a a ¿s? CROSSING BORDERS From top 40 stations to reality TV, country music is everywhere, and its fans are, too—spanning all ages, socioeconomic levels and areas of the U.S., as well as points farther afield. The music genre presents a unique mass-marketing opportunity and more leading brands are signing on. BY CHRISTINE BIRKNER | SENIOR STAFF WRITER [email protected] APRIL 2014 | MARKETING NEWS 27 n November 2013, Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl brought down the house at the I Country Music Association Awards while sharing the stage with the Zac Brown Band, one of country music’s top-selling acts. It was an unlikely pairing and the resulting sound definitely wasn’t your grandpa’s country music, but the performance was emblematic of a new era for the country music genre— and for its fan base. Country music now attracts fans from well north of the Mason- Dixon Line, and from customer segments that span the cultural and socioeconomic spectrums, making the country music audience an attractive demographic for mainstream marketers. “The stereotypes about the country music listener are that they’re rural, they’re downscale and they’re not very tech-savvy, but our research shows that that’s all bunk,” says Chris Ackerman, vice president of Morrisville, N.C.-based Coleman Insights, a media research firm that focuses on the radio and music industries. “This audience is largely suburban, a mix of white- and blue-collar, and a lot more affluent than even the country industry itself thought. They’re a much more attractive target for marketers than might have been perceived.” A WHOLE NEW COUNTRY Country music is having a pop-culture moment. Country artists Blake Shelton and Keith Urban act as ambassadors for the genre every week on NBC’s The Voice and Fox’s American Idol, respectively, while country- themed shows such as ABC’s drama Nashville and reality shows like A&E’s Crazy Hearts Nashville and TNT’s Private Lives of Nashville Wives air in primetime. In December 2013, Rolling Stone announced plans to launch country-centric offerings—a new website and a standalone country-themed print issue—and to open an editorial office in Nashville. “There’s a huge opportunity for us to expand the Rolling Stone consumer base by extending into country music,” Chris McLoughlin, Rolling Stone’s publisher, told Ad Age. Photos courtesy of 28 MARKETING NEWS | APRIL 2014 the Country Music Association. APRIL 2014 | MARKETING NEWS 29 Of the more than 102 million country music consumers in the United States, 19.6 million live in the West and 14.5 million in the Northeast, according to New York-based research firm GfK MRI. In January 2013, New York got a country radio station, NASH-FM, its first in 17 years, according to The New York Times. Country music—which has broadened to artists including Tim McGraw, Hunter Hayes and include sounds more reminiscent of pop, and the Zac Brown Band. collaborations with artists from Grohl to rappers Of the more than 102 million country music LL Cool J and Nelly—was the top radio format in consumers in the United States, 19.6 million live the U.S. in 2013, with 14.8% of total listening share, in the West and 14.5 million in the Northeast, according to Nielsen. It was the top-ranked format according to New York-based research firm GfK for audiences spanning in age from 18 to 54, and MRI. In January 2013, New York got a country was the No. 2 format for 12- to 17-year-olds and radio station, NASH-FM, its first in 17 years, consumers age 55 and older. according to The New York Times. “Country’s the No. 1 format in America More teens and twentysomethings, African- nationwide and it just had its best year ever, hitting Americans and Hispanics, and high-income an all-time national high for listening share,” a suburbanites are listening to country now than Nielsen spokesman says. “Country music has ever before. From 2000 to 2012, the number of 18- changed dramatically in the last 10 years. It’s much to 24-year-old country listeners grew 30% and the more mainstream.” number of African-American country listeners The audience for the country genre now tripled, and in 2012, 25% of Hispanics listened to parallels the U.S. consumer base, in general, country music, according to GfK MRI. spanning the nation as well as cultural and In 2013, 24.2% of country music consumers socioeconomic brackets. had annual household incomes of $50,000 to “If you look at the distribution of country music $75,000, and 27.1% had incomes of $75,000 or fans, it’s almost evenly distributed across the more, according to Nielsen. In comparison, for country. People used to have the impression that pop contemporary radio consumers, 22.7% had it was Southern-based, but now you have just as incomes of $50,000 to $75,000 and 35.6% had big a distribution in the Northeast and the West incomes of $75,000 or more, according to Nielsen. as you do in the South,” says Tom Worcester, head Last year, country music fans spent $88 billion of music brand partnerships at Los Angeles-based on travel, $75 billion on home repair, $18 billion talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), who on dining out, and $12 billion on health and beauty has negotiated sponsorship deals with country products, according to GfK MRI. 30 MARKETING NEWS | APRIL 2014 Country artist Blake Shelton acts as an ambassador for the genre each week on NBC's The Voice. JUMPING ON THE BANDWAGON Country Christmas, and approximately 50 brands The Nashville, Tenn.-based Country Music sponsor the CMA’s events each year, either through Association (CMA), a trade association dedicated on-site or TV advertising. The CMA’s year-round to promoting country music, is working with a brand partners—American Airlines, Anheuser- more diverse group of sponsors than in the past Busch, Pepsi, Patrón and Chevrolet—all run ads as brands leverage country’s nationwide appeal, during all three televised events. Each year-round says Sarah Trahern, the CMA’s CEO. “There are so partnership garners nearly 90 million media many media touch points for people to come in to impressions across radio, print, PR, social media country music today and that gives us a chance to and on-site advertising, according to the CMA. The put those sponsors in front of that growing fan base. 2013 CMA Awards attracted 16.7 million viewers, A variety of brands beyond the traditional country up 23% from 2012, and 8 million people saw 1.7 music outlets see value in our consumers.” million tweets about the show, according to Nielsen. The CMA hosts annual televised events including Las Vegas-based Patrón Spirits Co., maker of the CMA Awards, CMA Music Festival and CMA premium tequilas, sponsored the CMA Awards’ APRIL 2014 | MARKETING NEWS 31 I WANT MY official after-party and on-site fundraising efforts for Keep the Music Playing, the CMA’s music education charity, in 2011, 2012 and 2013 because country music’s wide-reaching CMT fan base fits well with Patrón’s target audience, says Greg Cohen, vice president of corporate communications at Patrón. “We appeal to a young 20s demographic, but we also appeal to an older demographic. We keep our marketing LIKE THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION, Nashville, pretty broad, and we know that older people Tenn.-based Country Music Television Inc. (CMT) also is and younger people listen to country, and attracting more brand partners over the past decade people in cities and rural areas listen to country, because of country music’s increasingly diverse fan base, so it’s been a great partnership with the CMA.” says Anthony Barton, senior vice president of integrated Another CMA brand partner, Mebane, N.C.- marketing at CMT. “The categories we’re working with based Kidde Fire Safety, leverages its CMA are changing based on the fact that the median age of Awards sponsorship in an effort to reach moms country fans is coming down. We’re not the pickup truck across the United States with its smoke alarm network right now, and I think 10 years ago we would’ve promotions featuring country artist and former been. Pepsi has a relationship with us and has also signed first responder Craig Morgan. “We’re looking a relationship with [country star] Hunter Hayes. They’re to get to moms, in particular, and the appeal of not putting all of their eggs in the Beyoncé basket. Health country music now is no longer just a regional and beauty endorsements also have become huge for phenomenon. It’s a national phenomenon our female stars. Cover Girl, Almay, these are brands and its appeal continues to grow,” says Kidde that weren’t traditionally a part of the country buy. If President Jim Ward. someone’s making a commitment to these artists, we On the event and experiential end, the CMA’s know that they’ve already become believers in what the audience continues to increase. The CMA country fan base brings to the table.” Music Festival, held every June in Nashville CMT airs a Hot 20 Countdown show with new artist and featuring artist performances and meet- videos each week, broadcasts the CMT Music Awards and-greets, attracted 80,000 fans in 2013, a 13% show each year, and is a partner for the CMA Music increase over 2012, according to the CMA. Festival and a TV sponsor for events such as Kicker Country’s international fan base is growing, Country Stampede, a four-day music festival.