There’s a reason why this week’s Democratic National Convention is being held in Chicago and July’s Republican National Convention was held in Wisconsin. While California’s glamour and New York’s grit tend to dominate popular culture, the political parties favor New Heartland states for their conventions.
There’s a reason.
Political parties covet being associated with the New Heartland’s traditions and American values, yet they too often forget these states once elected to office. The same can be said for brands, which value the New Heartland’s buying power but often ignore its residents in their marketing.
And there’s a lesson here for politicians and brands alike.
What Is the New Heartland?
The New Heartland consists of 26 states in the Midwest, Southwest and most of the Southeast woven together by a common thread of culture, values, attitudes and lifestyle passions. They’re more than just flyover states. It’s an area that has seen the rise and fall of industrialization, has served as an incubator for everything from the world’s greatest musicians to entrepreneurs, and has, in most recent years, defined the course of politics and presidential elections.
The New Heartland accounts for nearly 60 percent of this nation’s population, and while it represents approximately $8 trillion in buying power, this massive group is largely overlooked and underserved by brands and their agencies. Some even play into worn-out and destructive stereotypes of New Heartland residents as uneducated, redneck and backwards. This lazy approach drastically limits the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and the building of long-term brand advocates.
What they fail to understand is that in the New Heartland, brands are built at the dinner table, at church gatherings, out in the fields, on the production line, at concerts, on the golf course, at soccer practice, and on the front porch. They are passed down from generation to generation like family heirlooms and treasured recipes. Men drive a certain brand of pickup truck because that’s what their fathers and grandfathers drove. Moms buy the same brand of refrigerator and follow the same recipes as their moms and grandmothers did.
Politicians love a good photo opp with the farmer at the local diner, but will they remember him and his family when they return to Washington? As superficial as their visit may be, it’s a greater effort to get to know the New Heartland than some brands will ever make.
It’s Not a Niche – It’s Diverse and Varied
I’ve worked with a diverse array of senior brand teams and their agencies, who often overlook the New Heartland customer because this group hasn’t earned its way into the accepted way of thinking. Today, marketing is largely focused on targeting specific audience segments like LGBTQ, Hispanic, African-American or Gen Z consumers. The New Heartland is all of those, woven together by unique cultural traditions, faith affinities, lifestyle passions and distinct attitudes.
Building brands in the New Heartland doesn’t come from a focus group, big data or a survey – it stems from an appreciation of the deep roots and heritage that is held close to our hearts. To understand this passion and loyalty, you must find a way to live and breathe it every day.
Whether your target market currently includes the New Heartland or you are looking for new opportunities to expand your brand’s reach, getting up to speed on this powerful but often overlooked cultural segment is in your best interest.
Take a look at your marketing. Are your images depicting environments and scenes that New Heartlanders are familiar with and relate to? Does the copy in your ads use terms that are a part of the New Heartlander’s daily vernacular? Have your brand partnerships with influencers and celebrity endorsers aligned with this group?
If the answer is no, we should talk.
Get Back to Your Roots
Politicians love getting “back to their roots” when they visit New Heartland cities like Chicago and Milwaukee for their conventions. Of course, there are other obvious factors that influence where the political national conventions are held. Location, infrastructure and electoral college votes are also considered. But there are plenty of cities in critical states outside of the New Heartland that could host the conventions like Las Vegas and Phoenix, which have never been tapped, or Miami, which hasn’t been selected in over 50 years.
Again, there’s a reason. The political parties covet the votes and values of the New Heartland. Brands should, too.