Your brand is likely missing out on fully leveraging the power of the 60% Americans who call the New Heartland home. You may be targeting them, but there’s a good chance you aren’t connecting with them.  

The New Heartland is a massive consumer segment that represents about $7 trillion in buying power. It goes beyond geography and has become a nationally encompassing state of mind for many who align with the values and passions of the New Heartland.  

For the past 25 years, it’s been my mission to help brands understand the New Heartland consumer and how to build long term relationships with them. You could say I wrote the book on the New Heartland. (Actually, I’ve written three.) 

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. 

What Is the New Heartland?  

While some jokingly refer to us as the flyover states (low key offensive), the New Heartland consists of 26 states in the Midwest, Southwest and most of the Southeast that are woven together by a common thread of culture, values, attitudes and lifestyles. 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 and entrepreneurs, and has, in most recent years, defined the course of politics and presidential elections.  

Despite its $7 trillion buying power, only 5% of New Heartland residents feel that brands understand them. This immense group is largely overlooked and underserved by brands and their agencies. Marketing to the New Heartland too often employs tired and destructive stereotypes (think Beverly Hillbillies), which limit the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and the building of long-term brand advocates.  

Today, the New Heartland has evolved beyond just being a geographic area – it’s a state of mind. As working from home became commonplace post-Covid, many realized they could work from anywhere. Cue the Great Relocation, when many from the Coasts relocated to the New Heartland to get closer to the traditions and lifestyles that they identify with.  

If you’re marketing to Californians or Bostonians, don’t assume that the New Heartland values are irrelevant. You might be surprised. 

So, I Took a Drive… 

I’ve witnessed brand dismissiveness of the New Heartland for over 25 years, and in 2009, I decided to take action. I wasn’t sure how to articulate what I and my fellow New Heartlander’s were feeling, so I got in my F-150 and took a trip – a long one, actually. I drove roughly 2,500 miles through the New Heartland and asked questions, like what do you really care about, and what are the most important parts of your life?  

The answers I heard the most revolved around core values, such as faith (not religion), connection to community and an unwavering commitment to family. It’s those values, combined with unique attitudes, lifestyle activities and cultural touchpoints that help define the New Heartland customer.  

I’ve spent the last 20+ years as a brand strategist committed to understanding the New Heartland and helping educate brands and marketers on how to connect with New Heartland customers. Through our research, we’ve learned that 95 percent of New Heartland residents don’t think brands understand them – and they’re right. One failed marketing plan after another proves that you simply can’t build brands in the New Heartland from the 42nd floor of a Manhattan skyscraper.  

From the Dinner Table to the Golf Course 

To truly understand the New Heartland customer, brand strategists and marketers must immerse themselves in our lifestyle – or hire brand experts who are already here. For a brand to succeed, it’s vital to understand our cultural roots, where our loyalties lie, how values impact our buying behavior, our attitudes about life, how we spend our spare time, and how we discover and engage with brands.  

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 certain household products because they are the ones their moms used.  

Building brands in the New Heartland doesn’t come from a focus group, big data, or a survey – it stems from an understanding 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.  

Connecting with New Heartland Consumers 

The great news is that there is a tremendous opportunity for brand decision makers to buck the comfort of building brand strategies and communication plans the tried and true way and start using methods that actually build brand advocacy with the New Heartland customer.  

With a newfound grasp on New Heartland culture, values, attitudes, and lifestyle, you can evaluate your existing strategy and how you’re talking to the New Heartland consumer.  

• Are your images depicting environments and scenes that New Heartlander’s 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?  

It’s imperative to understand the role culture, values, lifestyles activities and attitudes have on buying behavior, whether you personally align with them or not. Because it’s not about us, or our comfort level. It’s about showing empathy and taking the time to immerse ourselves in the culture of the New Heartland customer. The upside of investing in the New Heartland as a cultural segment is significant.