Reaching the middle
Stereotypes kill. having expertise in the culture you’re trying to reach is critical.
Founder/CEO of New Heartland Group, Paul Jankowski, launched the firm after working on both coasts and realizing the New Heartland is far more than a geographic segment; it’s a cultural segment that deserves recognition.
The nuanced insights that Paul Jankowski offers into the needs, desires, affinities, and values of customers in America’s New Heartland, have helped some of PepsiCo’s biggest brands form deep, lasting relationships with these important customers.
Indra Nooyi, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo (former)
Paul desired to understand what makes New Heartlanders unique, so he drove his pick-up truck 1,500 miles through the New Heartland asking people what mattered to them the most. Countless conversations led to writing his first book, “How to Speak American: Building Brands in the New Heartland.” The book defines this massive, yet under-served cultural segment and traces the role core values such as faith (not religion), community and family play in buying behavior. The New Heartland is a massive and influential cultural segment representing nearly 60% of U.S. customers. From the Southwest, Midwest, and parts of the Southeast, New Heartlanders embrace unique cultural nuances anchored in core values and lifestyle activities. Brands that ignore these nuances miss a big opportunity that could pay off for generations. He then honed this thinking with proprietary research and authored a second book, “Speak American Too: Your Guide to Building Powerful Brands in the New Heartland.”
We Wrote the Book on Marketing to the New Heartland
The New Heartland Speaks includes powerful new insights on how to reach the New Heartland customer. With first-of-its-kind research, this marketing guide identifies differences between Gen Z, millennials and Gen X customers in the New Heartland and Coasts including brand perceptions, lifestyle influences, and more.
The New Heartland is interpreting style through these core values, building on its rich heritage and culture to influence trends the rest of the country is adopting. This influence is seen in all key New Heartland touchpoints – Music, Outdoors/Sports, Food, Fashion and Technology. And let’s not forget – Politics.
Country music, the #1 format in the New Heartland, has crossed over to mainstream. Chris Stapleton went from unknown to SNL; Taylor Swift from Nashville to New York. New sports like kayak fishing, and social media being used for everything from fish-finding to virtual tournaments, are making outdoors activities more accessible and appealing. Foodies no longer have to limit themselves to New York, Chicago or LA. Startups are finding the New Heartland to be welcoming, less costly and more balanced than the coastal stalwarts of Silicon Valley and Alley.
We build connections by helping brands understand how culture, core values and lifestyle activities influence buying behaviors.
Our Team
Founder/CEO
Paul Jankowski is a recognized brand builder, speaker, and thought leader on marketing and creating culturally relevant messaging in the New Heartland. He is the founder of Nashville-based New Heartland Group and has extensive experience in global brand development, having previously served as CMO at Elvis Presley Enterprises, VP/Media Marketing at SFX Entertainment (Live Nation), Director of Global Entertainment Relations at Gibson Guitar Corp., and in Pop/Rock Promotion/Marketing at MCA Records and SBK Records.
Account Director
Keea Taylor brings more than two decades of marketing experience and multiple industry awards to New Heartland Group. Having led best-in-class campaigns for brands including MARS, Hershey, General Mills, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Ford, and IKEA, she offers strategic leadership that bridges brand storytelling, consumer insights, and culturally connected communication. Her background includes agency leadership roles with Publicis and other global firms.
John Hennan
Vice President/Brand Partnerships
John has extensive experience leading marketing and business development for world-class brands and agencies. He’s known for his ability to help position brands competitively in a changing marketplace. A former CMO, and current adjunct professor, and mentor, John brings a mix of brand discipline, sales acumen, and creative insight to the NHG team.
John thinks: Curiosity is my OS. It’s how I discover what others miss.
John feels: Tell me, don’t sell me.
Me in three: Faith, Family, and Country.
Avery Jankowski
Head of Digital
Avery joins NHG as founder of Track Digital Marketing, a boutique digital marketing agency in the heart of Nashville. Specializing in Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing, he and his team enjoy developing and implementing digital marketing strategies that provide real results.
Avery thinks: Listen more, talk less.
Avery feels: Most at home surrounded by people who bring good energy and honesty.
Me in three: Driven, Grateful, Grounded.
Specialists
We have a deep pool of best-in-class specialists that we deploy based on the exacting needs of our client’s objectives. This allows us to focus senior level resources against all engagements and does not burden us – or our clients – with overhead or resources that are not required to get the job done.
