What Dolly Parton Taught Us About Branding, Leadership and Talent Development

It’s rare to find an overwhelmingly one-sided reaction about the life of a famous person in today’s world of instant opinions. Dolly Parton was that person last week. We attempt to keep our algorithms balanced (yes, impossible) because we want to get both sides.

However, it was difficult to find anyone who had something negative to say about the late entertainer and cultural icon after her death at age 80. Remember the moment, because it rarely happens.

Marketing and PR students will study Ms. Parton’s career, style, strategy and tactics for many years. Much was written before her death about the positive impact she had on music, fashion, education, philanthropy, entertainment and humanity. The opinions and learning opportunities will accelerate as observers learn more about the unique character and personality of The Iron Butterfly.

The Brand

Dolly is a B.R.A.N.D. Consider this recent fact: According to Luminate, her music streams alone increased from 1.2 million the day before her death to 30.5 million the day of her death to 46.3 million the day after her passing. And that’s just the United States. Globally, the streams increased to 79.7 million.

Dolly is so unique. We can say that about a lot of famous entertainers, leaders, politicians and dignitaries. The moment someone tries to recreate the person, it isn’t accepted as authentic. There never will be another Dolly Parton.

Here are a few observations and lessons we made about Dolly’s impact on Branding, Leadership and Talent:

It seems Dolly was very aware of her brand and its impact. Could she do anything because she was Dolly? Or did she understand her boundaries so well that she never crossed the line when it came to the expectations of her audience? Both.

• Consistent: There have been so many videos surfacing in the last week with Dolly Parton interviews and performances throughout the decades. It’s difficult to find one where she’s not in character. She had a radical consistency about herself and her brand.

  Honesty: She was proud of her heritage and honest about her character and nuances. We throw around the word authentic like a cheap adjective, but Dolly’s commitment to the meaning is another term we throw around: Masterclass.

  Audience: Her creations beyond the music were really about her audience and consumers, not herself. She started with the needs of the audience. Did it benefit her brand? Of course it did. But it seems like she considered what the audience or consumer needed first, then she used the power of the Dolly brand to execute the idea. As brand managers, are we asking our idea teams, “What problem does this solve for the consumer?”

Like most leaders, I’m sure there were days and seasons Dolly wishes she could “do over.” But from all I’ve read, her leadership skills were another Masterclass to be noted.

There’s a Forbes article about Dolly’s leadership qualities by Dr. Samantha Madhosingh. I’ve linked the piece at the end of this blog, but here are three that got my attention:

• Lead With Love: The author mentions Dolly’s ability to reach out to fellow entertainers, co-workers or Dollywood staff with handwritten notes of encouragement. It’s a fading skill, but in the rapidly evolving season of AI-generated content, let’s learn from one of the busiest executives and bring back some old-school handwritten communication to our staff and clients.

  Give Without Expectation: She started the Imagination Library to honor her father, who couldn’t read or write. She gave $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in April 2020 to get the Moderna vaccine rolling. Think about the date. We were less than two months into the COVID-19 pandemic and she knew philanthropy needed a boost.

  Lift Others As You Climb: I selected this one simply for the author’s use of a heading. It’s a strong line. Dolly was famous for helping young talent get their start because she had been there. As leaders, are we in a constant awareness of our opportunities to mentor?

I learned a new Dolly Parton story last week during the tributes.

• When she wrote I Will Always Love You in 1974, Elvis wanted to record the song. His manager, Colonel Tom Parker, wanted Dolly to give up half of the publishing rights. She refused, and Elvis didn’t record the song.

  The obvious takeaway is protecting your product and content. But I had another observation. Are we respecting the talent we employ and their gifts and skills? If your talent isn’t confident or strong enough to turn down the King of Rock ‘n Roll like Dolly did, then help them recognize the talent they bring to your brand and organization. It’s in your brand’s best interest for talent to protect their content and product. They will subconsciously want to create a stronger “protectable” product. 

The gift of life isn’t simply what we share and model for others in the moment; it’s the storyline of inspiration left for the next generation. Dolly Parton was and is a Masterclass of continuous learning.

Here’s the link from the Forbes author about Dolly’s leadership lessons.