Three Marketing Lessons From Dick Clark

As someone who grew up with American Bandstand, Dick Clark’s daily TV music dance party, I feel a loss at the passing of this great legend. Dick Clark turned a generation of teenagers on to the latest music and launched many musicians’ careers.

While it might seem that Dick Clark’s fame is linked largely to an era gone by (alongside our love of The Beatles, the Jackson 5 and Chubby Checker), there are some timeless marketing lessons that can be taught from Clark’s brilliant career.

1. Host the party. Dick Clark brought us the fun, rather than creating the music. Products, tastes and fashions will change, but the person or brand that brings you the enduring benefit (in this case fun and dancing) stands forever. Dick Clark naturally went on to produce the American Music Awards, host syndicated top 40 countdowns, TV shows and is still known today for hosting our biggest party of the year - Rockin’ New Years Eve.