Your Rock Brand Following

I’m in a band. Actually, I’ve played in one band or another consistently since high school (yes, there are many stories and tons of bad 1980’s photos). In my experience I’ve noticed that bands are (by necessity) surprisingly good guerrilla marketers. There’s something pure about winning fans in a skeptical crowd by just being that good and summarily entertaining the crap out of them. That’s real. Not that bands don’t use a myriad of tactics to reach people and attract them to their shows including posters, flyers. nike roshe run pas cher merchandise of all types, e-blasts, social posts, business cards and the hits keep coming. But fundamentally, bands attract people to follow them by just being great consistently. That’s it. That’s what you do. You show up and entertain people and if you’re great at it, people connect with that and will want to see you again. Some acts like the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffet and KISS are SO amazing that people “follow” them around the country, quit their jobs and dedicate their very existence to being close to the band’s music, its message and others who feel the same way. nike internationalist And you have to ask, what is it about these acts that creates this phenomenon? To me, it’s simple — they strike a chord in perfect mental alignment with the target audience (either by choice or by chance). adidas y3 And it’s powerful. Brands could learn a thing or two from bands on this subject. To me, the best brands focus on being great and helping you (Le target as the French say) complete a mental picture about yourself that you want to be true. Notice how it’s not about them talking about themselves and how great they are. nike air max pas cher Their success depends on making the connection with YOU. So we know that great brands don’t have to be overly needy. They can just be amazing for…you. Take my band, Five South. We play small sports bars and clubs here in Orange County, California and bill ourselves as “OC’s Most Wildly Immature Over-40 Cover Band.” Our band has fun. Our fans dance, laugh, forget their problems for a short while, have some fun with us—and that’s the experience they want again and again. It’s their experience, we just work there (temporarily). Here’s my challenge — take a look at the brand(s) you manage and ask, how can we become truly great in the eyes of our target customer? What mental picture can we complete for them that will help us build our following? Now…you’re starting to think like a band.