Marketing Lessons From A Country Music Superstar

On April 15, 2009 Country Superstar Kenny Chesney appeared on The Oprah Show.  During the segment of the show featuring Kenny, he allowed Oprah's film crew to follow him on an average day in his life as he prepared to take his famous show on the road.

While it was enlightening to sneak a peak into what goes into the making of a successful road tour, the most fascinating thing about Kenny was his understanding of marketing.

(Image of Kenny Chesney - DailyCeleb.com - All Rights Reserved).

During his interview with Oprah, the eight time Entertainment Of The Year winner shared the importance of combining an exceptional show experience with connecting directly and consistently with the fans.

Kenny demonstrated his philosophy of constantly marketing himself to his fans when he first appeared on Oprah's show.  As the superstar walked towards the stage he stopped and shook hands with many of the people in the audience.  He also gave several women hugs and appropriate hand squeezes.

It was inspiring to watch how this musical genius took the time to connect with as many people as possible.

Building A Life Long Customer

Oprah questioned Kenny about his tradition of hanging out with his fans and sharing drinks with them.  The man from Tennessee explained that everything he does when he is off-stage is to enhance the experience of his fans.  He pointed out that when he was in college and going to concerts if the star had come out into the parking lot and had a drink with him, he would never have forgotten the experience for the rest of his life.

Kenny also discussed the importance of being able to sense the mood of his audience.  He explained to Oprah that depending on the mood of the crowd at some concerts they may change up their pre-planned sets.  He also said they might play much longer than the planned two hours and fifteen minutes if the crowd had a chemistry that indicated a longer set.

Building On A Superior Product

Again, Kenny was discussing some great marketing principles.  He obviously understands the importance of providing a superior product with his performances and CDs.  He also builds on his product by expanding the experience of his fans, whether it means hanging out with them and sharing drinks, hugging them at performances or appropriately altering his sets to exceed expectations.

Even though he admitted to Oprah that doing a tour every summer is "a lot of work"  he also acknowledged that being successful in music requires hard work.  Kenny told Oprah no one every gave him or his family anything and he understands what it means to work for what he wants.

Starting At The Bottom

Many people in business get frustrated when they don't see instant results.  Kenny Chesney also talked about how he started his career as a college boy playing his guitar on a stool with a tip jar.  Of course it's true that the odds are high of becoming a major star like Kenny but if you follow his path of working hard, staying focused on your dreams, never giving up and doing great marketing, you have a good chance of success.

Ironically many people looking at Kenny Chesney's success might think it was tied to his voice, his musical skills or even his looks.  While all of those factors go into making a great product, ultimately as much of the success Kenny Chesney has enjoyed can be linked to his tireless self-promotion, brand marketing and constant awareness of the importance of thrilling his customers.

Yes Kenny Chesney may be a superstar country singer but if you want to learn some great marketing lessons, study this man and follow in his steps.

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