SITUATION
The Tennessean has always covered local music, but with the increase in popularity of Country Music across the nation, and the growth in entertainment in the area, more competitors were emerging. In particular, Rolling Stone had announced they would start a country music website and Cumulus Media began rebranding their country stations under the “Nash” label, with plans to expand the brand into events and other programming. We believed it was a good time to more clearly define and promote The Tennessean’s position within local music coverage.
SOLUTION
By surveying our readers, evaluating our strengths, analyzing the market and our competitors, we clarified that The Tennessean could claim a unique position. In particular, The Tennessean was the only source with high-quality, comprehensive coverage of:
- Country Music as a genre
- The local music scene across genres
- The artists and industry professionals within both
The messaging featured both Tennessean writers and local artists to exemplify the unique expertise of our staff and the breadth of music found in Nashville. Media channels included print, digital, email, outdoor and promotions tied to major events.
RESULTS
- Page views on The Tennessean’s online music coverage increased by 65% during the four-month campaign.
- Within three months, Likes on the TN Music News Facebook page increased by 81%.
ROLE
Completed analysis from third-party research, wrote and fielded custom survey, analyzed results, develop brand position, wrote copy for creative, conceptualized and managed photo shoots, layout and execution.