Tourism Marketers - Mississippi & Chicago Brand Collaborations

Forty years ago this week, I walked into The Associated Press bureau in Chicago as a new reporter. My first big story — and my first AP byline on the national wire — was a preview of the third Chicago Blues Festival in June of 1986. After writing the story, I decided to check out the festival that weekend. Bo Didley and Chuck Berry were the headliners Friday night. Midway through Berry’s set, he welcomed Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards to the stage and they traded licks on several songs. For a young reporter who loves the blues and rock, it was an amazing experience. Forty years later, the festival is still free, still in the heart of Chicago — and this year it runs June 4–7, with all of the weekend shows in Millennium Park. The biggest treat of the weekend will be seeing Taj Mahal take the stage Sunday night. He's just turned 84 and has released a new album, Time. Sixty-plus years into an incredible career and he’s headlining the Chicago Blues Festival. That alone is worth a trip to Chicago. But here's what I'll be watching with my brand strategy hat on this weekend. For close to a decade, this celebration of Chicago blues has been staged in partnership with the Visit Mississippi tourism agency. Thursday’s opening night festivities feature a panel discussion marking 20 years of the Mississippi Blues Trail. Think about that. The blues was born in the Mississippi Delta. It grew up — and plugged in — on the South Side of Chicago. Two states, two tourism brands, one shared inheritance. Through the Chicago Blues Festival, they have built a celebration that makes both stories bigger. That's not a logo on a banner. That's brand collaboration done right. I'm digging into the strategy behind this brand partnership for an upcoming StoryPower piece and would welcome hearing about any great brand collaborations you’ve seen. In the meantime: if you're anywhere near the Third Coast this weekend, check out the nation’s largest free blues music festival. You’ll only pay for what you eat and drink, and you’re guaranteed to see some great musicians on the Visit Mississippi Crossroads stage and the three others nearby in Millennium Park. Be sure to stay for Taj and his Phantom Blues Band. It should be a great show.