While CEOs understand the power of entertainment to delight people they’re trying to reach, they might not appreciate the business case—and how it’s shifting. Dave McKay of RBC told me he’s never been more popular than when the bank sponsored Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. It also helped RBC add more than 600,000 clients to its Canadian banking business last year. Here are some insights from CEOs shaping the next wave of live entertainment.
Create a multigenerational experience. It’s not just mother-daughter Swifties. In organizing the CBGB event, entrepreneur Phil Sandhaus created a “Young Punk” category of $73 tickets, along with a separate stage area of younger acts that was buzzing with energy—and the sponsors who wanted to associate with that. He also livestreamed the key mainstage acts.
“We want to appeal to people who grew up with this music but make it accessible to a younger generation,” Sandhaus told me. “Different price points and experiences let us go after different sponsors and brands. We’re not trying to gouge people; we’re here for the long run.”
