What the Dave Matthews Band Can Teach Businesses About Customer Loyalty

DMB message to fans who contributed to Mercy video

Lessons in Customer Loyalty Courtesy of the Dave Matthews Band

A customer relationship is typically one sided: go to a business for a product or service, receive that service. Depending on your experience, you may or may not go back.  The same is true for the music you love.  Find a song or a band you love, buy the song or album.  Depending on whether you like it, you may or may not buy something else.  Future correspondence generally consists of "the push."  Businesses pushing one-sided information to tell you more about what they do, what they offer, and how they are different.  More often than not, the push is followed by a discount to give you a reason to come back.

As a marketer, I know "the push" all too well.  So I love it when a business FLIPS THE SWITCH.

They flip the switch by reaching out and asking brand advocates to put their creativity to work.  They ask to use their voice.  What better way to build your brand than to request fan participation in something really cool, right?  Businesses that think outside the box and get their fans to truly participate in something (not just "like" them) are those that get what the new marketing age is all about.

These businesses get that their brand is whatever their customers say it is.

DMB (Dave Mathews Band) is the latest example with the world premier of the "Mercy" video just released today.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE DMB fan.  See bucket list for further evidence.  About a month ago, DMB reached out to their fan base and asked for help creating the Mercy video.  "Send us a photo/video entry and it may be included in our fan-based video."  Pretty simple, right?  What follows is the coolest music video I've seen in a long time (not to mention a really great message in the lyrics).  And soon to be, probably the most shared music video of all time.

DMB gets it.  They practice what they preach and their brand of band delivers every time.  As a fan, I continue to share and spread the word about my favorite music group...without being asked.  In the end, that's what true customer loyalty is.