Marketing Like a Tree
by Bo McDonald
I recently had the pleasure of attending the CUES ExecuNet conference in California. After one of the sessions several of us drove up to Yosemite for a ride on the “tree tram.” You would think sitting on a plastic barge carted behind an 18 wheeler through the forest looking at rocks and trees would be less than exciting. Unless you’re a history buff like I am.
It wasn’t about looking at the trees; it was about the history behind them. Some of the world’s largest trees stand in the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite. The grove holds some of the oldest trees on earth as well. One known as “The Grizzly Giant” is estimated to be well over 1,800 years old. Some accounts say it could be as old as 2,200 years. When you stop and consider world history and everything that has happened over the course of 2,200 years—it’s amazing.
What is more amazing is that through it all, the tree continues to stand tall and strong (over 250 feet tall.) Stop and consider that Mariposa Grove has averaged a forest fire every 20-30 years, coupled with other natural disasters and unsavory conditions over that time. Yet the tree stands, alive and healthy.
When you walk through Mariposa Grove you see trees with scorched bark from the many forest fires it has endured. Believe it or not, the rings record each of those fires and all the rest of a tree’s history!
Another tree which stands out is the California Tunnel Tree. Back in 1895, a huge hole was cut in the tree to allow coaches to pass through it. It was a great marketing scheme to attract visitors. It worked. As proof, just look to postcards of the Tunnel Tree which are still sold some 118 years later.
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