Zach Bryan: Brand Positioning Case Study

When you think of marketing, brand strategy, and positioning — you probably don’t think of country music artists.

But every band has a brand.

Because according to marketing genius Seth Godin a brand is simply “…a set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships.”

When you turn on Spotify, you make a choice of who to listen to, and Zach Bryan is using positioning to make his music an obvious choice for country music fans.

He’s positioned himself as an artist serving the “average working man and woman” refusing to raise ticket prices, going to war with Ticketmaster, and selling out his tour in less than 30 minutes this week.

💼 The Brand: Zach Bryan

• An up-and-coming folk/country singer/songwriter with raw & emotional lyrics.
• 1.3M followers on Instagram and named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2022.
• Sold out his tour this week in less than 30 minutes.

💛 The Heart (Mission & Vision)

Can a singer/songwriter have a mission? If they operate like Zach Bryan they can. His mission is to perform honest, heartfelt music that speaks to the human experience.

Zach’s songs explore themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, and his lyrics are deeply personal, drawing from his own experiences and struggles. 

👤 The Head (Strategy & Positioning)

Zach Bryan’s stripped-down sound and honest lyrics position him as artist who values authenticity over fame. But he doesn’t just stop at the music.

This week he carried this strategy all the way into how he released tickets… completely barring companies like Ticketmaster from buying/re-selling tickets for major profits.

It’s unusual. But it created a surge in demand that sold his tickets in less than 30 minutes. That’s the power of a great positioning strategy.

If a music artist can be positioned, anyone can be :) Grab this free 10 Pillars of Positioning checklist to get started on your strategy.

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✋ The Hands (Tactics):

It’s not every day you see a music artists “not care” about selling out their tour quickly. That’s sort of the goal, right?

Maybe if you’re like every other artist.

But Zach Bryan chose a different path.

One that led to his latest album being titled “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.”

What’s interesting is how this has positioned his brand in a completely separate space than artists like… Taylor Swift for example.

Taylor = Commercial Music

Zach = Personal Music

Not that one is necessarily better than the other. They’re just different. Which is the art of great positioning.

Want a good laugh? Check out this “infomercial” tour announcement he put together explaining the intricacies of ticket prices + taxes + fees 👇

It features comedian Theo Von explaining how the tickets will be sold at a reasonable price and scalping will not be allowed.

An unheard of tactic for a rising star in the music industry.

How You Can Steal His Strategy

• Embrace simplicity and authenticity: Zach Bryan's music is a testament to the power of simplicity and authenticity. His stripped-down sound and honest lyrics have resonated with fans because they are real and relatable. How can you “strip down” what you offer to the authentic essentials?
• Be true to yourself: Bryan's approach to music is a reflection of his values and philosophy. As an artist, or business owner, it's important to stay true to yourself and your vision, rather than trying to fit into a particular mold. When’s the last you evaluated yours?

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