Happy Holidays, y’all.
Hopefully, everyone had some much-needed time off, caught a few sales, and remembered to give back to those in need.
Originally, I was going to take this week off from publishing… But, Nah.
In the spirit of giving, today’s piece is about J. Cole.
Cole is a rapper who has given back to his fans in impactful ways that have cemented his brand culturally and shown the world the strength of his character.
In short, he provides a masterclass in altruism, and marketers can learn a lot from him. Does that sound good? Good.
Let’s dig in.
IT ALL STARTED WITH A DOLLAR & DREAM
Day one J. Cole Fans know that Cole’s mantra since the beginning of his career was that all he had was a Dollar and a Dream.
Cole had spent years trying to get the attention of Jay-Z. At one point he donned a “produce for Jay-Z or die” t-shirt, and even stood outside his recording studio for hours only to be told that Jay didn’t want his de
Cole’s actions culminated in him finally landing a deal at Jay’s record label Roc Nation and ascending into stardom. J. Cole fans supported him through his first album, which helped him exceed expectations with the record label, and after finally gaining his footing in the music industry, it was clear that cole was primed for stardom.
I know. That’s all great, but what does this have do with giving?
It’s about the fans my g.
Any J. Cole fan will tell you that he loves his fans. So much so that in 2009 Cole announced the Dollar and a Dream tour. This wasn’t just any tour, though. It came with a twist. Fans would have to watch Twitter for a post alerting them to the venue location, and upon getting there, they could gain entry to the show
FOR ONE DOLLAR
Yep, that’s right.
Check out the venue below to see how crazy it was. But for just four quarters fans experience an entire J. Cole concert with all the frills of a regular tour. Guests artists like Drake even showed up at certain locations — and again, it was all for a $1. That’s GOAT Sh*t.
THE LESSON FOR BRANDS:
If your brand is in a position to give back to its supporters, or your day one customers, DO IT EARNESTLY. Don’t give them the same 10% discount you give everyone else. Show them that without their support you’d be nothing. In return they’ll continue to give you everything…
THEN IN 2014, J. COLE WENT HOME…
The true gift of success isn’t what it affords you but what it allows you to do for others who are in a similar situation to the one you made it out of. For Cole, that was especially true during the release of his 3rd studio album 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
Building on the success of his second album “Born Sinner,” Cole brought us to his hometown in North Carolina. While there he went to the very house he used to live in – the one that the album is named after. Part of the album rollout (as seen below) chronicles his experiences.
Through this documentary and the album we see Cole peel back the layers of his childhood, some of its volatility, and issues that he faced which made him the man he is today.
However, the biggest part of Cole’s journey home had yet to be revealed.
With 2014 FHD, it became clear that Cole was on a mission to do something impactful for the world. He was firmly at the top of hip-hop, without question, and by now, he was financially free. This time, it was about freeing the world.
So, not only did he drop the documentary to showcase a part of North Carolina that is traditionally forgotten about, but he also doubled down by
TURNING HIS CHILDHOOD HOME INTO A WOMEN’S SHELTER!
When asked about it in an interview with combat jack shortly after the release of the album Cole had this to say:
“My goal is to have that be a haven for families. So every two years a new family will come in and they live rent-free. The idea is that it’s a single mother with multiple kids and she’s coming from a place where all her kids are sharing a room. She might have two, three kids—they’re sharing a room. She gets to come here rent-free. I want her kids to feel how I felt when we got to the house.”
THE LESSON FOR BRANDS:
Pay it forward
Brands are expected to socially aware, and to give back here and there but, that’s a given. Truly ask yourself: how are we paying it forward?
Cynicism abounds. Corporate greed is always in the newsfeed, and people are having a rough go at it these past few years.
With that in mind, If your company had a great year, a flawless product launch, or exponential growth in some kind of way, find a way to pay that forward to someone (or a community), no matter how small the gesture. The key though? Make it meaningful.
And though it’s self-serving to say (out loud, at least), it pays to do good. With Cole It’s bigger than music, and because of that he can make a long term brand building play and do the types of things that people remember.
Remember: You never know when you’re gonna need some good PR so build up that goodwill while you can.
And on spiritual sh*t, it’ll come back to you. Good always comes back to you.
ALL THIS TO SAY… GIVE BACK
If you’re reading this that means it’s Black Friday. Definitely do your thing, but find a way to give back to your supporters if you can. It definitely goes a long way. I’m not quite sure what to do for my audience over here yet, but if you’ve ever clicked an article, shared a link, or subscribed I’m super thankful.
Much love to anyone reading. Let’s finish the year out strong, catch y’all next week.
Peace.