t changed, but for once the national media is noticing.
One of my favorite aspects of the Superbowl is that both teams have a two week break until they play again. These oft-injured warriors get a little extra rest time to get ready for the biggest game of their lives while the rest of us get extra days to make bold predictions about the weather in New York and guess how it will affect Peyton’s throwing mechanics. National and international businesses flock to the participating cites during this break to hitch a ride on the extra media coverage by sponsoring lavish parties and putting on free concerts. It is two beautiful weeks of celebration, reflection, and conjecture, and oh yeah, at the end, there is a football game.
There will be more eyes on Denver (and Seattle for that matter) each and every day leading up to the big event. We professionals working at web design marketing firms are doing everything we can to take advantage of the opportunity because we all know that all this extra attention will leave just as quickly as it came. In the meantime, it is up to us to get everything we can out of the situation for our clients as we all desperately cling to the belief that Peyton Manning will lead our beloved Broncos to an NLF Championship and will return our great city once again to the glory of decades past.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigindenver/7968680606/