what a 60's rock n' roll band can teach us about building a community

The Grateful Dead are

the most successful

live band in history.

They played over 2300 shows to

approximately 40 million people.

Lead singer Jerry Garcia smoked more

weed, snorted more cocaine, ingested more

hallucinogenics and injected more heroin

than any other musician in history...

...except, perhaps, for Keith Richards.

The ‘Deadheads’ are the most loyal

music fans in Rock n’ Roll.

marketing lessons from a

60’s rock n’ roll band

building a passionate

online community

This is not a social media presentation.

This is a presentation about

building a community.

* Kittens will die every time a term like ‘join the conversation’ is used.

*

Let’s look at the problems that we’re

facing in the current environment.

Every two days we create

as much information as we

did from the dawn of

civilization up until 2003.

noise! PROBLEM #1:

I have 2 million people

on my Facebook page

who I can talk to directly.

Why do I need

traditional advertising?

confusion about the state of marketing

PROBLEM #2:

Robert Polet, CEO Gucci Global

everyone’s looking for

the next ‘big thing’

PROBLEM #3:

unrealistic

expectations of

social media

PROBLEM #4:

I want a) a Facebook page

b) a viral video c) pop

d) fizz e) fruit salad

there’s a deluge of social media campaigns PROBLEM #5:

I clicked on ‘Like’.

Now I want my

%$#%ing iPad!

behaviours are changing, fast! PROBLEM #6:

What does it mean to create a community?

The word ‘community’

derives from the Latin

communare which

means to share.

The

Com

mun

ity

Bui

ldin

g G

rid

The Holy Grail

of Community

Marketing?

It’s when those community members

start talking to each other.

two local publishing case studies…

What marketing lessons can we

learn from the Grateful Dead?

Have a cause. LESSON #1:

Give content freely. LESSON #2:

Create unique

idiosyncrasies.

LESSON #3:

Identify influential

ambassadors.

LESSON #4:

Empower members. LESSON #5:

Interact relentlessly

LESSON #6:

Rewards, often.

LESSON #7:

is community

building really all

that important?

46 yrs after Grateful Dead was founded...

800,000 fans on Facebook

$60m merchandise per annum

Over 100 licencees of Dead

paraphernalia in the US

Dead Bean Bear 2nd only to Beanie

Babies for most pop. bean bag toy

According research by to

McKinsey & Company,

customers within a community

are 9 times more likely to buy

their product than a

competing product from

outside that community.

Thanks for Listening.

(feedback to @Fred_Roed

please!)

* Woop. No kittens died.

heavychef.com | worldwidecreative.co.za

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