Branding lessons from my favorite festival

This weekend social media will hum to the tune of the Grammys. I’m going to tell you a story of my music heroes, but you won’t see them on the television Sunday night. 

This isn’t just about music, though. It’s about building a brand.

Stick with me to the end and you’ll pick up some tips applying to your company. 

The Laurel Cove Music Festival takes place in Bell County, Kentucky in June. 2024 marks the fifth year for the event, and it’s not only my favorite music festival—it’s my favorite weekend of the year. 

The first reason is simple—I’m biased because this is home. I was born in Harlan and grew up in Bell County. Our region has been at the core of so many national issues—drugs, poverty, education, and so on and so on. Southeastern Kentucky has not historically been where people turn to for positive headlines. 

Laurel Cove Music Festival is giving us wins.

I've been to every Laurel Cove, short of the first one. I’ve watched the headlining talent edge towards bigger names, but no matter who takes the stage for the final show of the night, the event stays true to booking emerging artists. In fact, the show is becoming a feeder for other festivals. Getting a slot at the Cove is not only a notch on the belt, it's getting attention from festival booking agents who are looking for up and coming talent.

The Cove crew doesn't just have their finger on the pulse of the genre—they're living the Appalachian scene.

Jon Grace and Blake Carpenter came up with the original idea for the Cove after attending the famed "Kickin' It On The Creek," which featured Tyler Childers before the rest of the world discovered him. 

Jon, the Bell County Tourism Director, and Blake, a music fanatic who cofounded a music management group, asked each other "what if we could do something like this to showcase our county?"

And instead of just talking—these dudes built it.

(Unnecessary disclaimer, Blake has been my best friend since preschool and Jon is a friend who mentored me through my planning of Send It Slam). 

Jon is regarded as one of the best in the game at putting together a lineup. Bell County shows are the only concerts I've been to where people thank the person who booked them by name, consistently.

"I'd like to thank Jon Grace" is heard nearly every set.

Jon is humble, and the first to tell you that he couldn't do this alone. Blake and a team of volunteers make the gear load in/out top notch, the hospitality is personalized and unlike any other show and they truly take care of these artists. 

The Cove has a capacity of about 1400 people. Last year was the first time the event sold out. This year? Every wave of tickets sold out instantly. In fact, on the last wave, they had 12,000 people trying to buy just a few hundred tickets. 

Most of the Cove’s tickets sell before people even know who is playing. People buy blind because they know—Laurel Cove Music Festival doesn't miss.

Most guests are not there because they saw a big headliner name—they're there for the experience that this team has built.

The experience is unique:

• You can walk past talent performing in the rhododendron, filming for the Laurel Cove Sessions

• You can shake the hand of the headliner

• You can buy merch directly from the artist at their table

• This is one of the only festivals where you can grab a beer, burger and chips without forking over four hours of pay

• The Cove doesn’t take merch cuts from artists

• The venue is among the prettiest on the east coast

Jon is doing with a team of volunteers what most festivals do with agencies, marketing teams and booking agents. He’s created mountain magic on a shoestring budget. 

And here comes the lesson for your company.

Top 3 reasons the Cove beats other festivals

As Tourism Director, Jon’s focus is exposing the beauty of Bell County to travelers. Usually a tourism department focuses on exploiting an asset that already exists. An example would be how Bardstown, Ky. brings people from all over the country to explore the distilleries. On the flip side of this, Jon created his own magic by establishing Bell County as the heartbeat of Appalachian music. 

Laurel Cove Music Festival is just one of Jon’s events. He books shows year round that draw great talent to the county. But the Cove has become the centerpiece of his strategy, and it’s working. One of the core strategies was not just booking the talent, though—it was creating an experience. 

Years ago, Jon and Blake saw a gap in the normal festival experience and what they enjoyed, and they took a chance at building a music scene they’d enjoy themselves. It took time, and there were a lot of hard lessons learned along the way, but they did it.

The gaps:

• Pricing

• Atmosphere

• Intimacy 

Let’s take a look at the landscape for each, then we’ll break down how you can do this for your brand.

Pricing

If you’ve been to a festival recently, you know the steep ticket prices are just the beginning. After you pay a few hundred dollars for a single day, you’re going to face steep fees for parking, shuttles, hotels, food, drink and merch. The experience quickly adds up to more than the outrageously priced tickets. 

My Cove tickets this year broke out to just $41 per day. Parking is free. Drinks and food are reasonable if not too cheap. Jon’s core goal is exposure for the county and creating a memorable experience. While Jon could likely now charge double for his tickets and still sell out, he’s sticking to his core goal. Removing the barrier of cost helps him achieve his goals for creating a great experience. 

Atmosphere

So many festivals overlook the importance of creating a “vibe.” Laurel Cove is held at a beautiful amphitheater, which is tucked deep into Pine Mountain. An hour from the interstate, this venue is as remote as you’ll find anywhere. The main stage is set between the trees, at the foot of the white rock cliffs and just behind a small pond, home to native salamanders. 

To visit the creek side stage, attendees must hike a few minutes through the famed Mountain Laurel and rhododendron. On the way down, you will likely pass by some of the day’s talent performing for the Laurel Cove Sessions, a YouTube series showcasing performances among the native rhododendron. 

And I can’t talk about the atmosphere without mentioning the fact that the lineup doesn’t miss. You may not know all of the names, but you definitely don’t want to miss a set. The high level of talent keeps a high level of respect among the crowd—ticket holders know that if an artist has a slot at this show, they deserve their attention. This is one show where you won’t find a ton of crowd chatter during a set. 

Intimacy

The festival has become known for the camaraderie among its fans. It’s the only event I’ve ever been to where a drunken fight breaking out seems nearly impossible. Everyone is friendly, and just happy to be there. If you’ve been to many festivals, you know this is just not the norm. It’s a special vibe. 

In addition to the fan friendship, concert goers love the fact that the talent is as happy to be there as you are. In fact, it’s gotten to the point where so many musicians want to just be a part of this event, the Cove is now being solicited by songwriters for just the chance to be a part of it. I’ve heard of multiple hot acts who were willing to bail on other contracted gigs if they could find a slot in the lineup. 

When Jon and Blake founded the Laurel Cove Music Festival, they knew what they wanted to build. They identified their values, and every step of the way, they’ve stuck to those values. They take time to ensure the atmosphere is killer for both the artists and the audience. They refuse to raise prices even though they could. And they haven’t moved to a larger venue because the atmosphere and intimacy would be hard to match.  

Too many companies don’t establish values, which means their brand is left to be determined solely by the market’s perception of their product and their customer service. When you do this, you’re bound to have a fragmented experience when your brand. On the flip side, when you take an approach like a Zappos (or in our example today, Bell County’s approach to music), you hire people who are aligned with your values, you teach your team these values, and as a result, your values are always apparent. 

I worked on hundreds of branding projects when I was in advertising. All too often, companies were hiring us to brand their way out of perception problems. You can’t do it. A logo, color palette and new set of mission and vision statements won’t save you if your company isn’t operating with a strong set of core values at the heart of the company. 

As a startup, you have a rare opportunity to think through what values you want to be a part of your company. You can build from day one with these in mind, and establish a product and service that exudes the values that are going to make you unique. 

If you don’t? Well, in a few years when you’re scaling, hiring and growing, don’t be surprised when the teams aren’t cohesive, the product is fragmented and the passion you had in the beginning has lost its spark. 

Who I’m listening to: Shane Smith & the Saints

What I’m reading: “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver

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