Toby Keith's website

For my musician choice I chose Toby Keith. I like his music and what he stands for. I am putting his website up front in this so you can go see for yourself before you finish reading. http://tobykeith.com/ . When you first open up his site, you are hit with a big picture asking you to vote for him for the CMT Male Video of the Year and for Video of the year awards; which is empowering to the user as it gives them the ability to help Toby achieve these awards. You can also become a member of his elite fan club by merely clicking on the available button. There are also links to follow him on Twitter and sign up for mobile alerts which will keep you informed of all of his happenings. All of the choices you can make are put right up in your face with big fonts, bright red colors and a huge cowboy smile. You get bombarded with his latest hits of Red Solo Cup and Beers Ago that are both followed with links to purchase them. The website appears to be put together great with plenty of opportunities to purchase items for, from and about Toby Keith. I think the website promotes his image of an all American guy that drinks beer and raises hell. Even the main picture of himself portrayed on his website is of a bearded Toby with hair that could use a trim and a baseball hat with sunglasses on the brim. He does not appear to be some make-up-wearing meticulously made up person that is not within reach of the everyday person. He is one of us, he is a piece of Americana.

 He has a multitude of pictures of himself and the troops deployed from his various USO tours. He clearly doesn’t state anywhere on his website that he is either for or against the war; that doesn’t really matter what his stance is. He supports the troops! Whether you are for or against the war effort, everyone either knows someone over there or knows a family that has someone deployed and also wants to support them. There are also links to his restaurant, Toby Keith’s I love This Bar & Grill, which is taken from one of his songs. His restaurant is furthermore promoted by the fact that he donates a complete meal to each and every service member. At the bottom of the website page are several huge links to again his restaurant, a new Wild Shot Mezcal, the Toby Keith Foundation and Show Dog Music Corporation. I am most impressed with the Toby Keith Foundation in that it is designed to assist children going through cancer treatment with a place to stay for their duration of treatment.

All of his upcoming tour dates, cities hosting the show and the ability to buy, not just regular show tickets, but VIP packages. The VIP packages are again, another ploy to make the user feel elite and have the ability to meet Toby personally.

Altogether though, I feel the marketing and advertising strategies that are utilized on his website are well thought out. Everywhere you can link to has a great heart-warming picture of Toby coupled with the user’s ability to spend some money. While you are spending your money, you are feeling good that you are helping out America by enabling Toby to support our troops, our children with cancer and the USO.