Intro [00:00:00] Welcome to the Taylor Ten, a fast paced, ten minute deep dive into the minds of those shaking up the marketing world, bringing you the sharpest insights, boldest ideas and break through trends driving the industry forward. So tune in, get inspired, and stay ahead.

Sahara Price [00:00:17] Hi everyone! My name is the Sahara Price and welcome to The Taylor Ten. I'm here today with Joe Clarkson from the George Dickel team at Diageo to learn as much as I can about the marketer's perspective on the resurgence of country music in only ten minutes. So, Joe, I just want to start off by saying welcome and thank you for talking with me today.

Joe Clarkson [00:00:36] Of course, happy to.

Sahara Price [00:00:37] So to give folks listening a bit of a spoiler, I would say it's safe to say you describe yourself as a bit of a country music fan.

Joe Clarkson [00:00:45] That is correct.

Sahara Price [00:00:45] You know what I guess has resonated most with you and country music over the years?

Joe Clarkson [00:00:50] My parents weren't like big country music fans, but I grew up in a very rural part of Pennsylvania, and country music was very present there. And then I went to school. I went to college in a very rural part of Ohio. And they were also a big country music fan. So it's just always kind of been very present in my life.

Sahara Price [00:01:12] As a personal, you know, country music fan and then also working as the senior brand manager at Dickel, who, you know, for people who are unfamiliar, a brand based out of Tennessee long activating the country music space. How do you feel that the perception of country music has maybe shifted over the years?

Joe Clarkson [00:01:30] The perception has changed because the audience has changed. Right. So I think particularly over the last ten years, country music has become more mainstream. So I think there are a few things. I think one, it's attractive, to an audience that is younger and more diverse really kind of across the country. I think the accessibility to the country has changed the perception in that country music has always done very well from a touring perspective because the fans are so loyal, so artists have really been able to, you know, tour their music across the country. And I think that has really helped. And this might be a hot take, but I think one Miss Taylor Swift has certainly had an impact on country music and how it's kind of evolved. She really blew up as a country artist, and I think that that brought a lot of people into the category.

Sahara Price [00:02:31] To your point, it's like as that audience has grown, it's like also like the awareness to from just like a brand's perspective or the people working on the brands, they kind of know more of, like the who's who were kind of like what songs are popular or kind of like what is happening in the space where I feel like even like five, ten years ago, it was like if there ever was an opportunity, there was a lot more education that had to happen where it was like, okay, here's like what's happening? And here's like, why like people care about it's. Which I felt like it's so a lot of things down, you know, in some of those opportunistic moments.

Joe Clarkson [00:03:05] So another piece that I think has helped with its growth and perception is that country culturally is becoming cooler. So from a fashion perspective, you certainly see that from a, you know, a television perspective, you're seeing some of those kind of thematics like Yellowstone is the most obvious, and maybe country music inspired that, or maybe it inspired the growth and acceptance of country music, but I think it's something else that has really helped in that all of these other forces have been humming at the same time, and I certainly think that that's helped. Country music.

Sahara Price [00:03:43] I mean. Yeah, Beyonce, Levi's, you know, totally.

Joe Clarkson [00:03:47] You know, there are very few people who have singularly such an impact on culture like she does.

Sahara Price [00:03:53] Country music has been such a cornerstone of American culture, but hasn't always drawn in as many partnerships as other genres. Why do you think brands are just now realizing the opportunity with country music?

Joe Clarkson [00:04:04] Marketers are seeing that there is a bigger audience and a big growth. And I think what they are pleasantly surprised to find, the further they dig in is that this audience is not just, you know, older white folks who have loved country forever, but they have successfully recruited a younger demo, a demo that is, you know, really kind of nationwide and then also a demo that's more diverse, which is obviously, you know, really important.

Sahara Price [00:04:35] And I think there's something that always like feel so authentic too, about like so many like country musicians and so much country music where it feels so real and like very transparent. I do think that's also part of the appeal, where it's like, maybe some of these people feel like your friend or someone you knew from, like your hometown or, you know, something like that.

Joe Clarkson [00:04:54] I also think that there are artists right now who from an authenticity perspective. I think it's resonating with consumers and their growth is kind of connected to that. I think Zach Bryan is somebody who, in his lyrics, in the way he markets his music, in the way he performs his music. It doesn't feel gimmicky at all. It feels very true to him. It feels very authentic. And I think that's why we've seen his growth and popularity skyrocket at like such a remarkable clip. And I think you're seeing a lot of country artists that are kind of adapting that. I think Lainey Wilson is another obvious example of someone whose authenticity has really spoken to audiences in the way she communicates and the way she dresses, and the way she kind of presents herself. You know, it doesn't feel like a gimmick. It just feels so true to who she is. And I think that's why the industry and why music fans have really kind of gravitated toward her and why she's just been so successful.

Sahara Price [00:06:03] I think that there can often be like a misconception, you know, with people who are just now getting into the space with country music that it's only this one thing, or there's this one version of country music. When to your point, there's so many subgenres, so many territories to really activate and think on. What do you think is most important to keep in mind when brands are developing really like a strong talent strategy for like who they want to approach or how they want to approach to really like have that authentic sort of interaction.

Joe Clarkson [00:06:35] I think we need to remember that consumers are much smarter than we sometimes give them credit for it. And I think that they can really sniff out a transactional brand partnership. Right. So I think that it's always important to look into what is your brand's values, what is your brand's history, and is there an opportunity to find a person in this space who can help amplify those messages and those values? Right. I think if you just slab on a piece of talent and there isn't any real reason as to why you're partnering with that person outside of the fact that they have, you know, influence and reach. I think that consumers are going to sniff that out, and it's not going to be a really productive partnership. One thing that you know, from a Dickel perspective is we felt like the outlaw country space made a lot of sense for us for a few reasons. One, the kind of principles of outlaw country and how it's produced and how it's marketed really kind of aligns with our brand and how we've always kind of rolled. And then also, we've worked with country artists, you know, 30 plus years ago. So we have that history. So it wasn't force and it just felt really natural. And I think that the the partnerships have been really fruitful because of that. Another thing that I think is important, it's important. And this isn't just country music, but this is really partnerships in general is you never want a partnership to just be transactional, right? You want it to live beyond your scope of work or your terms. How can you support that person or that talent in what they are doing, just as they're supporting and helping you? And I think when that happens and when brands prioritize that, I just think you're going to have a more fruitful partnership. You know, my experience is, is that brands and partners remember when the other ones really supported them in a positive way, right. And I think that, you know, that helps kind of extend the partnerships and it's benefits for both, you know, talent and brand. Long before its term.

Sahara Price [00:08:44] And then my last question for you, which this is a bit off topic, but there have been so many fun collaborations of artists, you know, diving into the country space for the first time or doing fun collaborations or albums. Is there anyone just personally who you would want to see kind of delve in that space who has an already or, you know, kind of explore their country roots or anything like that?

Joe Clarkson [00:09:11] I would love if Adele made a country album.

Sahara Price [00:09:15] I would die. That's such a good one, right?

Joe Clarkson [00:09:18] I think the reason that Beyonce worked one, obviously she has a lot of again, it goes back to authenticity. Like, you know, she's from Texas and she has all the roots, but she also is just like such an unbelievable musical talent right. So I think that's why that worked. Now I don't know what Adele's, you know, country roots would be for it to make sense. But I mean, you can't say that she's not, you know, an unbelievable, you know, musical talents.

Sahara Price [00:09:44] Thank you so, so much, Joe. For the time. That's all we have for today. And, you know, thanks everyone who listened and looking forward to next time on the Taylor Ten.