In 1987, the Grateful Dead released the song “Touch of Grey,” becoming the band’s first and only radio hit. Quickly, many Dead Heads, some of that had been listening to the band for over 30 years, felt put off by their favorite band’s Top 40 success. Yet when Jerry Garcia was asked what they thought about being referred to as “sellouts” his response was perfect.
“We’ve been trying to sell out for years and no one has been buying,” Garcia replied with a smile.
For decades, fans felt as if they were part of a club. There was an element of exclusivity within the culture that the Grateful Dead cultivated. A free world within a vacuum. Yet now the creators of this culture were being played on the radio and embraced by the mainstream.
The music was now being shared. The culture was now being shared.
“Selling out” is often associated with sacrificing one’s authenticity for the sake of financial gain. Loyalists feel a sense of betrayal from the brand when this happens. But is there a reason to feel this betrayal when the ethos and core values of the brand have stayed the same, and they’ve simply cast a larger net?
The brand’s goal is to reach more people that connect with the product. Achieving this without having to change the founding set of principles is what becomes the challenge and also a major measure of success.
We have a natural tendency to root for the underdog. This is foundational to an era of startups and brands that have public-facing founders that share their brand-building stories—both the highs and the lows. Suddenly, when a brand achieves some level of success—a product placed at Costco, a large acquisition, or a song licensed for an iPhone commercial—that rooting tendency seems to wane and the next emerging creator gets its audience.
Fortunately, people can smell bullshit. If the brand or artist maintains its core values, the odds of losing fans are slim. The Grateful Dead didn’t end up losing its fanbase after “Touch of Grey” was released. Sure, accepting new demographics as they attended shows might’ve taken some getting used to, but the music didn’t change. The band didn’t achieve commercial success by abandoning what they built over the 30 years prior. They persevered, stayed true to their path, wrote a catchy song, and got it picked up by the radio with a bit of luck.
Brands must constantly explore how they can achieve new customer acquisition while continuing to cater to early adopters. Abandoning the foundation is a quick way to collapse. Consumers, on the other hand, need to remind themselves what they’re rooting for. Most brands and most artists don’t need to exist. Rather, brands and artists make life better. They spread joy, inspire, and make life easier. The larger those nets are cast, the better.
The nature of “Touch of Grey” is about both aging and ultimately getting by and surviving when handed the difficult cards of life. It’s ironic that this would be the song that would go on to achieve mainstream success and the one that would stir up controversy.
Selling out isn’t a bad thing. It’s just a matter of whether one can sell out authentically or instead sacrifices all that they’ve built. Make decisions based on comfort, vision, and values—and protect the brand at all costs.
