In early 2011 I started researching the concept of building a community as a viable marketing strategy and the Grateful Dead kept appearing in my findings. I knew very little about the band, despite that they still have the most loyal following (the 'Deadheads') in music 15 years after their demise. I quickly realised that this defunct rock n' roll band can teach us more about marketing in the digital economy than most of us 'marketing gurus' would care to admit. My slide deck talks first about some of the problems we're facing. I then extract the key lessons that the Grateful Dead can teach us.

3. The Grateful Dead are
the most successful
live band in history.

4. They played over 2300 shows to
approximately 40 million people.

5. Lead singer Jerry Garcia smoked more
weed, snorted more cocaine, ingested more
hallucinogenics and injected more heroin
than any other musician in history...

6. ...except, perhaps, for Keith Richards.

7. The ‘Deadheads’ are the most loyal
music fans in Rock n’ Roll.

8. marketing lessons from a
60’s rock n’ roll band
building a passionate
online community

9. This is not a social media presentation.

10. This is a presentation about
building a community.
*
* Kittens will die every time a term like ‘join the conversation’ is used.

11. Let’s look at the problems that we’re
facing in the current environment.

12. Every two days we create
as much information as we
did from the dawn of
civilization up until 2003.
PROBLEM#1:
noise!

13. PROBLEM#2:
confusion about the
state of marketing
I have 2 million people
on my Facebook page
who I can talk to directly.
Why do I need
traditional advertising?
Robert Polet, CEO Gucci Global

14. PROBLEM#3:
everyone’s looking for
the next ‘big thing’

15. I want a) a Facebook page
b) a viral video c) pop
d) fizz e) fruit salad
PROBLEM#4:
unrealistic
expectations of
social media

16. PROBLEM #5:
there’s a deluge of social media campaigns
I clicked on ‘Like’.
Now I want my
%$#%ing iPad!

17. PROBLEM #6:
behaviours are changing, fast!

18. What does it mean to create a community?

19. The word ‘community’
derives from the Latin
communare which
means to share.

20. The Community
Building Grid

21. The Holy Grail
of Community
Marketing?

22. It’s when those community members
start talking to each other.

23. two local publishing case studies…

26. What marketing lessons can we
learn from the Grateful Dead?

27. LESSON#1:
Have a cause.

28. LESSON#2:
Give content freely.

29. LESSON#3:
Create unique
idiosyncrasies.

30. LESSON#4:
Identify influential
ambassadors.

31. LESSON#5:
Empower members.

32. LESSON#6:
Interact
relentlessly

33. LESSON#7:
Rewards,
often.

34. is community
building really all
that important?

35. 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

36. 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.

37. Thanks for Listening.
(feedback to @Fred_Roed
please!)

38. *
* Woop. No kittens died.
heavychef.com | worldwidecreative.co.za