Well friends, it’s been pretty rough out there lately…
Terrible President
First, We The People elected a sexist, racist, xenophobic boob to run our country. In other words, we gave the keys to arguably the most powerful nation on the surface of the planet to a complete monster. The results of which continues to be a total mess.
Rampant Disrespect For Women
Meanwhile, sexual predators abound, in all walks of life, apparently hunting with impunity. From former President, Bill Clinton, to current President Donald Trump, to seemingly the entire male staff at Fox News, to Hollywood luminary, Harvey Weinstein, and on down the line. If you have daughters, probably a good idea to NEVER let them leave the house…
More Bad Guys Doing More Bad Things In More Places Than Ever Before
Terrorism, both foreign and domestic, continues to flourish. And now terrorists, both foreign and domestic, have begun to target music venues and live events. With the latest incident in Las Vegas not only igniting greater public anxiety, but fueling further public outrage over the lack credible gun control and adequate treatment for mental illness. Meanwhile, no one in our governments seems willing to address the issue with actual solutions. Preferring instead to lean on grandiose rhetoric steeped in political ideology, all in an effort to score points with their particular constituency.
And then, to top it off, Tom Petty had to go and die…
At 66, Tom’s certainly no spring chicken. But others in his line of work, many of whom seem to have lived much harder existences (I submit Keith Richards as State’s Evidence #1), are alive and well.
Tom Petty just wasn’t on my radar (and I’m not alone here) as a guy with a quickly expiring shelf life. But never the less, he’s gone. And it’s got me, and lots of others, feeling pretty down…
My Dad first introduced me to Petty, many moons ago. And I became a fan largely thanks to the Silver Box of Rock (the clock radio my grandparents gave me for Christmas in 1983) and the local rock radio station, upon which Petty’s early singles were in HEAVY rotation. An experience that wove the man’s masterful music into my formative DNA.
But it wasn’t until the dawn of the digital age that I REALLY fell in love with Petty and his inimitable music…
Here’s an excerpt from my music blog, Total Rock Fiend…
I got a CD player for my 15th birthday, waaaaay back in 1989. A lucky lad, huh? And in addition to new hi-fi gear, I also received a fist full of birthday cash from grandparents, aunts, and sundry relatives. I very lucky lad, indeed.
So, with a wad of bills burning a hole in my hot little pocket, one afternoon after school I adjourned to Ann Arbor, MI’s Schoolkids Records. It was my local record store of choice amid my prime adolescent. And there, I purchased my first CD: Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever.
I discovered the album’s lead single, I Won’t Back Down, thanks to MTV, and I was HOOKED. As a kid who’d been intimidated more than once in his still young life, I Won’t Back Down, defiant to the end (right up to the gates of hell), scored a direct hit in my personal emotional bulls-eye.
Meanwhile, the rest of the album KILLED. Absolutely KILLED. And as result of the record’s cornucopia of fantastic tunes, I literally wore the disc out. I am now, in fact, on my second copy of Full Moon Fever.
And the album remains one of my all-time fave records – gotta be in my personal top 10)
In short, I was a fan of Tom Petty growing up. But after Full Moon Fever, I fell head-over-heels in love with Tom and his music. And I’ve been an allegiant super-fan ever since.
You will find fewer souls sadder than mine at Tom’s seemingly untimely departure. But, as my wife noted, he isn’t gone. He has simply moved on to a new, and quite possibly grander adventure in the next life.
Wherever you may be now, Tom, here’s hoping you’re strumming your giant Gibson Humming Bird acoustic guitar, and wailing your heart, with an enormous spliff burning at your side.
If you’re so inclined, you can read the entire post here.
What Made Petty’s Music so Popular + Petty Such a Celebrated Artist?
A rebellious youth, Petty grew into a defiant man. And he carried that defiance to the end. Througout the formative years of his career in the music business, a famously perilous industry, he battled the odds, record company bosses, producers, and even his own bandmates.
But through it all, he never gave up, never gave in, and never sacrificed his artistic vision or personal convictions.
In a word, Petty was: Authentic.
And that’s tough to be these days, whatever your business. But particularly in the entertainment industry, a business that THRIVES on “manufactured images.”
Meanwhile, Petty’s authenticity positively oozes from both his music and his persona.
One of his biggest hits, Full Moon Fever’s lead single, I Won’t Back Down, casts Petty standing up to the entire world, not to mention the afterlife, literally backed up against the “gates of hell,” and refusing to give an inch.
That sentiment defined Petty, his music, and his life, inside and out. And it’s sentiment that resonates with just about every human on the planet. For who among us hasn’t struggled to take a stand in a difficult, seemingly insurmountable moment (setting aside President Boob, who, apparently has never had a single discernable crisis of confidence)?
Petty admitted that fans praised him for I Won’t Back Down more than any other song in his considerable catalog. And many noted the tune helped them persevere in some of their darkest moments.
What’s All This Got to do With Marketing?
One of the most overlooked keys to effective marketing?
You guessed it, authenticity.
Businesses of all stripes are constantly trying to manufactue personas that simply do not authentically represent them.
This is UUUUUUUUUUGE problem because (a) if your presentation doesn’t ring true, you’re not likely to connect with anyone, let alone your ideal clients; (b) the clients you do manage to reel in are probably not the type of clients you genuinely want to work with; and (c) when the clients you secure discover reality doesn’t match your false persona, they’re likely to desert you, scorching your reputation on the way out.
Clearly, all of this is bad news for your biz.
The solution? Be you. The real you. The authentic you.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t put your best face forward. Of course you’d comb your hair and wear clean clothes to get your photo taken.
But if your a boutique outfit, don’t imply you’ve got legions of staff backing you up.
If you’re a growing firm that’s rapidly expanding, don’t promise “personalized attention” you can’t provide.
Or to put it another way…
Don’t be the Spice Girls, a gaggle of good-looking gals, who had about as much connection to music as an Arby’s roast beef sandwich.
Be Tom Petty, who lived, breathed, and bled the music he loved.