Last week, our country endured an unspeakable tragedy in Las Vegas while we’re still reeling from natures’ devastating knock out punches from hurricanes in Texas, Puerto Rico and Florida and the wildfires in California. As we all try to apply rationale to events that have none, there is a common bond that we share: even though we feel like a divided a nation, the one thing we can unify around is our faith. Faith in God, faith in a higher power, or faith in just treating each other as we want to be treated. As a nation that was founded on freedom of how we practice our faith, it’s no wonder the significant role it plays in our lives. This important core value has been largely considered taboo by brand marketers looking to connect with their consumers. It’s time to accept that faith is real, it’s powerful, and it’s intrinsic to a life of purpose for many Americans.
As a member of the Nashville music community, I found that the events in Vegas struck a profoundly personal chord. This cowardly act could’ve occurred at any music festival or event, but it happened to take place at a country music festival. Country music fans tend to keep their values of faith, community, patriotism, and family a little more at the surface and you’ll find these values woven into many country songs. Certainly these values aren’t exclusive to country music fans or the geography of the New Heartland (Midwest, Southwest, Southeast), but they are more talked about in casual conversations and more expected in the brands they support.
Shortly after the Las Vegas tragedy, I heard a very powerful song that country star, Eric Church, wrote just a few days after he played at the Las Vegas festival: “Why Not Me.” Church played the song during his performance at the Grand Ole Opry. I highly recommend you take a few minutes to listen to the song and hear Church talk about his Vegas experience.
Faith is manifested in so many different ways for people who hold this core value closely; a core value that’s shared by the majority of Americans, and is front and center in the New Heartland.
As brand marketers, understanding the role of faith in your consumer’s lives is a powerful insight as you strive to build deep and long-lasting relationships.
