WHEN Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist recently passed away at the age of 80, US President Donald J. Trump ordered flags at half-mast. the British Royal Family not only sent tributes, but her iconic Nine to Five Song was played at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. There is even a move to have the Nashville, Tennessee Airport named after her. Tributes poured from all over-world leaders, celebrities, and those who simply loved her music.
Why did someone who was born into a large, impoverished family in a one-room cabin in rural East Tennessee touch so many lives?
In an article in Inc.com, Mark Berman says that in over six decades, ‘Parton transformed her songwriting and performing talents into a global entertainment career. She became one of the best-selling artists in music history, wrote songs that became standards, starred in major films including 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, and built a brand that is beloved and instantly recognizable.’
For someone who according to Agence France Presse, ‘sang her first songs to chickens outside the cabin,’ her work ethic was astonishing. She launched publishing and music production companies, a radio station and restaurants. She even wrote a best-selling novel with co-author James Patterson. She connected with the younger generation through her Instagram page which, with 8.6 million followers, became an online phenomenon. At age 75, she unveiled a new fragrance called ‘Dolly.’
In 1986, Parton partnered to transform the existing Silver Dollar Theme Park in Pigeon Forge Tennessee into Dollywood. It became, according to Berman, ‘an entertainment destination built around Dolly’s Appalachian roots, storytelling, and personality.’
As communicators, we can learn much from her if we want to build legacy companies and brands. This he shares with us in Berman’s article The Incredible Business Strategy that made Dolly Parton an American Icon.
Create a brand people believe in and let it grow over time
‘Parton’s songwriting was the foundation of her business empire,’ says Berman. ‘She didn’t’ simply perform songs. She understood the value of her creative work, and found ways to extend its life.’
But’ she never treated music as her finish line. She treated it as the beginning, and she used it as a springboard into multiple business endeavors, continually expanding her creative assets into movies, television, publishing, merchandise, live entertainment, and other ventures.’
That, he adds, is entrepreneurial thinking: ‘Create something valuable, retain ownership when possible, and understand that its value can grow over time.’
Know your audience
Another lesson from her career? Simply know your customer. Parton understood what people wanted from Dolly Parton.
‘They wanted the songs. They wanted the humor. They wanted the glamour,’ says Berman. ‘They wanted the smiles, the love, the warmth. They wanted to believe that the woman behind the enormous hair and rhinestones was still connected to the little girl from Tennessee.’
She remained relevant across generations because she was willing to evolve, abandoning her core identity that made her successful in the first place.
The lesson for communicators and building a legacy brand: ‘Be willing to evolve, but don’t lose sight of what you are.’
Be authentic
Before ‘personal branding’ became a business buzzword, authenticity was perhaps her greatest asset. ‘She turned her humble beginnings, distinctive appearance, humor music, and Appalachian heritage into her brand so naturally and effortlessly.’
Despite her amazing success, Dolly remained incredibly humble. She earned a Kennedy Center award, one of the highest art accolades in 2006, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022, after initially turning it down.
In 2021, she revealed she had declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom, saying she did not want to travel to Washington during the Covid pandemic. Michael Mathes of Agence France Presse quotes her as saying to NBC, ‘It’s nice but I’m not sure that I even deserve it. But it’s a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it.’
This is so refreshing at a time when narcissism reigns.
Family always came first
As the fourth of 12 children, Dolly always remained close to her family. In 1971, she released the spare and gorgeous Coat of Many Colors, a Bible-themed track about her mother overcoming poverty.
Her nephew was in charge of her security, and her cousin Richie Owens collaborated with her, and helped her produce multiple albums. While she did not have children of her own, she remained close to her siblings, nieces and nephews, and grandkids, whom she encouraged to follow their dreams.
She was loyally married for almost 60 years to Carl Dean, who she nursed during his last days.
Her funeral was intimate, including family and close friends, because ‘she wanted it that way.’
Big hair, big music, big heart
Most remarkably, Dolly always gave back without much fanfare. In 1995, she launched her Imagination Library in her home country of Tennessee, inspired by her father’s inability to read or write. The program began by providing free books to young children and eventually expanded internationally, says Berman.
The Dollywood Foundation also launched educational initiatives in her hometown. One offered $500 to students who graduated high school, helping reduce dropout rates among participating classes.
‘Parton used the success she created to create opportunities for other people too. That is something one can learn about legacy building: Success can be measured by more than the size of a company’s bottom line, says Berman.
With her authenticity, Dolly Parton ‘turned her humble beginnings, distinctive appearance, humor, music, and Appalachian heritage into her brand’. It is about kindness, relatability, and personifying good.
Dolly Parton did that over six decades. And ‘her business legacy-and cultural legacy-will always be celebrated and never forgotten.’
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chair.
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