The Power of Mid-Sized Cities & Rural America

Howdy,

Welcome to the 5 new folks who subscribed to the newsletter this past week!

Last week, we discussed ownership of assets in the 21st century.

This week, we're talking about marketing lessons from rural America and what they reveal about the division in the US.

Plus, we've got more photos from the road at the end of the newsletter!

Brand evangelists have powered the success of "Yellowstone."

If you map out a tree of the family/friends who I have told about the show (+ also include the people downstream who my family/friends have told about the show thereafter), you'd have a chart of 30+ people who I have directly/indirectly influenced to watch Yellowstone.

If you're not on this list of folks who I've gotten to yet, here's what you need to know about the show: 3 major parties (ranchers, Native Americans, and property developers) battle it out to determine who will be the stewards of Montana's land moving into the future. Depending on the battle at hand, two parties will form an alliance to defeat the other - drama ensues.

The show has found massive success, drawing in over 11m people during its season 4 premiere last year.

Here's the interesting part: the show gained its initial viewership in mid-sized cities/rural America, not major US markets.

A picture of the set of the ranch. Fun fact: the show is actually filmed in Utah, not Montana.

Breaking down the viewer demographics.

Whereas other tv shows will target tier 1 cities in America (Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Miami, etc.), Yellowstone has found that its market is in mid-sized cities throughout the US (Birmingham, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, etc.).

The series finds most of its success in the mid-west and in the south where rural and urban America meet.

Now that the show has gotten its footing in rural America, major markets on either coast are increasingly tuning into the show.

The order of operations is fascinating. Major city trends typically influence the middle of America. In this case, rural America trends are influencing major cities.

"Many fans of the family drama are based in areas of the country where cowboys still roam." - Paramount Network

Consider the show's themes with respect to its viewers.

Here's a list of the running themes throughout the 4 seasons of the show:

• Value family over everything

• Protect land from being developed

• Defend assets to hand down to the next generation

• Know your neighbors/handle conflict with them face-to-face

People from mid-sized cities and rural America feel deeply connected to the show because they feel like their values (the themes above) are being eroded.

John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner) mentors his grandson, Tate, (played by Brecken Merrill) with hopes that one day he will steward the land.

Applying the 3 lessons from Yellowstone & the rural-urban divide to political discourse in America.

Here's a summary of what we just covered:

1. Brand evangelists who enthusiastically spread the message via word of mouth are the best form of marketing.

2. Trends don't just start from large urban environments and trickle down (New York to Birmingham). They also start in smaller cities and work their way up (Topeka to LA).

3. Crafting a message around something that people feel is being taken from them strikes a deep chord within.

Consider these 3 lessons with regard to our current political environment.

The political faction that builds brand evangelists, focuses on mid-sized cities/rural America, and crafts a message that makes these communities feel seen will win.

This isn't a partisan statement. It's simply a note on engagement with respect to both major political parties - mid-sized cities + rural America are more powerful than we think.

P.S. Yellowstone producers made a prequel called "1883." Hot take - I think it's better than the original show itself because Yellowstone is a neo-Western whereas 1883 is a true Western.

An ad for Coors Banquet that I saw at a gas station in small-town South Carolina this week.

The ad above doesn't explicitly say "Yellowstone," but everyone who watches the show knows that the wranglers drink Coors (heavy product placement) and that this is a silhouette of a fan-favorite character, Rip. This ad + a conversation I had 3 months ago with my sister Jess' boyfriend, Don, about Yellowstone's marketing in rural America were the 2 driving forces behind this piece.

Photos of the week

Locations this past week: Greenville, SC -> Athens, GA -> Augusta, GA -> Myrtle Beach, SC

Ran into my former cabinmate, Jordan, from Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in the Greenville, SC Planet Fitness. I was even wearing a Mountain Sky hat. The world ain't so big after all. P.S. Mountain Sky is located in Paradise Valley, MT (where Yellowstone is set - now you understand my fandom.)

Downtown Greenville, SC. In addition to this waterfall, they're also building a new 60-acre park connected to this walking trail that follows the river. It has breweries, yoga studios, and restaurants along the trail - exceptional work by the city's urban planners.

Greenville, SC hangout called "Gather Greenville." It's a bunch of shipping containers that have been outfitted into niche restaurants. Love the concept of bringing people together through tiny architecture to enjoy good food and great company.

Photo of my aunts' backyard in Myrtle Beach, SC. Thank you to Sherry and Janice who hosted me!!

A photo that depicts why I live in small living quarters, go on hikes, and work out. It's a privilege to self-impose some of these inconveniences, so I am intentional about doing so.

Thanks for reading

Go tell someone about the crossover between Yellowstone's marketing + the rural-urban divide in America,

Josh

Want more? Access the full Build Better Newsletter repository below!