Country Music Is A Powerful Opportunity For Brands

Last year, the CMA Awards were the most social show of the year – that’s right, the evening generated over 1.67 million tweets. It completely dominated its time slot and surged double digits in overall viewers for the evening, finishing first in all key Adult and Teen demographics.

So I’m looking forward to this coming Wednesday when Country Music will once again have its biggest night of the year.

But more importantly, I want to let brands know why they should care about the CMAs and Country Music in general: the New Heartland.

What’s the New Heartland you ask? It is a massive and influential cultural segment, comprised of the Southwest, Midwest, and parts of the Southeast. Its members are bound together by their strong values: faith (not religion), community, and family – all of which directly influence buying decisions, brand loyalty, and attitudes towards brands.

It is also largely misunderstood and underserved by brands and advertisers. There is a huge opportunity here for those willing to become New Heartland savvy.

And Country Music dominates the New Heartland, not only on the airwaves but in ticket/merchandise sales and album purchases as well. There are an astounding 102 million Country Music consumers in the United States (most in the New Heartland) and Country Music is the No. 1 reported format  for audiences spanning in age from 18 to 54.

Plus, country fan’s annual household incomes now skew toward the higher end—averaging $75,000 in 2013—making them appealing for brands targeting higher-earning consumers. And don’t forget the loyalty factor. Country Music fans are the most ardent and loyal of any fan base.

The phenomenon of the annual Country Music Associations’ CMAFest is evidence of this, with a daily attendance of over eighty thousand people. It seems fans will do almost anything to get up close and personal with their favorite country artists.

“Big name country stars are of the same status as pop music stars right now,” says Kathy Gardner, global head of the DBI at RepuCom. “They’re relatable, and that’s key. (Country stars) scored well in the most important factors that contribute to consumers making a purchase: trustworthiness, likability, and ‘breakthrough,’ meaning that when you see them on TV, you pay attention to what they are saying.”

Country Music is making a splash on primetime TV, too. Nashville, a prime time soap opera about the lives of extremely (often unbelievable) fictional Country Music artists posted strong viewer numbers in its first two seasons.  And if you take a look at the history of American Idol alums, you’ll hear many of them belting out their tunes on country stations: Scotty McCreery,Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Kellie Pickler, and Kree Harrison are just a few past contestants who are in the genre.