Cracker Barrel, the southern country themed restaurant is the platform where Dolly Parton, the ageless wonder and country music legend, teamed up with Pentatonix, a young Cappella group, to produce the remix of Parton’s classic hit, “Jolene.” The song won a Grammy for best country duo/group performance, and has been making waves on the awards and TV show circuit, attracting over 22 million viewers on YouYube.
Cracker Barrel’s efforts to build its music and entertainment profile enabled the collaboration that brought together Parton and Pentatonix on a single platform to produce the bestseller. Though they still sells CDs, candies and small tchotchkes at their country stores they have now decided to create original music for their CDs as well as their social media channels rather than licensing them.
Don Hoffman, VP, Marketing, at Cracker Barrel, said, “Music has always been a part of the Cracker Barrel brand, but over the last year, we’ve become tighter in understanding the value proposition of music to our business. We’re committing to making Cracker Barrel a music and entertainment brand on a broader scale.” Cracker Barrel teamed up with FlyteVu, its full-service marketing agency for collaboration with the purpose of connecting with brands and ultimately with the customer. They gave a common platform to Parton the country music veteran and Pentatonix, a young cappella group to produce the remix of Parton’s all time classic hit, “Jolene”.
This song not only became a big hit again but also lifted the young artists of Pentatonix to a higher plane, as well as bringing about a renaissance of the legacy of Dolly Parton. Overall, it is a win-win-win for all of them as it increased the popularity and upswing of sale at Cracker Barrel too but most importantly, established it as a music and entertainment brand that produces original music. Cracker Barrel produced other video series, like Warehouse Sessions, shot at their décor warehouse featuring NeedToBreathe, the Christian rock band and Alison Krauss. The restaurant’s program of making music and entertainment is a vital part of its growth strategy and is helping it connect with customers on a deeper level including the next generation of diners.