Unless you don't listen to music or never heard of Rolling Stone magazine then you've probably heard about the recent success of Saskatoon band The Sheepdogs. The boogie rock revivalists beat out 15 other bands in an online contest put on by Rolling Stone magazine to earn the honour of having their faces on the cover of the August 18th issue along with a contract with Atlantic Records. It's really an incredible story about how the power of the web, good content, and a passionate legion of supporters can propel a relatively unknown group to international attention in the matter of a few months.
Their "overnight success" is the lucky viral dream of any marketer, but the Sheepdogs success is a lot more than just luck. Although the band could not have achieved the exposure without the help of the online contest I believe they deservedly won because they did an exceptional job of getting the basics right. Below are lessons The Sheepdogs can teach marketers and business owners:
Belief in your product
Any successful endeavor requires having a good foundation to build from and in business no amount of online technology can help you unless you start with a good product you're passionate about. The Sheepdogs might not be anymore talented than the bands they beat out in Rolling Stone's contest, but their style of music (product) is something they've honed over the past six years with an undying passion. Their style does not follow any current rock trends but it's tight and reminiscent of the days of classic rock in it's purest good-feeling form. Their music is not contrived or overly produced but it's good and they're good at playing it night after night. Do you have a product you believe in?
Authenticity breeds trust
The Sheepdogs are proud of who they are and unapologetically committed to sounding like the 70's bands they admire such as the Guess Who. This is the music they like and want to put out regardless if it's cool or fits the latest trend in modern rock. People admire and respect them for this. They are who they are and what you see is what you get. They're not pretending to be anybody they're not so they come across as a bunch of sincere guys who are making honest music. Are your marketing efforts authentic or are you only letting people believe what you want them to?
Success has to be earned
Earlier I mentioned The Sheepdogs were an "overnight success" but anybody in the music business knows that there is no such thing. The Sheepdogs have toured relentlessly for the past six years criss-crossing Canada and trying to break into the States all the while producing three full length albums independently. They've worked hard, built up a loyal local following, and made sacrifices for the good of the band. These guys were up against a lot of bands from the States with much larger fan bases, but the The Sheepdogs built a huge community of support because of their hard work. Having a marketing campaign go viral or even exceedingly successful is very rare. The truth is most things don't make a big difference, but it's perseverance and dedication to doing things everyday that eventually bring a difference. Are you always planning a "viral" campaign or properly prioritizing what needs to get done day after day?
The Sheepdogs' Rolling Stone achievement goes to show that the biggest marketing budget, most sophisticated technology, and mainstream popularity aren't the key ingredients for success. If you have a product you believe in, market it honestly, and work hard then good things can happen.
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